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Some World War II Veterans made their landfall in France on Friday to commemorate the 81st anniversary of D-Day.
According to the Associated Press, a group of about 20 veterans working in Europe and the Pacific have returned to the once bloody beaches of Normandy.
Mostly 100 veterans represent the decline in the number of people on the frontlines defending freedom.
Americans should honour the anniversary like this, military service members suggest
According to US statistics, of the 16.4 million Americans who worked in World War II, approximately 66,143 were alive as of 2024. Veterans Affairs Bureau.
Normandy veterans are reportedly treated like “rock stars” in the area, handed over notes and hearing many “thank you.”
D-Day veteran Jake Larson (pictured) greets school children when he visits Normandy American Cemetery. (AP Photo/John Lester)
Jack Stowe, 98 Navytold the AP that he still receives “sweetest letters” from the children he met on his previous trips.
” French Here, they are very good for us… they want to talk to us, they want to sit, and they want kids around us,” he said.
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Stowe said he lied about his age, claiming he was 15 years old to join the military. Pearl Harbor 1941.
The Best Defense Foundation brought 50 veterans to Normandy, France for D-Day last year, bringing 23 this year. (AP Photo/John Lester)
“People won’t let that forget, you know, Omaha, These beaches … These stories continue many times,” Stowe said.
“We have a responsibility to honor these people who have given us the opportunity to live.”
102-year-old Jake Larson survived the machine gun firing while raiding Omaha Beach on D-Day.
“We are lucky people… they didn’t have a family. We are their family. We have a responsibility to honor these people who gave us the opportunity to live,” Larson told the Associated Press.
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Wally King, 101, who flew a P-47 Thunderbolt Fighter, praised the pilot Who flew The same plane as his granddaughter.
Wally King (pictured) honors the pilot who flew the same plane as him with his granddaughter. (AP Photo/John Lester)
“This will probably be the last Normandy return, looking at some of our old men’s conditions… I hope I’m wrong,” King told the Associated Press.
The Best Defense Foundation began its trip to Normandy in 2004.
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Last year, the nonprofit brought 50 veterans. This year, 23 was on trip.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
