80th anniversary of D-Day invasion marked by remembrance, fading numbers

It's been 80 years since 14,000 Canadian soldiers landed on Juno Beach in Normandy, part of the massive Allied invasion that turned the tide of the Second World War.

At the ceremony in France, just 13 veterans of the pivotal battle were able to attend.

At the Military Museums in Calgary, there were just two veterans.

"They bled, they gave their all so that I and a few others could live," said Cpl. George Morasch, a Calgary Highlander.

His voice was thin and raspy, shaking with emotion.

He told a story about being so hungry he disobeyed orders and entered the shop of a French woman to ask for a bite to eat.

She filled his mess tin "to the brim" as he passed her shop.

He promised to return to repay her but the war took him elsewhere and he never made it back.

It's unlikely she wanted to be repaid.

Emmanuel Giry, the Honorary Consul for France in Calgary, said his country remembers the sacrifices of Canada and the Allies to restore their freedom.

"This is massive," Giry said.

"This living memory will only go extinct not long from now. And so this is very important to celebrate them, and while they're still alive, to express our gratitude for what they've done."

For decades, they were commonplace in nearly every community, filling rows at every ceremony and date of remembrance.

Now, the youngest combat veterans of the Second World War are all about 100 years old.

In total, 4,414 Allied soldiers were killed on June 6, 1944.

The initial invasion and the ensuing battle established the Allied presence in mainland Europe, leading to the end of the Nazi regime 11 months later.