“Soldier, sailors, and airmen of the Allied Expeditionary Force! You are about to embark upon the Great Crusade, toward which we have striven these many months.”

These are the words General Dwight D. Eisenhower wrote at the beginning of his order to begin the invasion of Normandy on June 6, 1944. It was this day that saw the beginning of the end of Hitler’s Nazi rule over Germany.

And as today is the 75th anniversary of the D-Day Invasions, the sights seen on the beaches of Normandy now stand in stark contrast to the war-torn images of that day. The pictures below offer a glimpse of the historic event, and how tourists and residents have traded in barb wire, obstacles, and bunkers for fun in the sun in 2019.

Rare Photo from D-Day Invasion
Rare Photo from D-Day Invasion Reuters
GettyImages-993812634
Beachgoers relax beside tents on the first weekend of the summer hollidays on a beach at Deauville, Calvados, Normandy on July 7, 2018, as hot weather conditions prevail over much of northern Europe. LUDOVIC MARIN/AFP/Getty Images
Normandy 1944 Part 2
National ensigns fly as two LCTs hit the beach somewhere in Normandy. Overhead barrage balloons protect against dive-bomber attack. CORBIS/Getty Images
Normandy 2019 Part 3
A poster in memory of English soldier Ernest J Jones of the 46th Royal Marine Commando who was killed on June 6 , 1944 is seen on the beach of Luc-sur-Mer, in Normandy on June 3, 2019 as preparations are put into place to mark the 75th anniversary of the D-Day landings. CHARLY TRIBALLEAU/AFP/Getty Images
Normandy 1944 Part 4
A US "Duck" amphibious vehicle landing in Normandy France. 1944. CORBIS/Getty Images
Normandy 2019 Part 4
Two person dressed as local resident during the WWII sits on a wall along the beach in Arromanches-Les-Bains, on June 3, 2019, ahead of ceremonies marking the 75th anniversary of the D-Day landings. JOEL SAGET/AFP/Getty Images
Normandy 1944 Part 3
Landing troops at Omaha Beach, Normandy, France, on D-day as Allies invade France. CORBIS/Getty Images
Normandy 2019 Part 5
People sunbathe on a beach in Cabourg, northwestern France, on May 7, 2018. CHARLY TRIBALLEAU/AFP/Getty Images
Normandy 1944 Part 5
A U.S. Navy communications command post, set up at Normandy shortly after the initial landing on D-day, June 1944. CORBIS/Getty Images
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