The liberation of Europe: 81st anniversary of the Normandy landings

The boots of American veterans once again hit the sands of Normandy's beaches this Friday.

On the 81st anniversary of the D-Day landings, a large group of ex-military personnel traveled, as they do every year, to France to commemorate the terrible battle that symbolically marked the beginning of the liberation of Europe.

The Normandy landings, on June 6, 1944, were the largest land and sea operation in history. It marked the beginning of the liberation of Western Europe, occupied by Nazi Germany. It was part of Operation Overlord, led by the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada.

On that day, more than 156,000 Allied troops landed on the shores of northern France. The United States alone contributed 73,000 troops, many of them young recruits. They crossed the English Channel and took up positions on five key beaches: Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno and Sword.

German resistance was especially bloody at Omaha Beach, where American soldiers were met with crossfire, mines and heavy artillery. Allied casualties on D-Day are estimated at about 10,000, of which about 4,414 were confirmed kills. The United States suffered about 2,500 dead on that day alone.

The Normandy landings changed the course of World War II. It was the beginning of the end for the Third Reich. Within months, Paris was liberated. In less than a year, Nazi Germany would surrender.

Normandy has been etched in collective memory as a symbol of sacrifice and determination. Its impact has been enormous in popular culture.

Films such as "Saving Private Ryan," series such as "Band of Brothers" and dozens of documentaries have recreated its rawness. Video games, historical novels and museums keep the memory alive. Normandy is not just military history. It is an emotional, political and cultural milestone of the 20th century.