Today marks the 70th anniversary of the D-Day invasion of the beaches of Normandy by American and Allied forces. Termed the greatest armed invasion in military history, it was a turning point in a war whose influence looms large over Western Civilization to this day.

If you’re a younger person, your understanding of the significance of this day is probably limited to what you can recall from school or a Steven Spielberg movie. For our elders — who can remember the very real threat of the Third Reich and how unsure the outcome of World War II was during that time — the details of that bold assault remain emblazoned on the heart and mind.