The chalk cliffs of Étretat, Normandy, France

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Remembering D-Day. D-Day remembered

On June 6, 1944, after months of planning, Allied forces descended on the beaches of Normandy, France, for the start of one of the most ambitious military attacks in history. Codenamed Operation Overlord, the Battle of Normandy was an operation to free Western Europe from Nazi occupation during World War II. This military action would play a pivotal role in the Allies' win against the Axis powers.

Today's Normandy is a far cry from the battlefields of war. This beautiful region draws travelers from around the world, who feast their eyes on landscapes that inspired the great Impressionist painters, while sampling the famous local cheese, Camembert. However, blunt physical reminders of the past remain scattered about the region, a lasting reminder of the thousands of lives lost during the D-Day operation.