Source: by Mark Spowart/Getty Images / Getty
On this day (June 6, 1944) in World War II, Allied forces invaded northern France by means of beach landings in Normandy. The operation began the liberation of German-occupied France (and later western Europe) from Nazi control, and laid the foundations of the Allied victory on the Western Front.
Several events are scheduled in the Triangle to commemorate 75 years since D-Day on Thursday.
North Carolina will mark the 75th anniversary of D-Day with a ceremony and special meetings by the General Assembly at the old state Capitol.
Legislative leaders and foreign diplomats plan to honor World War II veterans attending the events on Thursday, as well as remember the 39 North Carolinians who died during the invasion of Normandy on June 6, 1944.
WRAL TV talked with Jack Hughes, 99, from Durham, a veteran of this invasion. Hughes served in the Navy as a medical officer after graduating from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He said he has been back to Normandy, and it’s an emotional place.
“One of the things I did when I went back [to the beaches]…I went back to the top of the cliff and saw the cemetery,” Hughes said. “That was very moving.”
Hughes treated soldiers who were wounded in the invasions. He said hopes Thursday’s event serves as a reminder of the sacrifices made during the war.
Read more at WRAL.com
