Commemorating the D-Day 70th Anniversary with Memoir ’44

This Friday – June 6 – is the 70th anniversary of D-Day and the Normandy invasion of WWII.

To mark the anniversary of the greatest military invasion in known history, many commemorative events are happening around the world.

The commemoration is special this year because it may be the last decennial anniversary with those who were actually there. Here’s a quote from the 70th Anniversary Battle of Normandy Commemoration page.

From June 5th to August 21st 2014, Normandy will be celebrating the 70th anniversary of D-Day and the Battle of Normandy with due splendor and emotion. This year’s anniversary will be a time of national and international contemplation and communion.

Traditionally, annual commemorations of the Landings of June 6th 1944 have always been major events for Basse-Normandie, all the more so on the occasions of quinquennial and decennial anniversaries, where the international aspect is especially prominent.

And because this will likely be the last decennial anniversary to take place in the presence of actors in and witnesses to those momentous events, it will be a particularly special occasion; welcoming a still large number of the remaining men and women who act as guardians of this “living memory” – probably for the last time and in celebration of a great anniversary – will indeed be cause for heartfelt emotion.

In the early morning of June 6, 1944, Allied paratroopers and gliders descended to take control of key bridges and roadways from the German Army. The D-Day invasion of Normandy was the largest amphibious landing the world has ever seen. The landing included over 5,000 ships, 11,000 airplanes, and close to 160,000 service men.

News stories about it abound this week. Many dignitaries from around the world are participating to pay tribute.

But since we’re not traveling to be a part of such events, we’ll commemorate this pivotal moment of WWII in a way that will help us reflect on the battles that day – by playing Memoir ’44 with friends.

And since the official international ceremony this year will be held on Sword Beach, that will be the first of many Memoir ’44 scenarios we’ll play Friday night.

One of our friends that will be playing with us that night served as a missionary in France a couple decades ago. Having gotten to know the area and working with French families for those couple years, I’ll appreciate the unique perspective he’ll bring to our group this week.

Last month we also heard about another expansion coming out for Memoir ’44 the Memoir ’44 D-Day Landings. It contains six unique pre-printed Battle Maps of the D-Day Landings in an extended Breakthrough format. The maps are American Airborne, Utah Beach, Omaha Beach, Gold Beach, Juno Beach and Sword Beach.

Players will be able to even link all six Battle Maps together for the Ultimate D-Day Landing Experience, creating a giant board that recreates the entire Normandy coast!

Too bad it’s not yet available – or we probably would have bought a copy for this week.

We think it’s a fitting way to commemorate this anniversary and look forward to Friday night.

Commemorative Global Events

If you’re looking for even more ways to commemorate the 70th anniversary of D-Day, there’s a ton going on along the Normandy coast this summer. Check out the Normandy Events Calendar.

They include:

• Firework displays along the coast on the main D-Day sites
• Concert for Liberty in association with Caen Memorial Museum
• Military vehicle parades as part of the D-Day Festival
• Parachute drops over Sainte-Mère-Eglise
• Sound and light show on the village square
• Cinema-theater show relating the night on 5th/6th June 1944,
• and many more events

But Normandy isn’t the only location for commemorative events. Check out WWII museums in your region to see what events may be happening closer to home.

If you’re in the UK, stop by the D-Day Museum  in Portsmouth through June 8 where you can meet D-Day veterans, see a parade, and watch an amphibious landing on Southsea Beach by the Royal Navy. There will also be a Sunset Concert for Heroes aimed specifically at veterans and their families as guest of honor.

Music Celebrations International is presenting D-Day 70 Concerts, the formal production of musical performances to take place throughout 2014 in France and Washington, D.C. The concerts are to memorialize this solemn anniversary, and to celebrate the many freedoms enjoyed by the world today – thanks to the men and women who served, fought and gave their lives during this pivotal moment in human history.

For our part, we’re excited to relive the battles of Normandy at the game table with multiple copies of Memoir ’44 and a bunch of friends.