Northeast Florida veteran paratrooper group travels to France for D-Day anniversary

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – On Thursday, veterans from Northeast Florida were in France for the 80th commemoration of D-Day.

It’s the day when Allied troops in World War II invaded Normandy, France which eventually paved the way for victory in Europe.

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News4JAX spoke to one veteran, who’s part of the Palatka-based group in France to commemorate the day. And one thing he mentioned was he wishes we did more here in the United States to honor the day.

“Honestly, I think the greatest purpose is remembering those that gave their lives for us,” said C.J. Hurst, Round Canopy Parachuting Team member, said from France.

Members of the group have been parachuting all week from the United Kingdom to France.

“When I looked out that airplane and I’m looking at the coastline of Normandy, and seeing what these guys saw in the wee hours of morning, just trying to imagine what they went through, that’s what’s going through my mind, that’s what I’m thinking,” Hurst said.

According to the Associated Press, 80 years ago, 160,000 Allied troops landed in Normandy. Allies faced around 50,000 German forces.

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The landings at sea started that morning and further inland there were overnight parachute landings.

On D-day itself, more than 4,400 Allied troops were killed.

Hurst said being able to be in France on Thursday is meaningful.

“Honestly it’s very disheartening, the fact that we don’t have, what they’re celebrating what they do here in France back home, and it feels like something we’ve lost that I would really would love to see us get back,” Hurst said. “I think honestly, remembering what the United States was founded upon, where we came from, you know, our history is sorted…I believe, you know, maybe it’s time for us to also think that it’s not time to take the tyranny anymore.”

And he says we should put more of ourselves into the country like the soldiers on D-Day did.

Hurst said the group will continue to commemorate D-Day for the rest of this week. They have two more jumps scheduled, one on Friday and the last one on Sunday.