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WHILE THE SOVIET ARMY MARCHED THROUGH POLAND
AND THE ALLIES PUSHED NORTH THROUGH ITALY,
ALLIED LEADERS FINALIZED PLANS
FOR THE INVASION OF NAZI-OCCUPIED FRANCE
AND THE LIBERATION OF WESTERN EUROPE.
THE MISSION WAS CODE-NAMED OPERATION OVERLORD,
BUT HISTORY WOULD REMEMBER IT AS D-DAY.
IT WAS THE LARGEST MILITARY OPERATION EVER MOUNTED
AND WOULD DEFINE AN ENTIRE GENERATION.
THE ALLIES WOULD MOUNT A MASSIVE ASSAULT
ACROSS THE ENGLISH CHANNEL ONTO THE NORMANDY COAST.
OVER 176,000 TROOPS AND 5,000 SHIPS
PREPARED FOR THE OPERATION.
ON JUNE 5, 1944, ALLIED TROOPS MOBILIZED.
WARPLANES DEPARTED FROM BRITAIN,
DROPPING PARATROOPERS BEHIND ENEMY LINES.
ALLIED BOMBERS STRAFED THE COASTLINE.
BATTLESHIPS PUMMELED GERMAN DEFENSES...
WHILE AMPHIBIOUS LANDING CRAFT
CROSSED THE ENGLISH CANNEL TOWARD NORMANDY.
AT DAYBREAK ON JUNE 6, 1944 -- D-DAY --
BRITISH, CANADIAN, AND AMERICAN SOLDIERS
FOUGHT THEIR WAY ASHORE.
[ GUNFIRE, EXPLOSIONS ]
THE ALLIES SUSTAINED HEAVY CASUALTIES
BUT MANAGED TO SECURE THEIR BEACHHEADS,
AND THE MASSIVE SUPPLIES NEEDED
TO FIGHT THE GROUND WAR CAME ASHORE.
PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT LED THE NATION IN PRAYER.
OUR SONS, PRIDE OF OUR NATION,
THIS DAY HAVE SET UPON A MIGHTY ENDEAVOR --
THE STRUGGLE TO PRESERVE OUR REPUBLIC,
OUR RELIGION, AND OUR CIVILIZATION,
AND TO SET FREE A SUFFERING HUMANITY.
Narrator: WITHIN A MONTH,
THERE WERE A MILLION ALLIED TROOPS ON THE CONTINENT,
FIGHTING THEIR WAY ACROSS FRANCE.
AS THE ALLIES DREW NEAR TO PARIS,
HITLER ORDERED THE CITY BURNED.
THE GERMAN COMMANDER IN CHARGE REFUSED,
AND ON AUGUST 25, 1944,
HE SURRENDERED THE CITY TO FRENCH RESISTANCE FIGHTERS.
[ CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ]