D-Day, 64 years later

Yesterday was an anniversary of an invasion and slaughter I cannot even begin to comprehend. Yesterday, before dawn local time, hundreds of thousands of American, British and Canadian troops set sail from England to invade Nazi-occupied Europe in what to date is the biggest land invasion in history - D-Day. What awaited them was a hail of bullets, bombs and blood.

I did remember the invasion yesterday, but I became busy with other things and it slipped my mind to write about it. And that's exactly the point. Twentieth century history is very much a passion of mine, and I couldn't even remember to pay tribute properly. Millions of Americans were probably unaware of the significance of this date in our history, and our government ought to do something about that. I'm not even sure what - I'm sure businesses would be up in arms over another federal holiday, but I wouldn't be. Not for another day off or a tire sale, but for the proper respect that all World War II veterans deserve, and for a mandated remembrance of what hundreds of thousands of soldiers gave on that day and during the ensuing war in Europe - their bravery and their lives. (Incidentally, I feel the same way about December 7, the bombing of Pearl Harbor - we should have two holidays to honor both the European and Pacific theaters of humanity's costliest and bloodiest war.)

Above, American troops storm Omaha Beach at dawn on June 6. Often, literally before the landing craft's door opened for the troops to disembark, they were met with a bullets and bombs from high above the cliffs. Some troops even drowned from the weight of their ammo and packs.

Above, French fishermen look on at dead soldiers from the invasion. Visible in the skies above in the background are giant balloons that were launched to discourage Luftwaffe aircraft from attempting attacks on the vulnerable landing forces.

Above, American troops and French citizens celebrate their liberation in Cherbourg, France in front of city hall, June 28, 1944.

It cannot be repeated often enough, but each and every soldier who served to liberate tyranny during World War II is a national hero. We owe every one of them a debt that can never be repaid. Sadly, about 3,000 World War II veterans are passing a day in America. It won't be long before we can no longer honor them in person, but we should always honor them in spirit.

If you see, talk to, or e-mail a veteran this whole week, thank them. All that we have we owe to our veterans.

All photos © ROBERT CAPA © 2001 By Cornell Capa/Magnum Photos. Click Here if you would like to order a print of the photos above, or choose from a wide selection of historical photos from Magnum.