On this day, sixty-five years ago, the men assigned to Operation Overlord landed on the beaches of Normandy. British and American Airborne troops landed behind enemy lines began to take control of the bridges and other strategic objectives that would allow the beach-heads to be successful.

Between 14,000 and 19,000 men were dead, wounded or captured by the end of the day.

That the world is as it is today, that Europe is the shape that it is and that people enjoy the freedoms that they do is thanks in large part to the sacrifices of those men, and we should be thankful to them.