KYIV,UKRAINE - MARCH 3: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky speaks at a press conference for selected media at his official residence the Maryinsky Palace on March 3,2022 in Kyiv, Ukraine. (Photo by Laurent Van der Stockt for Le Monde/Getty Images)
At a ceremony marking the 80th anniversary of the D-Day invasion, an American veteran and the Ukrainian president shared a poignant moment that captured the enduring spirit of heroism and sacrifice.
Retired Staff Sgt. Melvin Hurwitz, a 99-year-old World War II veteran, was introduced to the foreign dignitaries gathered to remember the Normandy landings. When he met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Hurwitz, visibly moved, reached out and kissed the leader’s hand before he pulled him in for a warm embrace.
“Oh, you’re the savior of the people!” Hurwitz exclaimed. Zelenskyy, his face wreathed in a beaming smile, replied, “No, no, no, you… you saved Europe.”
The crowd erupted in thunderous applause at the witness of a powerful exchange between two men who have faced the horrors of war in different eras. Hurwitz, a veteran of the historic D-Day invasion, and Zelenskyy, the wartime leader of Ukraine, found common ground in their shared experiences and mutual respect.
The conflict in Ukraine hung over the anniversary ceremony, a sobering reminder that the scourge of war continues to haunt the continent. Russia, a crucial World War II ally, was notably absent from the commemorations, having launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
The D-Day operation on June 6, 1944, marked a defining moment in World War II as the Allied forces launched the largest amphibious invasion in military history. Codenamed OVERLORD, the operation brought together the land, air, and sea forces of the Allied armies, delivering five naval assault divisions to the beaches of Normandy, France, in a meticulously planned and coordinated effort to secure a foothold and pave the way for the eventual liberation of Europe from Nazi Germany. After D-Day, the days of the German resistance were numbered.
Although Ukraine has suffered serious setbacks in recent months, Russia has had over 470,000 causalities since the start of the war.
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