News Article

Former Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel Keynotes National Archives D-Day Comemmoration

May 29, 2019

On June 6 at 7:00 pm, Vietnam War Veteran and former Senator and Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel will keynote a special commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the D-Day Invasion during World War II. A screening of The True Glory, a joint production of the U.S. Office of War Information and the British Ministry of Information, will follow Hagel’s remarks.

“It is an honor to join the Archives in commemorating this important moment in our nation’s story,” said Chuck Hagel. “We remember the more than 160,000 soldiers, sailors, and airmen who crossed the English Channel 75 years ago and shaped our collective history.”

The National Archives will also commemorate the 75th anniversary of D-Day with an exhibit featuring Archives records from the monumental 1944 invasion. The display includes an original message from General Dwight D. Eisenhower to the “soldiers, sailors and airmen” of the Allied Expeditionary Force (AEF). In the letter, Eisenhower called the operation a “Great Crusade” and expressed confidence in the troops and the inevitability of their success in securing an Allied victory.

Attendees should use the Special Events entrance on Constitution Avenue at 7th Street, NW.  Reservations are recommended and can be made online. The building is Metro accessible on the Yellow and Green lines, Archives/Navy Memorial/Penn Quarter station.

The National Archives D-Day program and featured exhibit is made possible in part by the National Archives Foundation through the generous support of The Boeing Company.