THE 80th ANNIVERSARY OF D-DAY WILL BE COMMEMORATED
ON JUNE 6, 2024, AT THE MICHIGAN WWII LEGACY MEMORIAL
ROYAL OAK, Mich., May 29, 2024 – The Michigan WWII Legacy Memorial board of directors announces an event commemorating the 80th anniversary of D-Day to be held at The Michigan WWII Legacy Memorial in Royal Oak, Michigan. This event recognizes the men and women whose ingenuity and courage were instrumental, both on the home front and war front, to the victory of the Allied forces in WWII. It was the invasion of Normandy by the Allied troops that was the turning point of the war in Europe. At the Memorial, more than 1500 inscribed paver bricks along with additional elements tell the story of these brave men and women.
EVENT DETAILS
WHEN: Thursday, June 6, 2024, Noon to 5:00 PM; Ceremony at 12:30 PM
WHERE: The Michigan WWII Legacy Memorial
Memorial Park, 31100 Woodward Avenue, Royal Oak, MI 48073 (northwest corner of the park)
John Maten, President of The Michigan WWII Legacy Memorial, will lead the commemoration ceremony beginning at 12:30 PM. Family members of D-Day veteran John Sobeck (founder of Detroit’s Original Chicken Shack), and Linda Alvira, the daughter of D-Day veteran Clifford Alvira, will lay a wreath honoring those who took part in the D-Day operation.
The Military Vehicles Collection Club will have military vehicles on display. The US Army and Marine Corps recruiting offices will have displays, including military vehicles. Collector Jim Cassell of Birmingham will display his private collection of Japanese navy and army rifles, including the first smokeless gun up through WWII rifles. Food will be provided by Mission BBQ. Tours of the Memorial and an explanation of our mission will take place throughout the event.
The event is open to the public. WWII veterans, especially D-Day veterans, planning to attend are asked to RSVP (through the website: michiganww2memorial.org) so they can be acknowledged during the program. Parking for those with disability permits will be available in the Woodward Avenue municipal lot directly in front of the Memorial. Additional parking is available along Starr Road and lots at 13 Mile and Coolidge.
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ABOUT
The Michigan WWII Legacy Memorial is a 501c3 nonprofit organization working to build the state’s official tribute to Michigan’s warfront and home front efforts in the war that changed the world. Phase I of the Memorial was completed in August 2023. Located in Royal Oak, the heart of the Arsenal of Democracy, the Memorial’s mission is to honor sacrifice, celebrate freedom, and educate generations, ensuring Michigan’s Greatest Generation’s legacy is passed on. The organization is currently raising money to complete the Memorial as designed.
