A man pays tribute at the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial on the 73rd anniversary of D-Day on June 6.

June 6 marked the 73rd anniversary of the D-Day landings, which saw 156,000 troops from the Allied countries, including the U.K. and the U.S., join forces to launch an audacious attack on the beaches of Normandy, France.

Many people gather each year in Normandy to mark the anniversary of this landing, a turning point in the World War II battle for Europe.

During the early days of the Normandy invasion, the small bridge and causeway over the Merderet River – along with a nearby bridge and causeway at Chef du Pont – were critical objectives for both sides. For the Germans, they were essential to breaking up the American landing at Utah Beach. And the Americans needed to control the river crossing to expand their beachhead in Normandy. Even though the Americans were lightly armed, the Germans were never able to cross the bridge.

U.S. Army General Curtis M. Scaparrotti who attended a wreath-laying ceremony this week, said: ‘Several hundred airborne warriors seized a causeway that helped free a continent and end a war.’

The national commander of the American Legion, Charles Schmidt, noted that each of the attendees and participants who gathered at the ceremony stood in the same place as those who fought and died for the liberation of Normandy during World War II.

He said: ‘Our promise is that no matter how many years pass, the world will never forget their sacrifices… We as a nation are committed to this memory.’