'And America would do it again' 'Ranger Russ' remembers One man's war becomes another's guide Full circle On the front lines in '44 Pop culture defines D-day as we know it

'And America would do it again'

World leaders and thousands of veterans gather to honor the heroes who fought 60 years ago to preserve liberty.

	[AP photo]
	World War II Army Rangers salute during a ceremony at Pointe du Hoc, France. On D-day, many Rangers died scaling 100-foot cliffs overlooking beaches.
	[AP photo] Click for D-Day photo gallery Related links The Library of Congress Veterans History Project: D-Day The National D-Day Museum American Experience: D-Day Interactive panorama of the WWII memorial

On a hauntingly serene morning that provided a sharp contrast to what French President Jacques Chirac called "the dark night of oblivion" 60 years ago, world leaders Sunday commemorated the bloody D-day invasion that led to victory in World War II.

Led by Chirac and President Bush, a clifftop ceremony in Colleville-sur-Mer, France, was attended by thousands of American veterans, some of whom had not returned since they glimpsed the Normandy coast from a distance in the half-light of dawn on June 6, 1944.

As the two presidents took turns extolling the troops who breached Hitler's Atlantic Wall, neat rows of white marble markers - 9,387 crosses and Stars of David - stood on the grassy fields of the Normandy American Cemetery, each representing a fallen warrior.

Calling them "the legendary heroes of Operation Overlord," Chirac told their surviving comrades, "Our spirit is indeed uplifted by the absolute ideals of these youngsters who offered up their last breath to save the world."

Chirac said he spoke for every French citizen in expressing France's "eternal gratitude and unparalleled debt" to the American soldiers.

"They are now our sons also," he said.

Chirac welcomed Bush upon his arrival at the American cemetery in Colleville-sur-Mer. Later, at the main flag-draped ceremony at Arromanches, the midway point along the Normandy beaches where U.S., British and Canadian forces landed at dawn 60 years ago, Chirac pinned Legion of Honor medals on veterans from 14 nations in a pomp-filled ceremony.

As Allied flags fluttered in the wind, Chirac, Bush and leaders of more than a dozen countries and hundreds of dignitaries gave a standing ovation to the veterans, ranging in age from 79 to 94.

All told, about 300 veterans from more than a dozen countries - mostly the United States, Britain and Canada - were to receive the Legion of Honor in ceremonies over the weekend.

At Arromanches, Chirac said: "France will never forget what it owes America, its steadfast friend and ally."

"France is keenly aware that the Atlantic Alliance, forged in adversity, remains, in the face of new threats, a fundamental element of our collective security."

The ceremony was followed by a gathering of leaders from nearly 20 nations, including German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, the first leader of that country to be invited to D-day ceremonies.

The event took on the form of a minisummit. Bush, Chirac, Prime Minister Tony Blair of Britain, Queen Elizabeth II, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin and Australian Prime Minister John Howard, as well as the leaders of Belgium, Norway, New Zealand and the Netherlands, met for a working lunch at a chateau that survived the Allied bombing of Caen and now serves as city hall.

Many veterans said they did not object to Schroeder's presence in Normandy.

"I've long ago forgiven the Germans," said Howard Beach, of La Mirada, Calif., who returned to Normandy for the first time. He was 19 when he set foot on Omaha Beach. He turned 79 last Tuesday.

Early Sunday, this village was enshrouded in fog so thick that Air Force One was able to land only on the third attempt. As crowds built and the ceremony neared, the fog gave way to a brilliant sunshine.

It was on a gray, rainy Tuesday morning 60 years ago when the Allied forces, under the command of Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower, dispatched 156,000 U.S., British and Canadian troops to several sites along the coast of northern France to defeat the Nazis.

A military ceremony at Pointe du Hoc honored seven Army Rangers who had been among the 225 scaling the 100-foot cliffs overlooking Omaha and Utah beaches. A V-shaped formation of F-15 fighter planes roared in over the coast. Young Rangers in tan berets saluted the aging heroes.

"The boys of Pointe du Hoc," as President Ronald Reagan called them during the 40th anniversary ceremonies in 1984, were the stars of the day. In his opening remarks, Bush paid homage to Reagan, who died Saturday.

"Twenty summers ago, another American president came here to Normandy to pay tribute to the men of D-day," Bush said. "He was a courageous man, himself, and a gallant leader in the cause of freedom. And today we honor the memory of Ronald Reagan."

Both the American and French flags that flanked the speakers' platform were at half-staff.

All D-day veterans received the VIP treatment. "It's exciting," said Lester Bauman, 83, of Parma, Ohio, who was a demolition specialist during the war. "This brings back a lot of good and bad memories. . . . It was a fouled-up mess."

Another returning veteran was retired Army Maj. Gen. Harold Parfitt, 82, who was a combat engineer. He was accompanied by his daughter, Karen P. Hughes, a former Bush aide who remains a close presidential confidante.

"It was pretty grim," said Parfitt, who also served in the wars in Korea and Vietnam. While strolling the cemetery, he ran into a man who had been at his side when they sloshed toward shore 60 years ago. They had not seen one another again until Sunday.

Several veterans posed for pictures and shook hands with actor Tom Hanks and director Steven Spielberg, the creative forces behind the HBO series Band of Brothers and the film Saving Private Ryan. But mostly, the men sought out old buddies.

The Army fired a 21-gun salute. Taps was played, along with the national anthems of the United States and France. A trio of jets flew overhead. A small flotilla of warships lay sleek and silent in the hazy blue of the English Channel.

In their remarks, both Chirac and Bush talked of the long-standing friendship between France and the United States, not mentioning their recent differences over the Iraq war, which Chirac opposed.

"Our two peoples have stood shoulder to shoulder," the French president said. "And this friendship remains intact to this day. . . . America is our eternal ally."

Bush said: "America honors all the liberators who fought here in the noblest of causes. And America would do it again for our friends."

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