D-Day in Old Town Alexandria; early diner afterwards

Let's recognize the 81th anniversary of the WWII D-Day landings at Normandy (France).

Hosted by the Alexandria-Caen (France) Sister City Committee, this ceremony and commemoration event takes place on Market Square in front of the Old Town Alexandria City Hall.

There will be re-enactors, historical displays, a 1940's jazz band and swing dancing, the US Army Fife and Drum Corps and more.

I was stationed in Paris for 25 months and attended the 20th Anniversary of the Liberation of Paris, 24 August 1964. I was in a photograph on the front page of the NY Herald Tribune along with 400,000 other people crammed onto the Place de la Concorde. WOW!

Did you know? Most every French village in western France has a street named after its DAY! rue du 15 juin 1944; avenue du 5 juillet 1944; boulevard du 10 août 1944...the DAY of its liberation from German occupiers, as Allied forces swept through.

A trip to Normandie is a required addition to everyone's bucket list. I'm a regular visiteur.

We'll have an early diner together afterwards at 3:00 pm at The Warehouse Restaurant, 214 King Street, Alexandria, VA 22314, steps away from City Hall.