President Biden and key U.S. allies were in Normandy on Thursday to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Normandy landings, when U.S.-led Allied forces invaded Nazi-occupied France. The daring air and sea invasion marked the beginning of the end of World War II and led to the defeat of Adolf Hitler’s Nazi German forces in Europe less than a year later.
Biden, French President Emmanuel Macron, British Chancellor Rishi Sunak and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau came together to commemorate the Western allies’ most significant victory in the war and the largest naval invasion in history. Biden is in France through the weekend for D-Day anniversary ceremonies and is due to meet with leaders of key allies during his visit.
“On June 6, 1944, 73,000 brave Americans landed on the beaches of Utah and Omaha in Normandy. During his time in France, the President will greet America’s veterans and their families and honor their sacrifice,” White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre said in announcing the president’s visit.
President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden met with World War II veterans one-on-one on Thursday ahead of a memorial ceremony at the Normandy American Cemetery and presented them with coins commemorating the anniversary of the Normandy landings. President Biden chatted with the veterans, joking around and asking them about their home countries, thanking them for their service and calling them the greatest generation ever.
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The president is scheduled to speak at a memorial later Thursday that will also be attended by lawmakers from both parties, including House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Speaker Emeritus Nancy Pelosi.
Prior to Biden’s remarks, French President Emmanuel Macron and then-U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin addressed the assembled dignitaries, praising the service of World War II veterans.
D-Day, June 6, 1944, was code-named Overlord and saw five naval assault divisions attack the coast of Normandy, France. The invasion included 7,000 ships and landing craft operated by more than 195,000 naval personnel. More than 130,000 soldiers from the United States, Great Britain, and their allies landed on the beaches. Many more followed, and their efforts led to the defeat of the German Nazi forces.
Biden will speak on Friday from the cliffs of Pointe du Hoc in Normandy, highlighting the men who scaled the cliffs 80 years ago, democracy and the “dangers of isolationism,” national security adviser Jake Sullivan said. In his speech, the president will chart the course from World War II to the formation of NATO to today, when war is once again plaguing Europe, Sullivan said.
Celebrations will continue on Saturday when Biden will take part in a parade to the Elysee Palace, and on Sunday the president will lay a wreath at the Aisne-Marne American Military Cemetery, where World War I veterans are buried.
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Among the allies Biden will meet with in France will be Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, as Ukraine continues to suffer an onslaught from a Russian aggression.
Sullivan said the president will hold “lengthy consultations” with Macron on a wide range of issues, including the Middle East, Ukraine, the Indo-Pacific, technology and clean energy. Macron and Biden are scheduled to hold a joint press conference on Saturday, and Macron will host a state dinner for the presidential and first lady on Saturday.
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In 2018, then-President Donald Trump canceled a visit to mark the anniversary of the Normandy landings while in Paris, citing bad weather, a move that drew heavy criticism.
Christine Brown contributed to this report
