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Legion celebrates 77th anniversary of D-Day

Seventy-seven years ago, on June 6, 1944, hundreds of thousands of soldiers stormed the beaches of Normandy for Operation Neptune, which is often referred to as D-Day.
d day 2021
Ken Gordon lays one of the wreaths at the base of the cenotaph. (Photo by Tanner Wallace-Scribner)
Seventy-seven years ago, on June 6, 1944, hundreds of thousands of soldiers stormed the beaches of Normandy for Operation Neptune, which is often referred to as D-Day.
 
Over 350,000 allied forces were a part of the invasion, with over 21,000 Canadian troops landing on June Beach.
 
Though there are only 4,414 confirmed dead, it is estimated that over 10,000 allied troops lost their lives, including 961 Canadian soldiers.
 
As part of the anniversary of D-Day, the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 77 in Yorkton held a celebration.
 
Over 30 people attended the celebration, with many watching via Facebook, where the event was live-streamed.
 
Ken Gordon, the president of the Royal Canadian Legion General Alexander Ross Branch No. 77 in Yorkton, said it was really nice to celebrate one of the most important battles of World War 2 and celebrate it with a group of people.
 
"Traditionally, we've held parades, that still wasn't possible, but with the turnout here today, it's just awesome to see," he said. "Really nice to see a group of people out, restrictions being lifted a little bit. It was really nice to have people out; we had a few veterans out here themselves; Yorkton crossing brought some widows of World War 2 veterans."
 
Gordon added that if people wanted to view the celebration, they could visit the branch's Facebook page.
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