D-Day's 80th Anniversary Commemorated in Normandy
Vocabulary
commemorate
Verb
kəˈmɛməˌreɪt
to remember and show respect for an important person, event, etc.
The Gateway of India commemorates King George V and Queen Mary's visit to Mumbai in 1911.
tyranny
Noun
ˈtɪrəniː
a way of governing or ruling characterized by oppression and cruelty
Anne Frank's diary provides a firsthand account of life under the tyranny of the Nazis.
liberation
Noun
ˌlɪbəˈreɪʃn
the action of setting someone or something free from imprisonment, oppression, etc.
The liberation of Paris from Nazi control took place on August 25, 1944.
veteran
Noun
ˈvɛtərən
a person who has been in the military, air force, or navy
George Washington was a veteran of several wars by the time he became the first US president.
solemn
Adjective
sɒləm
formal and respectful
This monument is a solemn reminder of the sacrifices made by those who fought in the war.
pass the baton
Phrase
pæs ðə bəˈtɑːn
to hand over a particular job or responsibility to someone
It's my honor to pass the baton to the new student council president, who I'm sure will do a great job.
Article
D-Day's 80th Anniversary Commemorated in Normandy
Parachutists jumped from World War II-era planes into now peaceful Normandy skies on June 2, beginning a week of ceremonies commemorating the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings that changed the course of World War II and helped free Europe from Hitler's tyranny.
On June 6, 1944, almost 160,000 Allied troops landed on Normandy's beaches in a massive operation intended to break through German defenses and begin the liberation of Western Europe.
Of those troops, 73,000 were from the United States and 83,000 from Britain and Canada. Forces from several other countries were also involved, including French troops fighting with General Charles de Gaulle.
The Allies faced around 50,000 German forces.
A total of 4,414 Allied troops were killed on D-Day and more than 5,000 were wounded.
All along the Normandy coastline French officials, grateful Normandy survivors and other admirers are saying merci but also goodbye to the fast-disappearing generation of D-Day veterans.
The veterans, now in their late nineties and older, who are coming back to remember fallen friends and their history-changing exploits, are the last.
Part of the purpose of the fireworks shows, parachute jumps and solemn ceremonies that world leaders will attend this week is to pass the baton of remembrance to the current generations now seeing war again — in places like Ukraine and Palestine. US President Joe Biden, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and British royals are among the VIPs that France is hosting for D-Day events.
Dozens of World War II veterans are visiting France to revisit old memories and bring a message that survivors of World War II have repeated time and time again: war is hell.
"Seven thousand of my marine buddies were killed. Twenty thousand shot up, wounded, put on ships, buried at sea," said Don Graves, a veteran of the US Marine Corps.
Graves is part of a group of more than 60 World War II veterans who flew into Paris on June 1. The youngest in the group is 96 and the most senior 107, according to their carrier from Dallas, American Airlines.
"I want the younger people, the younger generation here to know what we did," said Graves.
Discussion
Have a discussion based on the following questions.
1.
What are your thoughts on the D-Day commemorations in Normandy?
2.
Did you know much about D-Day before reading this article?
3.
Why do you think it's important to commemorate historical events like this?
4.
What are your country's most important war remembrance days?
5.
Do you think the world has learnt from the mistakes of World War II?
