World leaders, veterans and civilians gathered in Normandy today to commemorate the 70th anniversary of D-Day, the military offensive that changed the course of the Second World War.
French President François Hollande thanked the veterans of the Allied troops for their courageous actions on June 6, 1944, when some 150,000 U.S., British and Canadian troops stormed an 80-kilometre stretch of beaches along the French channel coast to attack hundreds of Nazi troops in concrete fortified gun positions.
"The French republic will never forget your sacrifice. We will always be grateful for what you have done," Hollande said. He called for the beaches at Normandy that the troops stormed to be granted UNESCO heritage site status.
Ret'd corporal Earl Jewers, 92,from Nova Scotia, attending a ceremony at the Juno Beach Centre in Normandy in commemoration of Canadians who died here. Jewers has returned to Juno beach for the first time in 70 years. "It just gives you the memories of how many went." "So many. You only start to realize now." (Tracy Seeley/CBC)
Nineteen world leaders, including Prime Minister Stephen Harper, attended the main ceremony in Ouistreham to honour the troops and civilians who died on D-Day and during subsequent battles.
While not many of the 150,000 veterans are still alive, more than 1,000 gathered at the ceremony. The young veterans in the group are in their late 80s, said CBC's Peter Mansbridge, adding that some are in their 90s and a couple have reached triple digits.
Arriving dignitaries were walked towards their seats by two young children, in keeping with the ceremony's theme of including the younger generation in the day's events, said Mansbridge.
A group of veterans, one representing each of the Allied countries, greeted the world leaders as they arrived.
Russian President Vladmir Putin, U.S. President Barack Obama, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Petro Poroshenko, Ukraine's president-elect, also attended the ceremony.
The crowd cheered as Obama walked down the red carpet and took his seat on the stage.
A large split screen at the ceremonies showed Obama on one side and Putin on the other. The image drew some gasps and laughs from the crowd.
The White House said Obama and Putin spoke for about 10 to 15 minutes after a lunch earlier Friday, but stressed the discussion was informal. It marked the first time the two leaders spoke face to face after Putin's Russia annexed part of Ukraine, drawing condemnation from the West.
Harper said in a written statement that it was an honour and privilege to be in France on the anniversary of D-Day.
"It is difficult to understand the courage it took to advance through minefields and barbed wire under fire from mortars and machine-guns in order to punch through Hitler's Atlantic Wall; and yet that is exactly what many Canadians did," Harper said.
"It is a source of enormous national pride that Canadians played such a pivotal role in ensuring the success of the D-Day landings, one of the greatest battles of the Second World War and a turning point in the world's history."
Before the major International Ceremony of Remembrance, Harper lay a ceremonial wreath at the Bény-sur-Mer Canadian War Cemetery, where more than 2,000 men killed on D-Day are buried.
He then attended a luncheon hosted by French President Francois Hollande.
At least 4,400 Allied troops, including 359 Canadians, died the first day. Canada's D-Day tribute to the fallen Canadians was unveiled Thursday at the Juno Beach Centre. It is comprised of 359 maple tribute markers.
Five thousand Canadians were killed during the 2½-month campaign.
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