Leaders commemorate D-Day 70th anniversary

Veterans and heirs of the D-Day combatants met above Omaha beach to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the historic landing

6 June 2014, 4:08pm
by Staff Reporter

1 min read

U.S. Air Force C-130 planes fly over a ceremony in Sainte-Mere-Eglise, France, on Thursday honoring paratroopers of the 82th and 101st Airborne divisions. Photo: Claude Paris/AP

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President Barack Obama paid tribute to American and Allied forces who fought and died in the D-Day landings 70 years ago Friday, describing the shores of Normandy as "democracy's beachhead."

The president addressed crowds of veterans gathered under calm blue skies at Colleville-sur-Mer, a cemetery close to Omaha beach, where some 2,500 U.S. servicemen died in the invasion.

Obama told the story of D-Day at the cemetery above Omaha Beach – "this sacred place of rest for 9,387 Americans" – and said it should be "seared into the memory" of history.

"Omaha, Normandy; this was democracy's beachhead," Obama said.

Also in attendance were the Queen of England, the Prince of Wales, British PM David Cameron, Labour leader Ed Miliband and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The American-French ceremony at Omaha Beach began a day of 70th anniversary D-Day commemorations along the French coast once held by Nazis.

The ceremony featured the solemn traditions of military memorials.

Obama and French President Francois Hollande — who also spoke — placed a wreath at a colonnade near the gravesites. They held their hands over their hearts as a bugler played taps and jets roared overhead. A 21-gun salute boomed over the thousands of stone crosses at Omaha Beach.