• Under the cover of naval shell fire, American infantrymen wade ashore from their landing craft during the initial Normandy landing operations in France, June 6, 1944. More than 2,200 Allied aircraft begin bombing German defenses and other targets in Normandy. They are followed by 1,200 aircraft carrying more than 23,000 American, British and Canadian airborne troops. British forces landing in gliders take two strategic bridges near the city of Caen. (AP Photo/Peter Carroll, File)
  • US servicemen escort US WWII veterans in wheelchairs as they arrive for the US ceremony marking the 80th anniversary of the World War II
  • US President Joe Biden speaks with a US WWII veteran during the US ceremony marking the 80th anniversary of the World War II
  • VIERVILLE-SUR-MER, FRANCE - JUNE 05: A plaque at a memorial statue honoring U.S. soldiers from the 29th Infantry Division is shown above Omaha Beach on June 05, 2024 in Vierville-sur-Mer, France. The 29th Infantry Division sustained severe casualty rates during the invasion of Normandy. Normandy is hosting a variety of events across significant sites such as Omaha Beach, Pegasus Bridge, Sainte-Mère-Église, and Pointe du Hoc, leading up to the official commemoration of the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landing on June 6. (/Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)