Soldiers from Fort Riley will participate in D-Day ceremonies on Thursday at multiple locations including at their home base, in Abilene, and in Normandy, France.

The 1st Infantry Division and Fort Riley will commemorate the 75th Anniversary of D-Day with a Remembrance Ceremony at 4 p.m. Thursday. The ceremony pays tribute to the 1st Infantry Division’s 316 Soldiers killed on June 6, 1944 during the historic invasion that led to Allied victory in World War II. The ceremony features the reading of the names of the fallen, remarks by Brig. Gen. Todd Wasmund, 1st Infantry Division Deputy Commanding General for Support, and a 21-gun salute fired by the 1st Infantry Division Artillery.

The ceremony is part of the Department of Defense’s worldwide anniversary commemoration known as “DDAY75.” A contingent of 1st Infantry Division troops are in France as an honor guard to U.S. and French ceremonies commemorating the invasion. The 1st Infantry Division commanding general, Maj. Gen. John S. Kolasheski, is leading this team and will represent the division at the official ceremony at the U.S. Omaha Beach Cemetery.

Fort Riley Soldiers will also participate in commemoration activities at the Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum in Abilene. As a U.S. Army general, President Eisenhower planned and commanded the invasion in 1944.

Another group of Fort Riley Soldiers will participate in a table-top war game meant to replicate the decisions faced by commanders preparing for the invasion.

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Department of Defense photo – Coast Guard photo by CPHOM Robert F. Sargent