SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — Thursday, June 6, 2024, marks 80 years since the Allied invasion on the Beach of Normandy — more commonly known as D-Day.
A poignant ceremony was held at the Air and Space Museum in Balboa Park to honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice for the greater good.
The sound of the Freedom Bell ringing through the museum's rotunda symbolized those sacrifices made all those years ago to let freedom ring around the world.
Veterans and community members in attendance reflected on what this day meant to them.
"As many lives that were sacrificed that day... But look what it achieved," says Royce Williams, a Navy veteran who served during World War II.
Williams was emotional as he rang the Freedom Bell. He had friends who were killed during the historic mission.
During Thursday morning's ceremony, a video showing General Dwight Eisenhower's speech to the D-Day troops before they landed in France played.
The Invasion of Normandy was the largest seaborne invasion in history; the operation brought together land, air and sea forces. This was a major turning point of World War II, turning the tide in favor of the Allies.
10News learned from the Air and Space Museum that San Diego only has a handful of local D-Day veterans. They were back in Normandy, 80 years later, to mark this day honoring their fallen comrades.
"These men who stormed those beaches, the service members those days were very young men. For some of them, the war only lasted like six hours," says David Neville, the communications director for the Air and Space Museum. "It's so important to remember because they were willing to give sacrifice because they believed in what this country stands for."
