Allied forces launched Operation Overlord on June 6, 1944, beginning the invasion of Nazi-occupied Western Europe as 23,400 paratroopers dropped into Normandy before dawn and 129,000 men crossed the English Channel to land on five beaches: Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno and Sword, a Facebook post commemorating the anniversary says.
The post says almost 9,000 of those who took part never returned. The personnel included Americans, British, Canadians and soldiers from other Allied nations.
Operation Overlord combined large-scale airborne operations with amphibious landings and is widely regarded as the largest seaborne invasion in history. Its success established a western front against Nazi Germany and set in motion the campaign to liberate occupied Europe.
The men who took part were described in the post as sons, brothers, fathers and friends called to extraordinary service. Their sacrifices are remembered on anniversaries of D-Day and in histories of World War II.
