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ALEXANDRIA, Va - The City of Alexandria will mark the 82nd anniversary of the Allied invasion of Normandy with two events hosted by the Alexandria-Caen Sister City Committee, the city announced.
The 16th Annual D-Day Commemoration will take place Sunday, May 31, from 1 to 4 p.m. at John Carlyle Square, 300 John Carlyle St. The event has moved from Market Square because of ongoing construction at City Hall.
The free, family-friendly event will feature World War II reenactors and historical displays, live 1940s jazz music and swing dancing, children's activities and educational exhibits, organizers said. A commemorative ceremony will include representatives from the U.S. Armed Services, Allied countries, and local officials.
A special lecture follows on Thursday, June 4, at 7 p.m. at the Alexandria History Museum at The Lyceum, 201 S. Washington St. Rear Adm. Samuel Cox, U.S. Navy (Ret.), director of the Naval History and Heritage Command, will present "Operations Tiger and Neptune — D-Day at Sea," covering the strategic, historical, and human dimensions of the Normandy campaign. A reception with refreshments will follow.
Lecture tickets are $15 for general admission and $10 for Office of Historic Alexandria members, available at AlexandriaVA.gov/Shop.
D-Day, June 6, 1944, marked the largest amphibious invasion in military history and the beginning of the Allied liberation of Nazi-occupied France, according to the city. Under the command of Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower, more than 156,000 Allied troops from the United States, Great Britain, and Canada landed across five Normandy beaches: Utah and Omaha, held by U.S. forces; Gold and Sword, by British forces; and Juno, by Canadian forces. More than 4,500 Allied troops were killed on the first day, including 2,499 Americans.
The Alexandria-Caen Sister City Committee, founded in 1990, promotes cultural and educational exchanges between Alexandria and Caen, France, a city tied to the history of the Normandy campaign.
