Tomorrow marks the 60th anniversary of D-Day, when the western allies in the Second World War invaded Europe and began to bring the Second World War to a close.

The Normandy Landings were and are an extraordinary accomplishment for many reasons. They were a triumph of logistics and planning which remains unsurpassed to this day.

They were a triumph of deception, in that even after the invasion began, the Germans still believed that the most likely point of invasion was Calais, and there was still a feeling that the Normandy attack was a feint.

If the invasion itself was inevitable, its timing was not and General Dwight Eisenhower?s decision to take advantage of the small window of good weather on June 6 remains a symbol of decisive leadership; where others would have balked, he took on the personal responsibility to invade. Fortunately for the world, he was right.

The Second World War was a rarity as wars go. It was a just war, fought for clearly defined principles which laid the groundwork for the largely democratic country we know today.

Compared to the divisions that Vietnam and the second Iraq war have brought about, there was a consensus that the Second World War was necessary and had to be won.

It is for that reason that we remember the Normandy Landings. They were launched for the survival of democracy and to put an end to the evil of fascism and they accomplished that.

It is worth remembering that Bermudians played their part and sacrificed their lives in all theatres of the war, including D-Day.

Necessarily they were few in number, but their courage then and throughout the war was enormous. Their sacrifices and their principles helped to lay the foundation for the better and freer world we now enjoy and for that we should be thankful for the thousands who risked and gave their lives on the beaches of Normandy on June 6, 1944.