Mayor’s Statement Commemorating D-Day Silver Anniversary
D-DAY SILVER (75th) ANNIVERSARY COMMEMORATION
June 6, 2019
Seventy-five years ago today, 160,000 of our bravest & most courageous young troops comprising the largest portion of the Allied Forces- stormed the five beaches at Normandy on the coast of France to further the liberation of Europe from the Axis powers. The five beaches were dubbed by General Omar Bradley as Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno, & Sword. This was the largest amphibious, military action in world history.
D-Day, aka Operation Overlord, was the pivotal event of World War II, & within 11 months Germany surrendered & 14 months later, the Japanese were defeated, & the fascist & imperialistic attempts to take over our planet were quashed. The phrase “D-Day” stands for “departed date” in military lingo. This invasion involved 7,000 nautical vessels, & 10,000 aircraft.
The Normandy campaign carried on through August & resulted in 200,000 Allied Forces’ casualties. The veterans of our armed forces of that time have come to be known as the Greatest Generation, & this evening, we pause to remember their courage that changed the history of our world. May we today be forever vigilant & mindful of the threats posed to us around the world, & may our current & future generations come to know & appreciate what happened on June 6, 1944.
It is our job to teach, to remind, & to instill knowledge of such things as war, the Holocaust, & oppression. It is our duty as good stewards of our democratic republic & for people comprising democracies throughout our world, to educate all citizens but particularly our youth that freedom is never free, & that liberty is a fragile gift realized from the bloodshed of others who often times paid the supreme sacrifice while fighting for us & our values. This evening- we honor & remember the gallant service of all of those who have fought, & the many of whom died on June 6, 1944 & thereafter to preserve our great, American way of life. Tonight we honor our heroes & all veterans. Let us never forget their rich legacies-
David W. McCauley,
Mayor of Buckhannon