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Observing the 78th anniversary of D-Day
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Today marks the 78th anniversary of D-Day, the day on June 6, 1944, over 150,000 U.S. and allied forces stormed the beaches of Normandy France and gained a victory that became the turning point for World War II in Europe. Jean Marc Lesueur, a Frenchman who has tended the grave of a Great Bend man who died following that assault (Roy Fruit Jr.) attended a ceremony at the Normandy American Cemetery not far from those beaches. The ceremony included the playing of the “The Marseillaise” and the “Star Spangled Banner,” and a fly-over by planes from the 86th Airlift Wing from Ramstein Air Force Base in Germany. There were also addresses from local dignitaries and Army Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Lesueur said there were 100 D-Day allied veterans at the event. He provided these photographs of the service. 


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