The 79th anniversary of D-Day is June 6. What's happening in Massachusetts
June 6, 1944. It was the day during World War II known as D-Day, when the Allies attacked the beaches of Normandy, France, to get a foothold in the country and drive out the Nazis.
Without success at D-Day, it can be argued that the Allies — led by the United States — might not have won the war.
According to the Library of Congress, more than 150,000 Allied troops landed at Normandy, as part of "the largest seaborne invasion in history." June 6, 1944, is likely second in prominence only to Dec. 7, 1941 (the Japanese invasion of Pearl Harbor), in World War II history.
"D-Day put the Allies on a decisive path toward victory," the Library of Congress entry continues. "Beginning with the Normandy beaches, they pushed back against Axis forces until Germany was forced to surrender less than a year later. Their achievements were not accomplished without tremendous sacrifice, however, as the Normandy invasion resulted in over 6,000 American casualties."
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"As a parent, it's important that we make sure our children and their friends know about these events," said Natick Veterans Agent Paul Carew. "They need to know our history. That's extremely important."
Carew who was involved with the World War II museum in Natick before its closure in 2019, said that despite D-Day occurring 79 years ago, "some of those guys are still around." He said he knows of one Natick veteran who is 99 and another in Framingham who just turned 105.
"These guys will always be heroes," Carew said.
There are several places around Massachusetts where you can honor those who fought, and those who made the ultimate sacrifice on D-Day.
U.S.S. Constitution Museum D-Day event
This free event will run from 11 a.m. to noon. The museum is in Building 22 at the Charlestown Navy Yard.
According to the museum's website: "The museum invites you to join us for an in-person discussion and commemoration of the 79th anniversary of the Allied invasion of Europe. The event and commemoration will be led by historian Joe Balkoski and will feature a brief presentation by Joe to discuss the role the U.S. Navy played during D-Day. Following the presentation, participants are invited to participate in a commemoration of the event in front of the USS Constitution Museum at the head of Dry Dock #1."
Battleship Cove Memorial, Fall River
The museum is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., seven days a week. Visitors can pay homage to all those in the commonwealth who made the ultimate sacrifice.
According to its website, "Battleship Cove is home to the Massachusetts' official memorial to all Bay Staters killed in service to their nation during World War II. Located on board the USS Massachusetts, this memorial symbolizes the eternal gratitude of a proud Commonwealth and nation…
"During World War II America would sacrifice more than 480,000 men and women to defeat the Axis Powers; Massachusetts citizens of all branches of military service constituted more than 13,000 of that total."
Tank demonstration at American Heritage Museum
The museum is at 568 Main St. in Hudson.
On July 8 and July 9, at the museum, people can have "a fantastic weekend where you can see some of the American Heritage Museum's tanks including the M4 Sherman and M24 Chaffee and other privately owned military vehicles operating on our tank driving grounds behind the museum," according to the museum website.