Sadly, what most of us feel we know about D-Day is, quite frankly, what we see in the movies today, Saving Private Ryan the most notable example. It’s hard to get through those opening scenes. The horror of war is on full bloody display, but so is the bravery, the courage and the humanity of those who were fighting to make and keep the world safer for us at home.

These movies that we watch in the comfort of our homes, surrounded by family and friends, are about real people, in real places, doing real things. They weren’t safe, they certainly weren’t comfortable, but they all wanted to come home to be with their family and friends. For 4,414 of them, that didn’t happen. For more than 350 Canadians, that didn’t happen. For them, it was real.

Months of top-secret planning took place—new tactics, misdirection, decoys, raids—all to distract and mislead the Nazis about the timing and location of this eventual attack. Even then, with all the planning, the success of the operation was far from guaranteed, with some giving it a 50-50 chance of success. But as we’ve heard, on June 6, 1944, the Allies launched Operation Overlord, the long-anticipated invasion of Normandy in France.

Soldiers from across the US, the UK, and, of course, Canada and other Allied nations faced Hitler’s formidable Atlantic wall. As they landed on the beaches of Normandy, 50,000 troops spread across five beaches. The operation was made increasingly difficult due to landings that were marred by challenging weather and very difficult terrain, with many of the Allied landing craft affected by enemy mines, the Allied soldiers having to establish positions on exposed beachheads—I can’t even imagine this—all under very heavy enemy fire.

By the end of the day, over 14,000 Canadian solders had landed or parachuted into France. Those in that first wave suffered the heaviest with nearly every other soldier being a casualty. In the end, Canada suffered over 1,000 of those casualties, and on June 6, more than 350 were fatalities.

The price paid by the Allies on that day cannot be overstated. Across all the five beaches, the Allies suffered over 10,000 casualties; 4,414 did not answer the roll call the next morning. As we commemorate the 80th anniversary of D-Day, we remember them, Speaker, and we honour them.

While it was not clear at the time, with the foothold on the continent now secure, the Allies would begin their march towards Berlin. Less than a year after D-Day, the war in Europe would be over.

Every year, Canadians pause to reflect and remember our veterans and the sacrifices they made for those freedoms that we talk about, those freedoms that we enjoy. These gatherings remind us of the human cost of war and provide the chance to see and interact with the veterans who bravely and courageously served. Some are here today. Today, 80 years removed from D-Day, we are blessed to still have some of those who stormed the beaches of Normandy with us. Thank you for highlighting one of them.

We have a moral responsibility, a human responsibility, to ensure that those stories live on through us. The average age of these vets closes in on 100 now. We are faced with the reality that, for many, this 80th anniversary, this milestone, may be the last anniversary they experience. Let’s embrace the time we have with these heroes. Let’s use it and learn from them, to offer our unending thanks for their sacrifice, and to assure them that we will carry the torch. We will carry that torch forward to be remembered for generations to come.

To the veterans here today—namely, Commander Paul Smith and Lieutenant Commander Stefan Pohl from HMCS York—and representatives from the Juno Beach foundation, Historica Canada, Helmets to Hardhats, True Patriot Love, Coding for Veterans and Together We Stand who travelled here to Queen’s Park this morning to commemorate this important day with us, we thank you and we do salute you.

To all of our vets who served in World War I, World War II, Korea, Afghanistan and as peacekeepers around the world in conflicts, their bravery and courage represents the best—the best—of who we are as Canadians. They have made our country and the world a better place, and we’re all forever grateful. Lest we forget. Lest we forget.