Participants dressed as a member of the Regiment de la Chaudiere du Canada salute to honour the memory of the Canadian soldiers who stormed the beach on D-Day.Kiran Ridley/The Globe and Mail
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World leaders and veterans gathered near the sun-soaked beaches of Normandy on Thursday to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landing and warn about the dangers posed by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The main ceremony unfolded at an outdoor venue overlooking Omaha Beach, one of five sections along the coastline where nearly 160,000 soldiers from the United States, Britain and Canada landed on June 6, 1944.
There were musical tributes, video montages and readings from letters written by soldiers, resistance fighters and their families. One American veteran, 104-year-old Ed Berthold, read a letter he sent to his mother on June 7, 1944.
“Dear Mom, just a few lines to tell you we are all okay,” he wrote. “It certainly was a terrific show, what we could see. This is what everyone has been waiting for.”
French President Emmanuel Macron told the gathering that the men who landed on the beach that day were all afraid, but they kept advancing. “They knew they could die in it, but they still marched on because each of their steps brought the world closer to freedom,” he said. “Today, we are all children of D-Day.”
The presence of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky among the dignitaries ensured that the anniversary transcended the events of D-Day, which marked the beginning of the end of Nazi Germany.
France's President Emmanuel Macron, right, greets Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky upon his arrival to attend the International commemorative ceremony at Omaha Beach marking the 80th anniversary of the World War II "D-Day" Allied landings in Normandy, in Saint-Laurent-sur-Mer, in northwestern France, on June 6, 2024.LUDOVIC MARIN/Getty Images
Mr. Zelensky was given a warm welcome by Mr. Macron, and he received a standing ovation from the 5,000 guests, including U.S. President Joe Biden, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and leaders from two dozen other countries. Several veterans also made a point of greeting the Ukrainian leader.
One American veteran hugged Mr. Zelensky and told him he was a saviour of the people. Mr. Zelensky shook his head and replied, “No no, you saved Europe.”
Mr. Macron offered thanks to the Ukrainian people for “their bravery, for their taste for freedom.”
“We are here, and we will not weaken,” he added.
Mr. Zelensky didn’t make any remarks during the ceremony, but in a post on X before the event he said the anniversary served as a reminder of the courage and determination demonstrated on D-Day. “Allies defended Europe’s freedom then, and Ukrainians do so now. Unity prevailed then, and true unity can prevail today,” he said.
Services marking D-Day were held through the day along the Normandy coastline and the five beaches codenamed Omaha, Utah, Sword, Gold and Juno, where the Canadians were concentrated. More than 4,000 died that day, including nearly 400 Canadians, and 73,000 lost their lives in the ensuing battle to liberate France that summer.
Mr. Biden set the tone early in the day during an event honouring American soldiers at Omaha Beach.
“Ukraine has been invaded by a tyrant. They’re fighting with extraordinary courage, suffering great losses but never backing down,” Mr. Biden said.
He added that democracy was more at risk now than at any point since the Second World War. “Make no mistake, autocrats in the world are watching closely to see what happens in Ukraine, to see if we let this illegal aggression go unchecked. We cannot let that happen, to surrender to bullies. Bowing down to dictators is simply unthinkable,” he said.
Mr. Biden also took a swipe at former president Donald Trump and others in the U.S. who have questioned the role of NATO. “Isolationism was not the answer 80 years ago, and is not the answer today,” he said.
During a morning ceremony near Juno Beach marking Canada’s D-Day contribution, which included 14,000 soldiers, Mr. Trudeau echoed that theme and said democracy was under threat by “aggressors who want to redraw borders.”
“We must all continue to stand for democracy, day in, day out. We owe it to future generations. We owe it to the great women and men in uniform who sacrifice so much,” he added.
While the war in Ukraine was a subtext to many of the speeches, most of the day was devoted to honouring the veterans.
Around 200 attended the main ceremony, including a dozen from Canada. As they assembled next to the stage, the crowd erupted in a constant rhythmic applause.
“We thank all the veterans here today,” Mr. Macron said. “I would like to express my gratitude on behalf of all the people of France.”
Canadian veteran Bill Wilson was a 19-year-old seaman gunner on HMCS Ottawa when the D-Day invasion began that morning. His ship was providing support to the landing troops and as he stood near the beach this week, he marvelled at the brilliant sunshine and calm water. “It didn’t look like that,” he said. “The sun is out. The water is flat.”
He recalled sitting on the deck of his ship eight decades ago, “seeing all those landing crafts going in to land on the beach, knowing damn well that the Germans were waiting for us when we came.”
Now 99 years old, Mr. Wilson is among a dwindling number of Second World War veterans. “They were robbed of their lives,” he said of those who died. Then he paused and added; “But, we volunteered.”