Nevertheless, Allied troops reached shore, at beaches they called Omaha, Utah, Juno, Gold and Sword. Paratroopers regrouped, Rangers climbed the cliffs. By the end of the day, as Obama put it, "the ground on which we stand was free once more," which he called a tribute to the "clarity of purpose" with which the Allies waged war.
The veterans gathered Saturday, said Obama, "remind us that, in the end, human destiny is not determined by forces beyond our control."
"You remind us that our future is not shaped by mere chance or circumstance," he said. "Our history has always been the sum total of the choices made and the actions taken by each individual man or woman. It has always been up to us."
Those present for the ceremony included Susan Eisenhower, whose grandfather Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower began the Normandy mission with the simple charge, "OK, let's go."
Tom Hanks, who starred in the movie "Saving Private Ryan," which portrayed the carnage of the invasion, sat near former Sen. Bob Dole (R-Kan.), a World War II veteran.
Also in the audience was Obama's great-uncle Charles Payne, who was part of the first American division to reach and liberate a Nazi concentration camp in Germany.
Before the ceremony, President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama walked past troops representing U.S., French, Canadian and British forces, then met with veterans of the D-day invasion at a spot overlooking Omaha Beach.
One of them was Ben Franklin of Knoxville, Tenn., who recalled storming the beach as a young sergeant and machine gunner.
After years of speaking and lecturing on the experience, he said, Saturday was his last.
"This will be the end," he said. "I will go home and relax now."
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cparsons@tribune.com
