June 6, 1944 During World War II, the Battle of Normandy, which lasted from June 1944 to August 1944, resulted in the Allied liberation of Western Europe from Nazi Germany’s control.  Code-named “Operation Overlord”, the battle began on June 6, 1944, also known as D-Day, when some 156,000 American, British, and Canadian forces landed on five beaches along a 50-mile stretch on the heavily fortified coast of France’s Normandy region.  The invasion was one of the largest amphibious military assaults in history and required extensive planning.  Prior to D-Day, the Allies conducted a large-scale deception campaign designed to mislead the […]

May 26, 1986 Memorial Day President Ronald Reagan is credited with reviving the practice of honoring Memorial Day and its meaning.  One of Reagan’s most memorable speeches, in fact, was given on Memorial Day 1986 at a ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery. “Today is the day we put aside to remember the fallen heroes and pray that no heroes will ever have to die for us again.  It’s a day of thanks for the valor of others, a day to remember the splendor of America and those of her children who rest in this cemetery and others.  It’s a day […]

Remembering America’s War Heroes America has a long history of military members who have shown extraordinary courage, with many willingly giving their lives to secure the freedoms our nation enjoys, freedoms we often take for granted. On Memorial Day (originally known as Declaration Day) we honor the sacrifice of these brave men and women. Three years after the Civil War ended, on May 5, 1868, the head on an organization of Union veterans — the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) — established Declaration Day as a time for the nation to decorate the graves of the war dead with […]