COLLEVILLE-SUR-MER, France — On the hallowed ground above Omaha Beach, more than two dozen American World War II veterans joined Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and other top officials Friday to commemorate the 81st anniversary of D-Day, the Allied assault that helped turn the tide of World War II.

The gathering at the Normandy American Cemetery honored the more than 150,000 Allied troops who stormed the beaches and skies of France on June 6, 1944, launching the largest amphibious invasion in history and opening the way to liberate Nazi-occupied Europe.

The ceremony drew roughly 2,000 attendees, more than expected by the American Battle Monuments Commission but far fewer than the tens of thousands who came for the 80th anniversary last year, which featured a who’s who of world leaders.

This year’s gathering was more solemn and intimate, and no less reverent of the veterans who flew across the Atlantic Ocean to remember the fallen.

“During the war, our mission was clear: to defeat tyranny and restore peace,” said Wally King, 101, a former first lieutenant who flew 75 missions over Europe with the 9th Air Force.

Facing the rows of graves, he added, “Their bravery and selflessness remind us of the price of freedom and the importance of defending it.”

Among the high-profile attendees besides Hegseth were Gen. Christopher Cavoli, commander of U.S. European Command and NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander Europe; Gen. Christopher Donahue, commanding general of U.S. Army Europe and Africa; and Adm. Stuart Munsch, commander of U.S. Naval Forces Europe and Africa.

During the ceremony, officials laid wreaths and held a moment of silence as a large American flag blew in the steady seaside wind.

In his remarks, Hegseth said the sacrifices made by U.S. and Allied troops on D-Day still carry pressing relevance today.

“History is not over, evil has not been eradicated from the globe, good men are still needed to stand up,” Hegseth said. “We must ensure that our children and our grandchildren know what these men did.”

American forces landed at Utah and Omaha beaches, where they faced fierce German resistance.

By nightfall, around 2,500 Americans were dead, among more than 4,400 Allied troops killed on the first day. Casualties continued to mount in the days that followed as forces fought their way inland.

At the Normandy American Cemetery, nearly 9,400 white marble headstones stretch across a bluff overlooking Omaha Beach, marking the final resting place of those killed during the Normandy campaign.

Among those paying respects was Samuel Meyer, a former aircraft armorer who loaded bombs and ammunition on P-38 fighter planes.

Meyer, who reached the rank of corporal, said it took decades for him to accept being called a hero.

“I’m 100 years old — although I look like I’m 80, that’s what people tell me — and they always say, ‘Sam, you’re a hero.’ But I’ve always told them I’m not,” Meyer said. “Well, after 80 years, I finally give up. All right, I’m a hero.”

In the days prior to the ceremony on Friday, U.S. service members participated in events across the region. During downtime, they visited landing beaches and other historic sites, often reflecting on their units’ lineage.

Pvt. 1st Class Gavin Smith, assigned to the 173rd Airborne Brigade in Vicenza, Italy, said meeting World War II veterans was the highlight of the week.

“The stories they told me were inspiring,” Smith said. “For me to follow in their footsteps is an absolute blessing.”

That sentiment echoed across ranks. Adm. Christopher Grady, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told Stars and Stripes on Friday that meeting with the veterans was humbling.

“To meet them and see them up close and personal … I always feel that I don’t want to let them down,” Grady said.

In addition to honoring those who fought in World War II, D-Day anniversaries often highlight the NATO alliance forged in the aftermath of the war. This year’s ceremony came amid growing uncertainty about that relationship.

Questions about America’s long-term commitment to NATO have intensified during President Donald Trump’s second term, driven by his calls for European allies to shoulder more of the security burden.

Tensions between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy have further strained trans-Atlantic unity.

Still, Grady said, Friday’s ceremony underscored the enduring strength of the alliance.

“In the various remarks you heard today, it wasn’t just America or France but a litany of other countries that all came together in the defense of freedom,” he said. “We can look back here as an example of how it works when everybody is together and why that still matters.”

On the sidelines of Friday’s ceremony, WWII veteran Harold Terens, 101, a former Morse code operator with the 8th Air Force, said the warm reception from the French people is one of his favorite parts of returning to Normandy.

He’s been back several times since the war, and although his wife was a French professor at Hofstra University for 30 years, he joked that he never learned the language.

“If I didn’t have the proper accent, she would give me hell,” Terens said with a smile.

Terens, who has pledged to return for the 85th and 90th anniversaries, wasn’t surprised that thousands of people turned out Friday, even though it isn’t a milestone year.

“I feel it’s going to be the same way after 181 years,” he said. “I don’t think these people will ever forget us, nor will we forget them.”

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previous coverage

• Taps and tears: WWII veterans visit D-Day’s bloodiest beach
• WWII veterans heading for 80th D-Day anniversary get rousing sendoff at Dallas-Fort Worth

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