one day. we forget, i think, the huge one day. we forget, i think, the huge air one day. we forget, i think, the huge air battles taking place in the months huge air battles taking place in the months leading up to d day and the 77 days months leading up to d day and the 77 days that followed, but it was incredibly 77 days that followed, but it was incredibly bitter fighting, right up to the incredibly bitter fighting, right up to the very end and right up to the liberation to the very end and right up to the liberation of paris on the 25th of august liberation of paris on the 25th of august it liberation of paris on the 25th of au . ust. , liberation of paris on the 25th of au~ust. , ., ., ., august. it is one memorial here which we waited august. it is one memorial here which we waited a august. it is one memorial here which we waited a long - august. it is one memorial here which we waited a long time - august. it is one memorial here which we waited a long time to
normandy, veterans, who are dwindling in number, and their family and friends were given a focus, somewhere to pay respects. this is gold beach, one of the five on d day which where divided up between the allies. a huge expanse of sand. the standing with giants installation represents those under british command who were killed on that first day. the memorial carries the names of 22,442 people. sometimes difficult to get your head around that number and that is one of the reasons why this installation has been so successful here at the memorial. this year, the 80th anniversary of d day, is only the third time veterans will have been able to come on the 6th ofjune to
thank you very much for being on the programme, and i am sorry for your loss. it must be a difficult day for you and your family. it loss. it must be a difficult day for you and your family. you and your family. it certainly is. m you and your family. it certainly is- my dad you and your family. it certainly is- my dad was you and your family. it certainly is. my dad was a you and your family. it certainly is. my dad was a fighter - you and your family. it certainly is. my dad was a fighter to - you and your family. it certainly is. my dad was a fighter to the l you and your family. it certainly - is. my dad was a fighter to the end. he was really ready to take this trip, and itjust wasn t meant to be. but he was ready and he talked so much about taking this next trip he had been there twice before, and this was something he was very much looking forward to. let’s and this was something he was very much looking forward to. much looking forward to. let s take a step back m
we met, you and i yesterday met a young man and you can tell the story of how old he was. he was 18, serving it today. you think to yourself, when we see those young faces, that is exactly what it was like on the 6th ofjune. yes, i mean, 18 is impossibly young. i don t know about you, but when i was that age, what a feckless young man i was. it beggars belief really that people could be expected to do what they did and yet they did and it is notjust about what they did and yet they did and it is not just about sacrificing their lives, is it? it is sacrificing a key part of their lives. even for those who have survived, you have cut short on the beaches of normandy and in land and across a swathe of northwest europe. so can we say that their serving members of the armed forces, this is an event that they will cherish as well? ., ., ., , ., well? oh, i would have thought so. i would think well? oh, i would have thought so. i would think anyone well? oh, i would have thought so. i woul
are also being investigated. presidentjoe biden heads to france on tuesday to commemorate the 80th anniversary of d day and underscore his commitment to european allies. during world war two troops from the us, canadian, uk, and france joined forces and attacked german soldiers on the coast of northern france on the 6th ofjune, 1944. it was the largest naval, air, and land operation attempted, and started the campaign to liberate nazi occupied land in europe. d day veterans from the uk have returned to france to join commemorations marking the 80th anniversary of the normandy landings. bbc sjohn maguier has more. for many of these veterans, their departure from these shores 80 years ago, all as very young men, was their first venture overseas. cheering excitement and a sense