The New York State Department of Health commemorated the 80th anniversary of the Allied invasion of Normandy, or D-Day, with a celebration at the New York Veterans Home at Batavia.

What You Need To Know

  •  D-Day and World War II veterans were honored Thursday in Batavia

  •  June 6, 2024 marks the 80th anniversary of D-Day

  •  The deadly day marked a turning point toward the end of the war

As the world marks the 80th anniversary of D-Day, it is especially solemn for survivors and their comrades. But some World War II veterans were honored on the anniversary.

Nine veterans, including retired Army Artillery Corporal Wesley Reynolds, were honored for their bravery and service during D-Day and the Second World War on this day, June 6, 1944. 

“It doesn’t seem possible that it’s 80 years since the invasion started," said Reynolds.

Reynolds will turn 102 years old this October. He described his role in the Army.

“My unit, I was in artillery and we were always in the back of the front lines," Reynolds said. "We did our shooting from the rear. And I wasn’t right on the front lines. We’d protect them by firing artillery shells and protect them while they were fighting.”

The vets are residents of the New York State Veterans Home in Batavia.

“It’s an opportunity for us to remind everybody that freedom isn’t free," said the Veterans Home's Administrator Nicole Gallagher. "It’s home of the free because of the brave and this is exactly what we wanted to celebrate."

But it is a solemn and emotional event thinking of those who were lost.

“It was a terrible loss of our servicemen, terrible loss," said Reynolds, "There’s a lot of high walls and they were right in the stone walls and they had artillery and machine guns and just sat there and mowed our men down as they came in, they just sat there and shot them.”

Nearly 4,500 Allied troops were killed on D-Day, including 2,500 Americans, and 73,000 Allied forced were killed in the actual Battle of Normandy.

“I feel very sorry for their families, very sorry," Reynolds said. "And I’m very thankful that I wasn’t wounded fatally."

Dubbed the "Greatest Generation," those who fought in World War II and those who faced D-Day head-on are often described as some of the bravest people in history.

“We got the freedom that we have, yes," Reynolds said. "I hope we don’t ever have another war like that. That’s my thoughts. I hope we never ever have another war like that. I hope our leaders have the intelligence to keep us out of war."

Despite the tremendous loss of human life, 80 years ago Thursday marked a turn in the war that would ultimately prevent the furtherance of Nazi control.