Canadian troops coming ashore at a Juno Beach landing area on D-Day at Bernieres-Sur-Mer, France, on June 6, 1944. (Reuters)
Raisa Rahim and Lola Waheed
Today marks the 75th anniversary of D-Day, a pivotal turning point during the Second Word War.
On June 6, 1944, the Allied forces stormed the beaches of Normandy to launch the liberation of Europe and put an end to German Chancellor Adolf Hitler’s rule.
At the time, Germany had a stronghold in most of Europe for over four years.
The Allies, including Canada, Britain, and the United States, carried out the invasion code-named Operation Overlord, an operation that required strategic and detailed planning.
Under command of the supreme commander U.S. Gen. Dwight Eisenhower, the invasion began in the late hours of June 5.
More than 160,000 soldiers from Britain, the United States, and Canada banded together to cross the English Chanel onto the beaches of Juno, Omaha, Utah, Gold, and Sword.
The Allied troops overtook the Germans by dominating land, sea and sky, using the largest military fleet of all time for the invasion.
The Canadian efforts were significant while invading Juno Beach.
A total of 14,000 Canadian troops pushed inland to fight the Germans and overtake the beach.
Contributions from the Royal Canadian Navy, the Royal Canadian Air Force, the Canadian Infantry, and the Canadian Armoured Brigade are some of the ways Canada helped in the war efforts.
There were a total of 359 Canadians killed during the invasion, and roughly 1,074 were injured.
More than 10,000 Allied soldiers in total were killed on D-Day.
Several countries including Canada, Britain, and France are commemorating the day by attending ceremonies at historical sites, including Juno and Omaha beach.
World leaders including Queen Elizabeth II, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, French Prime Minister Edouard Phillippe, and U.S. President Donald Trump attended ceremonies with veterans during the week to pay homage to the soldiers who fought on that historic day.