THE ARMY UNIVERSITY, FORT LEAVENWORTH, Kansas – Eighty years ago, the United States' Greatest Generation faced battle in a conflict that would turn the fate of World War II.
Across the globe, units honored and remembered the efforts of the armed forces on D-Day, June 4, 1944, through various commemoration events.
The Army University hosted a commemoration event June 4, 2024, at the Lewis and Clark Center on Fort Leavenworth.
Army University Press Films showcased a special hour-long presentation that included narration of the day’s accounts from both U.S. and allied force perspectives, interview pieces with D-Day veterans, and scenes from that fateful day.
Students, faculty, staff, and visitors viewed the event in the auditorium named after Dwight D. Eisenhower, Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces during World War II and instrumental in the D-Day events.
A statue of the leader stands at the back of the auditorium with a photo of Eisenhower speaking to a member of the 101st Airborne hours before their D-Day mission began.
As the focal point of education for the next generation of the Army’s leaders, hosting events that reflect on military events such as D-Day are just another way the university is preparing students, Brig. Gen. David Foley, provost, The Army University, explained.
“This is a very important week here for us at The Army University. Our Command and General Staff College Class of 2024 will walk across the stage back to their units expected to use their new education to lead with confidence,” he said. “Events like the D-Day Commemoration, hopefully, was an opportunity for them to see the world they are about to step back into. We have an academic responsibility here at The Army U to prepare these officers for their next roles. Reflecting on the generations of leaders before them, like those from the Greatest Generation at D-Day, is just one example.”
Beyond the AUP Films presentation, students and visitors were able to view displays from each military service branch of the era that focused on their involvement in the conflict to include Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps.
The Army U’s Department of Military History in collaboration with the Frontier Army Museum curated a walk-thru display of era-specific military uniforms, gear, weapons, and maps of the landing zones.
For more Army University Press Films products on D-Day and other historical military events, visit their website at: https://www.armyupress.army.mil/Films/.
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