UTAH BEACH, France (AP) — World leaders, veterans and visitors from around the world paid their last respects to the D-Day generation in poignant ceremonies Thursday on and around the beaches of Normandy, where Allied forces landed exactly 80 years ago. The war in Ukraine is fresh in many minds, and the common message was that we must not allow tyranny.

The dwindling number of Second World War veterans returning to France as pilgrims and the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, which has dashed all hopes that Europe would not see renewed devastation of lives and cities, give even more significance to the anniversary of the Allied landings on 6 June 1944.

Eight decades after Allied troops landed under a hail of fire on five code-named beaches – Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno and Sword – a day of remembrance began at dawn for the Allied nations now once again united behind Ukraine – and despite World War II ally Russia not being invited by host France, which cited Russia's “war of aggression against Ukraine, which has intensified in recent weeks”.

The number of dead and wounded on both sides in Ukraine is estimated at hundreds of thousands. Commemorations for the more than 4,400 Allied casualties of D-Day and the tens of thousands more, including French civilians, killed in the subsequent Battle of Normandy are overshadowed by concerns that the lessons of World War II are being lost.

“There are things worth fighting for,” said World War II veteran Walter Stitt, who fought in tanks himself and will celebrate his 100th birthday in July, as he visited Omaha Beach this week. “Although I wish there was another way than trying to kill each other.”

“One day we will know, but I will not be there anymore,” he said.

As the now centenarian veterans relive old memories and remember their fallen comrades in the graves of Normandy, the presence of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the D-Day commemorations with world leaders supporting Ukraine in its fight against the Russian invasion – including US President Joe Biden – will inevitably merge the horrific past of World War II with the tense present.

Knowing that the major D-Day anniversaries would soon be held without World War II veterans, huge crowds of fans in period uniforms and vehicles, as well as tourists enjoying the spectacle, flocked to Normandy to celebrate the 80th anniversary.

“It's so historic and we just have to remember the sacrifices of everyone who gave us our freedom,” said Becky Kraubetz, a British woman who now lives in Florida. Her grandfather served in the British Army during World War II and was captured in Malta.

“Everything that has happened here gives me goosebumps. Imagine just jumping into the ice-cold water,” said the 54-year-old, looking out over the English Channel with tears in her eyes. “The bravery, the courage of people to face this is just incredible – I am very, very humbled to be here.”

She found herself in the midst of a crowd of thousands of people stretching for several miles along Utah Beach, the westernmost of the D-Day beaches.

In a quiet spot away from the official ceremonies, Frenchman Christophe Receveur paid his own tribute by unfurling an American flag he had bought on a trip to Pennsylvania to commemorate those killed on D-Day.

“To forget them would be to let them die again,” the 57-year-old said as he and his daughter Julie carefully folded the flag back into a tight triangle. He added that he was also thinking of those who are dying today in Ukraine fighting the invading Russian army.

“All these troops came to liberate a country they did not know, for an ideology – democracy, freedom – that is now under severe strain,” he said.

Adding to the fairground atmosphere are World War II-era jeeps and trucks racing through the hedge-lined lanes that were so deadly to Allied troops battling dug-in German defenders. And with actors reenacting war on the sandpits where D-Day soldiers fell, it's hard to wonder what significance the anniversaries will have once the veterans are gone.

But on the 80th anniversary, they are the VIPs at the commemorations on the Normandy coast, where the largest land, sea and air fleet of all time broke through Hitler's defenses in Western Europe and contributed to his downfall eleven months later.

“They really were the golden generation, these 17-, 18-year-old guys who did something so brave,” said James Baker, a 56-year-old from the Netherlands, at dawn over Utah Beach.

Further up the coast, at Gold Beach, a military bagpiper played at the exact time British troops landed there 80 years ago.

Later in the day, Britain's King Charles III and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak were among those attending a ceremony honouring the troops who landed there and at Sword Beach, while Prince William and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau joined others in attending a ceremony honouring Canadian troops who landed at Juno Beach.

In his speech, the King told the crowd that the world was fortunate that a generation had “not flinched” when called.

“Our commitment to remembering what they stood for and what they achieved for all of us must never waver,” he said.

In French, Charles also paid tribute to the “unimaginable number” of French civilians killed in the Battle of Normandy, as well as the courage and sacrifice of the French Resistance.

French President Emmanuel Macron assured: “France will never forget those who fought for the liberation of its country.”

Biden was later scheduled to attend a ceremony at the American Cemetery overlooking Omaha Beach.

Among those who traveled to Normandy were women. They were among the millions who built bombers, tanks and other weapons there and played other important roles in World War II that were long overshadowed by the fighting achievements of men.

“We didn't do it for honors and awards. We did it to save our country. And in the end, we helped save the world,” said 98-year-old Anna Mae Krier, who worked as a riveter building B-17 and B-29 bombers.

Wherever they go, they are celebrated, whether in a wheelchair or with a cane, and with their voices they repeat their message that they hope will live on forever: Never forget.

“To know the number of people who were killed here is just unbelievable,” said 98-year-old Allan Chatwin, who served with the U.S. Navy in the Pacific, as he visited Omaha, the deadliest Allied beach on D-Day.

He quickly added: “I don't know if 'amazing' is the right word.”