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Today is the anniversary of D-Day, June 6, 1944. It is the day that the liberation of the world from the Nazis began. Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower, the Supreme Allied Commander, spoke to the young men who would fight and die in the coming hours.

"You are about to embark upon the Great Crusade, toward which we have striven these many months. The eyes of the world are upon you. The hopes and prayers of liberty-loving people everywhere march with you."

According to Army.mil: 160,000 Allied troops landed along a 50-mile stretch of heavily-fortified French coastline to fight Nazi Germany on the beaches of Normandy, France. General Dwight D. Eisenhower called the operation a crusade in which "we will accept nothing less than full victory."

More than 5,000 Ships and 13,000 aircraft supported the D-Day invasion, and by day's end on June 6, the Allies gained a foot- hold in Normandy. The D-Day cost was high -more than 9,000 Allied Soldiers were killed or wounded -- but more than 100,000 Soldiers began the march across Europe to defeat Hitler.

One of the best speeches honoring the soldiers who took Point-du-Hoc was from Ronald Reagan. You can hear it below. Remember today those soldiers who liberated many people. They were there to free the oppressed.

Photo from Army.Mil - Soldiers in cargo vehicles move onto a beach in Normandy during the Allied Invasion of Europe, D-Day, June 6, 1944. After fierce fighting, the Allies established a foothold in northern France.