6 Minutes of Powerful Historic Footage to Commemorate the 69th Anniversary of D-Day

It has been 69 years since the beaches of Normandy were stormed by Allied soldiers on what's famously known as "D-Day."

A full day of ceremonies, including fireworks, concerts and marches, is planned across Normandy, France, Thursday in honor of the 150,000 troops, mainly US, British and Canadian, who risked or gave their lives on June 6, 1944, in the liberation of German-occupied western Europe during World War II.

A Normandy Veteran passes the headstones of fallen comrades at a remembrance and wreath laying ceremony to commemorate the start of the D-Day landings at Bayeux War Cemetery on June 6, 2013 in Bayeux, France. Across Normandy several hundred of the surviving veterans of the Normandy campaign are gathering to commemorate the 69th anniversary of the D-Day landings which eventually led to the Allied liberation of France in 1944. Next year, which will mark the 70th anniversary of the landings, is widely expected to be the last time that the veterans will gather in any great number. (Photo: Matt Cardy/Getty Images)

D-Day.org describes the scene for soldiers at Normandy on that fateful day as "they found themselves in hell," with no natural protection for nearly 200 yards when they first landed on the beach.

(Image: U.S. Military via Wikimedia)

"When it was over, the Allied Forces had suffered nearly 10,000 casualties; more than 4,000 were dead," D-Day.org stated. "Yet somehow, due to planning and preparation, and due to the valor, fidelity, and sacrifice of the Allied Forces, Fortress Europe had been breached."

To commemorate the historic event, the National Rifle Association's Life of Duty TV last year released a condensed version of a 1969 film that used first-hand footage.

Considering the date, check out the historic piece to mark the 69th anniversary of "Operation Overlord":

TheBlaze blog also has a tribute as well.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

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