The men who fought on D-Day, June 6, 1944, are now in their 90s or 100s, wrinkled and often moving with the help of a cane or wheelchair. Their hands often tremble and their voices shake as they labor to speak. But 75 years ago they were young men, many in their teens, preparing to go to war. All muscle after months of rigorous training, they clambered down precarious rope ladders into landing craft or climbed into planes, parachutes strapped to their backs.
The men who fought on D-Day, June 6, 1944, are now in their 90s or 100s, wrinkled and often moving with the help of a cane or wheelchair. Their hands often tremble and their voices shake as they labor to speak. But 75 years ago they were young men, many in their teens, preparing to go to war. All muscle after months of rigorous training, they clambered down precarious rope ladders into landing craft or climbed into planes, parachutes strapped to their backs.
They faced a determined German opposition dug into pillboxes and holding the high ground.
Scared? Of course. Many had never seen combat. But they were also determined to do their jobs and perhaps more importantly to them, not let down the man, the buddy, the friend fighting beside them.
The Associated Press captured images of D-Day veterans from the United States, Great Britain, Canada and Germany who are returning to Normandy for the 75th anniversary. For some. it will be their first time since they fought there. Others have made repeated pilgrimages to the sandy beaches. They will remember the choppy waters lapping at the ships, the flash of the tracer bullets, the roar of the artillery, and they’ll say a prayer for those who did not make it back.
