France Gets Ready to Say ‘Merci’ to World War II Veterans for D-day’s 80th Anniversary This Year

PARIS—France is getting ready to show its gratitude toward World War II veterans who will return, many for the last time, to Normandy beaches this year for 80th anniversary commemorations of D-Day to mark the defeat of the Nazis. A ceremony at Omaha Beach, with many heads of state expected to be present, will be honoring the nearly 160,000 troops from Britain, the U.S., Canada, and other nations who landed in Normandy on June 6, 1944. French President Emmanuel Macron said Friday that D-Day celebrations, alongside the Paris Olympics, will be “France’s rendezvous with the world.” It will be an occasion for the French to say “merci,” or “thank you,” to veterans, some of whom will make a long trans-Atlantic journey, despite advanced age, fatigue, and physical difficulties....