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Scott Simon's family at the Normandy cemetery.

Scott Simon's family at the Normandy cemetery. Scott Simon hide caption

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Scott Simon

Opinion

Simon Says

Opinion: Remembering the fallen heroes of Normandy's sacred bluffs

NPR's Scott Simon reflects on the 80th anniversary of D-Day and the sacrifices made by the Allied forces during the invasion.

Opinion: Remembering the fallen heroes of Normandy's sacred bluffs

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An aerial view of Pointe du Hoc, jutting out over the water.

An aerial view of Pointe du Hoc, a clifftop in Cricqueville-en-Bessin, on the French western Norman coast, taken in October 2018. Damien Meyer/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

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Damien Meyer/AFP via Getty Images

History

The dramatic story of Pointe du Hoc, the backdrop to Biden's D-Day anniversary speech

Over 200 U.S. Army Rangers scaled the cliffs of Pointe du Hoc on D-Day to destroy German long-range guns stationed at the top. Less than half remained standing after two days of fighting.

The U.S.' top general reflects on the changing face of war, 79 years after D-Day

Guests, including U.S. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley and U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, watch as a French elite acrobatic flying team soars over Tuesday's ceremony at the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial. Lou Benoist/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

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Lou Benoist/AFP via Getty Images

National Security

The U.S.' top general reflects on the changing face of war, 79 years after D-Day

Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, marked the D-Day anniversary in Normandy this week. He spoke to NPR about the modernization of warfare and what AI might mean for the future.

The U.S.' top general reflects on the changing face of war, 79 years after D-Day

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Normandy Commemorates D-Day With Small Crowds, But A Big Heart

A D-Day veteran arrives to watch the official opening of the British Normandy Memorial in France via a live feed, during a ceremony at the National Memorial Arboretum in Alrewas, England, on Sunday. Jacob King/AP hide caption

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Jacob King/AP

Europe

Normandy Commemorates D-Day With Small Crowds, But A Big Heart

Ceremonies are being held Sunday to commemorate the 77th anniversary of the decisive assault that led to the liberation of France and western Europe from Nazi control, and honor those who fell.

Senators Push For Medal Of Honor For Late Black Medic Who Saved Lives At Normandy

Joann Woodson kneels at the gravesite of her husband, Cpl. Waverly Woodson Jr., at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Va. Linda Hervieux via AP hide caption

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Linda Hervieux via AP

World

Senators Push For Medal Of Honor For Late Black Medic Who Saved Lives At Normandy

Cpl. Waverly Woodson Jr., a member of an African American battalion, treated scores of soldiers wounded on D-Day but was passed over for the medal. Lawmakers and relatives have tried to change that.

Senators Push For Medal Of Honor For Late Black Medic Who Saved Lives At Normandy

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D-Day Vets In Their 90s Parachute Into Normandy 75 Years Later, This Time To Cheers

U.S. World War II D-Day veteran Tom Rice, from Coronado, Calif., parachutes in a tandem jump into a field in Carentan, Normandy, France, on Wednesday. Approximately 200 parachutists participated in the event, replicating a jump made by U.S. soldiers on June 6, 1944 — D-Day. AP hide caption

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National

D-Day Vets In Their 90s Parachute Into Normandy 75 Years Later, This Time To Cheers

Three nonagenarians were among 200 parachutists marking the anniversary of the allied invasion of Europe, June 6, 1944. They leaped into the same fields once occupied by Nazi forces.

How A High Schooler Helped Reunite Twins 74 Years After Their World War II Deaths

An undated photo, provided by family member Susan Lawrence, shows twin brothers Julius (left) and Ludwig Pieper in their U.S. Navy uniforms. Susan Lawrence via AP hide caption

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Susan Lawrence via AP

World

How A High Schooler Helped Reunite Twins 74 Years After Their World War II Deaths

The Pieper twins were killed in the 1944 D-Day Normandy invasion. Last month, they were laid to rest together in a military cemetery in France — thanks to a Nebraska teen's school history project.

How A High Schooler Helped Reunite Twins 74 Years After Their World War II Deaths

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How An American Became Santa In A Little Town In France

Retired American photographer Tom Haley, 66, portrays Santa during a pageant in Normandy. Eleanor Beardsley/NPR hide caption

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Eleanor Beardsley/NPR

Parallels

How An American Became Santa In A Little Town In France

An American with a home in the French town of Vimoutiers, in Normandy, looks so much like Santa that the locals want him to play the part.

How An American Became Santa In A Little Town In France

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Friend's Visit To Veteran's Normandy Grave Gives Family Closure

The Normandy American Cemetery is home to hundreds of American World War II veterans, including Eugene Vigosky. Samantha Broderick/WITF hide caption

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Samantha Broderick/WITF

National

Friend's Visit To Veteran's Normandy Grave Gives Family Closure

WITF

Eugene Vigosky is one of thousands of Americans killed in World War II buried at the American Cemetery in Normandy. Reporter Tim Lambert, a friend of the Vigoskys, visited the grave site.

Friend's Visit To Veteran's Normandy Grave Gives Family Closure

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70 Years After A Crucial Invasion, World Honors D-Day

World War II veterans salute as taps is played at a ceremony Friday at the Normandy American Cemetery marking the 70th anniversary of D-Day in Colleville-sur-Mer, France. Win McNamee/Getty Images hide caption

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Win McNamee/Getty Images

The Two-Way

70 Years After A Crucial Invasion, World Honors D-Day

Some 150,000 Allied troops landed in Normandy and began the liberation of France from Nazi occupation during World War II. World leaders, including President Obama, gathered to mark the anniversary.

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