77th D-Day anniversary serves as a reminder of American greatness

This Sunday marks the 77th anniversary of D-Day, a pivotal day in World War II, in which thousands of American, British and Canadian soldiers selflessly stormed the beaches of Normandy to help liberate Europe from the grip of the German-led Axis forces.

"This memorial pays tribute to all of our, truly our D-Day veterans, our World War II veterans, to any veteran, I think, who served our country, this memorial is a powerful reminder of service and sacrifice," said Cheek-Messier, who counts several family members among those who served during World War II. "But what’s really important is that we pass on those lessons to the next generation. That’s really what our veterans want to make sure is happening." The National D-Day Memorial, which opened in 2001 and was dedicated by President George W. Bush that same year, has never received any federal or state funding. Instead, Cheek-Messier says, the memorial was the result of a grassroots effort led by those who were there on June 6 to honor their fallen comrades.