as there was this morning, to mark the beginning of the 80th commemoration of dday. in 1944, the piper was bill millin, from glasgow — just 21 years old, dressed in his farther kilt, and armed only with a dagger. he was part of the first commando brigade that landed on sword beach. in the years after the war, the german snipers said they had spared bill because they thought he had gone mad. and so the legend was born. never before or since have so many troops from so many nations landed by sea to liberate an occupied country. the significance of that moment, to our shared history, was reflected in the roll call of world leaders who attended in france today. with the exception of course, of the russian president vladimir putin. president macron, said his country would always remember the bravery and sacrifice of those who fought.