Honoring Heroes: Normandy's Remembrance Week for World War II Veterans

Parachutists reenacted jumps in Normandy as commemorations began for D-Day veterans. French officials and admirers expressed gratitude to the dwindling group of 90+ year-old heroes. This week-long event, attended by global leaders, aims to pass the baton of remembrance to younger generations, amid ongoing conflicts like Ukraine.

Parachutists jumping from World War II-era planes descended into the tranquil Normandy skies on Sunday, marking the start of a week-long commemoration for the rapidly fading generation of Allied troops who stormed the D-Day beaches 80 years ago, helping to liberate Europe from Nazi tyranny.

Along the Normandy coast — where soldiers from the United States, Britain, Canada, and other Allied nations landed under fire on June 6, 1944 — French officials, local survivors, and others are offering heartfelt thanks and farewells to these aging veterans. These nonagenarians and centenarians returning to honor their fallen comrades and heroic deeds are among the last of their kind.

As three C-47 transport planes dropped parachutists, the crowd erupted in applause, serenaded by Glenn Miller and Edith Piaf tunes. Fireworks, parachute jumps, and solemn ceremonies this week, attended by leaders like President Joe Biden and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, aim to ensure the memory of these events is passed to new generations even as conflict persists in places like Ukraine.