Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - On the 80th anniversary of the Invasion of Normandy in Northern France, the Buffalo and Erie County Naval and Military Park unveiled a special D-Day Garden space that honors the Allied forces who fought along the beaches on June 6, 1944.
The garden comes fitted with a sign signifying the space dedicated to honor all D-Day veterans and those who perished, as well as a replica metal cross, also called a hedgehog, that lined the beaches of Normandy that day.
Among those in attendance for Thursday's special ceremony at the Buffalo Naval Park included a pair of local World War II veterans: 97-year-old Dr. John Long and 99-year-old Horst Kirsten, who fought on Omaha Beach with the 1st Infantry Division during D-Day.
"My fellow veterans, God bless you. This is a day the Lord has made. Let us be glad and rejoice in it," said Dr. Long during Thursday's ceremony. "I know that all of us, this is not a day for celebration. This is a day that we remember all those young kids that hit the beaches [and the 400,000 that] never came back home. That's what I'm thinking about today. They made the final sacrifice. Every one of you here played a major part in what has made America the greatest country in the world. And today, as all of you do, I think about all those kids that never came back home."
A number of Kirsten's family members were on-hand to share in the dedication of the D-Day Garden to him and his fellow soldiers that stormed the beaches on June 6, 1944. His daughter, Diane Skovenski, says it's an honor to have her dad represent all of the veterans who served, and for those who lost their lives in the invasion.
"The magnitude of the invasion was a powerful day that changed the course of our history, and for that, we're truly grateful to our veterans. They are the greatest generation," said Skovenski during the ceremony.
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Here is the excerpt that's displayed on the D-Day Garden sign at the Buffalo Naval Park:
"The D-Day operation of June 6, 1944 brought together the land, air and sea forces of the Allied armies in, what became known as, the largest amphibious invasion in military history.
"Planning began in early 1943 and was divided into two parts. Operation Neptune was the code name for the Naval buildup and crossing of the English Channel to Northern France. Operation Overlord was the code name for the assault and troop movement toward Germany.
"Approximately 160,000 soldiers from the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and other Allied nations landed on the five beaches of Normandy, France, which were code-named Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno and Sword.
"The Normandy campaign lasted until July 24, 1944. Fighting by the Allied forces on the Western front, and Russian forces on the Eastern front, led to the defeat of German Nazi forces, who surrendered on May 7, 1945.
"In total, 4,414 Allied troops were killed on D-Day, and 20 of those casualties were from Western New York."