U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Charles Costanza, commanding general of V Corps, delivers remarks during a ceremony honoring Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower in Sainte-Mère-Église, France, June 2, 2025. The event commemorated Eisenhower’s leadershipd during Operation Overlord and highlighted enduring U.S.-French ties. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Tyler Brock)

Members of the V Corps Color Guard present the colors during a ceremony honoring Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower in Sainte-Mère-Église, France, June 2, 2025. The event marked the 81st anniversary of D-Day and celebrated Allied cooperation during World War II. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Tyler Brock)

U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Charles Costanza, commanding general of V Corps, takes photos with Andy Anderson during a ceremony honoring Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower in Sainte-Mère-Église, France, June 2, 2025. The event brought together military leaders, veterans, and local citizens to honor the legacy of Allied operations during World War II. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Tyler Brock)

U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Charles Costanza, commanding general of V Corps, speaks beneath a statue of Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower in Sainte-Mère-Église, France, June 2, 2025. The statue, unveiled in 2024, honors Eisenhower’s legacy and symbolizes Allied unity. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Tyler Brock)

U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Charles Costanza, commanding general of V Corps, meets with onlookers following a ceremony honoring Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower in Sainte-Mère-Église, France, June 2, 2025. The town was one of the first liberated following the D-Day invasion. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Tyler Brock)

SAINTE-MÈRE-ÉGLISE, France — Lt. Gen. Charles Costanza, commanding general of V Corps, delivered remarks Tuesday, June 3, 2025, at a ceremony honoring Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower in one of the first French towns liberated by Allied forces during World War II.

The event marked the anniversary of Eisenhower’s leadership of Operation Overlord, and the D-Day invasion of Nazi-occupied France on June 6, 1944. The ceremony took place beneath a statue of Eisenhower in the heart of Sainte-Mère-Église, just miles from Utah Beach.

“I am humbled to be back here in Normandy for the 81st anniversary of D-Day. We stand here today in solemn remembrance of a date etched into the soul of freedom," said Costanza.

The statue , funded by the American Legion and supported by local officials, was unveiled in 2024 and has since become a symbol of enduring U.S. and French ties and Allied resolve.

Steeped in history, Sainte-Mère-Église was one of the first towns secured by elements of the 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions. Paratroopers, operating under Eisenhower’s command, landed behind enemy lines in the early hours of D-Day. The town’s liberation became one of the first real signs that the Allied campaign was gaining ground.

“Gen. Eisenhower’s leadership was marked not by ego, but by responsibility, humility and resolve,” remarked Costanza. “He made the final decision to launch the invasion, fully aware of the risk.”

The ceremony was one of several events being held throughout Normandy during the week to commemorate the 81st anniversary of D-Day. Attendees included senior military officials, veterans, local leaders, and descendants of those who served under Eisenhower’s command.

In addition to serving as Supreme Allied Commander during World War II, Eisenhower went on to become the 34th President of the United States, helping shape the post-war order and laying the groundwork for modern transatlantic cooperation.

“We have an inherent responsibility to make good [their] promise and to live our lives in a way that honors those Soldiers who fought and died here at Normandy not just today during the Anniversary of D-day, but everyday,” said Costanza in closing. “May God Bless our NATO Soldiers on the Eastern Flank of Europe that are protecting freedom and democracy today.”