June 6, 1944, 65 years later....

[Coach]

Saturday marks the anniversary of "D-Day," referring to the D-Day invasion in Europe in 1944. This year commemorates the 65th anniversary of Operation Overlord, or "D-Day," when thousands of American and British troops landed on the shores of Normandy with the objective of securing it from Nazi Germany, through additional land and naval support of other Allied nations.

The assault, the largest seaborne invasion in history to that time, is considered to be the turning point in the war toward the Allied victory, but it was not without cost. Total Allied casualties on D-Day are estimated at 10,000, including more than 2,500 dead.

Today, 65 years later, as our World War II veterans of our greatest generation are passing on, Americans reflect on the significance of June 6, 1944, and the historical importance of Operation Overlord. More than 330,000 Wisconsin service members served in World War II, with close to 43,000 of them alive today; only a certain percentage of them took part in Operation Overlord.

The National World War II Memorial on the national mall in Washington, D.C., was dedicated five years ago, on May 29, 2004. The National Honor Flight Network is bringing World War II veterans and terminally ill veterans to visit the memorial. There are several flight hubs in Wisconsin with future flights being planned.

Also in keeping the historical significance alive, the Wisconsin Veterans Museum preserves the materials and memories of all Wisconsin veterans, including those at D-Day, through the Wisconsin Veterans Oral History Project, as well as archives and object collections.

Let us all remember the importance of the heroic invasion 65 years ago on "D-Day."

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