On June 6^th, 1944, Allied troops launched the largest-ever seaborne landing on the beaches of Normandy. Their bravery turned the tide of WWII and brought us closer to victory and to the end of the ghastly conflict.

2024 marks the 80^th anniversary of D-Day, a special moment in the Franco-American friendship, as 73,000 US soldiers bravely fought on the shores that day. At the Embassy of France in the US, we look forward to telling this story this year through events, enriching discussions, screenings and exhibits with leading academics and military and memorial institutions.

Additionally, we cannot wait to follow the annual Battlefield Return to Normandy, organized by the Best Defense Foundation, when US WWII veterans will again travel across the sea to Normandy. Today, these former soldiers fly not into conflict, but to celebrations and parades organized by compatriots and allies.

Also in France, the Group Mission Libération is working with local partners to put on specialized, intimate events across the country to honor this and other important anniversaries in WWII. The program will place a great emphasis on the veterans and the essential nature of freedom at a time when war has returned to Europe.