D-Day June 6, 1944 Still Celebrated in France 78 Years Later

If you think the French have forgotten the sacrifices Allied forces made to liberate their country, all you need to do is take a look at the volunteers of L’Association N’oublie Pas 44 (Never Forget 44). They give their time and their money to keep the memory alive.

The 78th anniversary of D-day, the day that Western Allied forces landed in Normandy, paving way for the liberation of France, will be celebrated this year. Annual celebrations have taken place since June 6, 1945.

That first commemoration took place on the beach near Arromanches only weeks after the signing of the armistice and Paris had been liberated less than a year earlier.

For a long time, commemorations of the Normandy beach landings were military celebrations, often attended by Allied veterans of that 1944 disembarkment. they served as a remembrance of the sacrifices of the Allied forces and those who made the ultimate sacrifice.

Since the 1980’s the event has focused on the sacrifices made to liberate France and on the horrors of war, allowing for a collective memory to stay fresh, so that past errors will never be repeated. Veteran associations and history buffs congregate every summer in Normandy to commemorate this turning point in the history of France. It’s common to come across a vintage Jeep driven by young people wearing 1940s American military garb heading to a site to participate in its commemoration. Battles are reenacted, without violence, to show the public how the armies were displaced on the ground. Aerial fights are also organized so that one can admire the maneuverability and the power of the planes that allowed airborne troops to land.

This year my trip to France- my 4th since 2017- will include participation in one of the historic reconstructions of military camps in Normandy, featuring Us Airborne troops with dioramas and displays of a medical evacuation station and demonstrations of the equipment of the American paratroopers. I will be there with my good friends of N’oublie Pas 44.

tom Rice 100 year old d-day veteran click link for his story

Some of the men and women of N’oublie Pas 44