ZEPHYRHILLS, Fla. — On June 6, 1944, more than 100,000 soldiers landed on the coast of Normandy in an operation officially known as Operation Neptune — but remembered by the soldiers who fought it, and the world ever since, as D-Day.
The assault led to the liberation of France and turned the tide against the Axis Powers in World War II.
Eight decades later, the veterans who made that sacrifice are growing older, making ceremonies like the one held Saturday in Zephyrhills increasingly significant.
Cliff Moffett, president of the Zephyrhills Museum of Military History, said the event has been a tradition for years.
"We've been doing this D-Day event probably at least 15 years, upwards to 20 years. It's something that we really feel has to be done," Moffett said.
The museum sits on the grounds of the Zephyrhills Municipal Airport, which opened in 1943 to train pilots who participated in D-Day.
"This was a training facility in World War II used by the 10th Fighter Squadron which did participate in D-Day. So this group that was stationed here in Zephyrhills did participate in D-Day itself," Moffett said.
The ceremony drew families looking to connect younger generations to the history. Mike Heitman brought his 12-year-old son, John, to the event with a purpose.
"We feel that it's important. It's a great way for John and I to bond and to get him away from the screens," Heitman said.
Heitman said hands-on experiences like the ceremony help bring classroom lessons to life for his son.
"If he sees it like this, then the textbooks make sense to him, right?" Heitman said.
John demonstrated a deep grasp of the history when asked why learning about it matters.
"Japan was planning to conquer all of Asia, including China, while Hitler planned for an entire Lebensraum with Africa and Europe," John said.
His father said hearing that from his 12-year-old left him emotional.
"It makes me really, really proud, really proud of him," Heitman said.
Moffett said the dwindling number of living World War II veterans makes events like this one more urgent than ever.
"They just want to honor their memories. Right now we figure there's not too many World War II veterans still alive, so this is just one way to pass on that history to their families," Moffett said.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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