WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 06th June, 2023) US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Tuesday visited the American Cemetery in Normandy, France, to commemorate the anniversary of the D-Day invasion and praised the veterans of the war for saving the world.
"To the veterans of World War II: we salute you. You saved the world," Austin said during a speech in Normandy.
Austin did not mention the role the Soviet Union served keeping Nazi forces occupied on the Eastern front while the United States and its allies prepared for Operation Overlord. However, Austin highlighted that Britain, Australia, Canada, France, and "other countries" rallied together to defeat Germany.
The US defense chief described the ferocious fighting that took place in Nazi-occupied France.
"It's easy to forget how desperate the battle was, how loud the clash was, how many things could have gone wrong, and how many things did go wrong," Austin said. "But on D-Day, courage won out over terror, daring over cruelty, and liberty over tyranny."
The D-Day invasion is the largest ever naval, air and land operation conducted in history. Nearly 7,000 allied naval vessels took part in the operation and more than 132,000 allied troops were landed across five beaches in Normandy.
More than 4,414 allied troops were killed during the D-Day invasion on June 6, 1644, including 2,501 American troops. Overall, some 73,000 allied troops were killed during Operation Overlord, which opened a second front against Germany in the west.
