Today marks 78 years since D-Day and the beginning of the Battle of Normandy—one of the best-known chapters of the Second World War, and one in which Canada’s service members played an important role, particularly at Juno Beach.
As we look back, we remember the 359 Canadian soldiers who were killed on D-Day alone, and the more than 5,000 who would die during the two-and-a-half-months of fighting in Normandy.
The stories of the heroic Canadians who landed on 6 June 1944 and fought so hard in this bitter Second World War campaign are commemorated in France at the Juno Beach Centre, located not far from where many of our fallen lie buried in the beautiful Bény-sur-Mer and Bretteville-sur-Laize Canadian War Cemeteries.
Some 14,000 Canadian soldiers came ashore in occupied France on D-Day as part of a massive assault that turned the tides for the Allies in Western Europe and helped win the Second World War.
Today, we honour those who fought bravely in the name of freedom. To participate in this year’s commemoration, visit the Veterans Canada website, and follow special commemorations of the 78th anniversary of D-Day and the Battle of Normandy.
