D-Day at 76: Celebrations in France have been canceled for the first time since 1945
Zach England
The Friends of American Veterans Association in France organizes ceremonies every year to honor American soldiers who gave their lives for the liberation of the country. But due to the COVID-19 pandemic, almost all celebrations had to be canceled.
The tradition of honoring American veterans started in 1945 when the mayor of Sainte-Mere-Eglise, a town in Normandy, felt that he owed his gratitude to those who served.
Sainte-Mere-Eglise was the first town in Normandy to be liberated. It is perhaps best known by the 82nd Airborne Division paratrooper, Sgt. John Steele, whose parachute got caught up on a church steeple there in the early morning hours of June 6.
https://www.militarytimes.com/2020/06/06/d-day-at-76-celebrations-in-france-have-been-canceled-for-the-first-time-since-1945/
