News

‘Saving Private Ryan’ Star Tom Hanks Attends 80th D-Day Anniversary Event In France

Tom Hanks and filmmaker Steven Spielberg attended a special ceremony in Normandy at the American Cemetery above Omaha Beach to commemorate the 80th anniversary of D-Day.

The Saving Private Ryan star appeared emotional as he watched American D-Day Veterans receive France’s highest honor, the Légion d’Honneur, from President Emmanuel Macron.

“When I look around here today, I see boys in high school, early in college, doing the right thing,” Hanks told NBC News upon arrival at the event. 

The day marked the massive military operation in which 156,000 men, 7,000 ships and 10,000 vehicles attacked German forces in Normandy on June 6, 1944.

Spielberg and Hanks collaborated on Saving Private Ryan in 1998. The film told the story of the invasion of Normandy and won Spielberg an Academy Award for Best Director.

“If we pulled this off in the right way – and it stood the test of time – this was going to stand in, in some small way, for what those kids experienced at 6:30 in the morning on June 6, 1944,” Spielberg told NBC News in 2019.

“If we ever forget that it was a bunch of individuals that went over, and they all had names like Ernie, and Buck and Robert – that’s when we’ve done a bad job of being citizens of the world, I think,” Hanks added. 

Ava Lombardi

Recent Posts

Elon Musk Strips MAGA Opponents Of Their Verification On X Over Immigration Dispute

Earlier this week, Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy delivered passionate tirades over whether Americans or Asian…

3 hours ago

AC/DC Preps For Their ‘Power Up Tour,’ First In U.S. In Almost A Decade – Setlist, Dates, Ticket Info

The tour is in support of the band’s 2020 album Power Up, which topped at…

3 hours ago

After Brain Tumor Diagnosis, Michael Bolton Shares Family Holiday Photo

A sign of his improving health, Bolton has intentions of returning to the stage soon…

7 hours ago

Beyoncé Faces Backlash After Making A Finger Gun Gesture At NFL Halftime Performance On Christmas Day

Interestingly, most internet users' anger over Beyoncé's offensive motion quickly shifted to derogatory remarks about…

9 hours ago

VIDEO EXCLUSIVE: John Schneider Recalls His Favorite Moments On ‘Dukes Of Hazzard’

He shared, I’m very proud to be part of television in that era."

9 hours ago

Paulina Gretzky, Daughter Of Wayne Gretsky & Wife Of Dustin Johnson, Celebrates 36th Birthday In Style

At an intimate party, Paulina Gretzky celebrated turning 36 last week with her husband, golf…

9 hours ago