ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Eighty years ago on Thursday, allied troops stormed the beaches of Normandy, France — a pivotal day that turned the tide of World War Two.  Several veterans from the Rochester area are in France for ceremonies marking the momentous occasion. 

Seigfried “Ziggy” Weinthal has waited for this day for a long time — a trip abroad.

“This Normandy trip? It means everything,” said Weinthal during a recent interview at his home at Heather Heights, an assisted living home in Pittsford.

Weinthal was 17 when he enlisted in the U.S. Army, six years after his family escaped Nazi Germany.

“We had to be sponsored over here to come over,” he said.

War stories don’t come easy for this generation of veterans. 

“Many people in the service will not talk about it, right?” said Joseph Grossman, a U.S. Navy veteran. 

Grossman is on the same trip as Weinthal, to France, and the commemoration of the 80th anniversary of D-Day. Grossman enlisted in 1944 and trained at the old Sampson Naval Base on Seneca Lake.

“There was supposed to be 16 weeks of training. They gave me eight weeks of training and next thing I found out I was on board a ship,” he said.

D-Day and the invasion of Normandy marked the beginning of the end of World War II. More than 4,400 Allied troops died that day, 80 years ago.  

Both men consider the trip an honor.

“I’ve been looking forward to this for quite a while,” said Weinthal  “I can’t wait until we take off.  I’m ready.”

A moment such as this comes with special treatment, and a fitting escort to the airport. The Department of Veterans Affairs estimates less than one percent of WWII veterans are still with us. Grossman is 97. Weinthal is 95. Both worry that history might be forgotten. 

“The younger generation just doesn’t feel up to it from what I see,” said Weinthal.

“It’s remembrance in hopes that it will never happen again,” said Grossman.  “And that’s the hope for everybody.”

The trip took the veterans to London and a seven-day voyage on the Queen Mary before arriving in Normandy.  The trip commemorating D-Day was organized by the Greatest Generations Foundation, a group which honors veterans of World War II, and the Korean and Vietnam wars.

“It’s gonna be very emotional because a lot of lives were lost that day,” said Weinthal.  “It’s gonna be in your mind, what took place that day 80 years ago.”

A trip abroad to honor those lost — and not forgotten.

“It’s a great honor to be asked and a great honor to be accepted,” said Grossman. “And I think we are all going to have a lot of thoughts about this particular trip.”