Service men and women, Veterans, and Civilians alike recognized the 70th anniversary of D-Day Friday morning at the Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum in Abilene.
During a remembrance ceremony held on the grounds of the Presidential Library and Museum Major Martin O’Donnell re-enacted General Eisenhower’s reading of the order of the day for D-Day.
“Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen of the Allied expeditionary force, you are about to embark on the great crusade for which we have striven these many months. The eyes of the world are upon you. Hopes, prayers, liberty loving people’s everywhere march with you.”
The ceremony also featured a re-playing of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s prayer broadcast the day of D-Day.
“My fellow Americans, last night when I spoke with you about the fall of Rome, I knew at that moment that troops of the United States and our Allies were crossing the channel in another and greater operation…”
Major General Paul Funk II, Commanding General 1st Infantry Division, along side Lt. Gen Mark Milley, Commanding General US Army III Corps, laid a wreath at the foot of the Eisenhower memorial during the ceremony as well.
In attendance was two WWII Veterans Guy Stern and Edward Huelbig.
Huelbig served with the 15th Calvary Reconnaissance and didn’t arrive in Normandy until July 5th, 1944, but often thinks back to D-Day. He said to remember that we don’t want to do it again if we don’t have to.
“But of course the way things are today, everything is so much different, I don’t think you will see invasions. Invasions was the big thing in World War two and in Africa, Italy, and in France. I don’t think you can perform one today as good as they were done,” explained Huelbig.
D-Day was a turning point in the war for the Allied Forces.
The Eisenhower Museum and Library will be holding multiple events throughout Friday and Saturday. Those events include re-enactments both days, the showing of the movie ‘Ritchie Boys’, and the Symphony at Sunset Annual D-Day Commemorative Concert that will feature the Salina Symphony and the 1st Infantry Division Band Saturday night starting at 7 p.m..