Air Force Reserve Lt. Col. Ed Strickland (center) and members of his family look over the engine of a crashed C-47 Skytrain transport June 1, 2012 in Picauville, France. U.S. and allied forces attended a commemorative ceremony in the town square honoring the Airmen and soldiers who lost their lives when their C-47 aircraft was brought down by German anti-aircraft artillery at 1:20 a.m., June 6, 1944 as part of the famous Normandy D-Day invasion of France. Strickland is a C-130 Hercules navigator assigned to the 302nd Airlift Wing at Peterson Air Force Base, Colo. Members of the Air Force Reserve Command's 302nd, 910th and 440th Airlift Wings took part in this year's 68th Anniversary commemoration of the historic invasion. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Stephen J. Collier) A model of a C-47 Skytrain sits atop a memorial June 1, 2012, in Picauville, France. The memorial pays tribute to Airmen of the 9th Air Force and 82nd and 101st Airborne paratroopers who lost their lives when their C-47 aircraft were brought down by German anti-aircraft artillery in the early morning hours of June 6, 1944. The aircraft and aircrews paid the ultimate sacrifice supporting the famous Normandy D-Day invasion of France. Members of the Air Force Reserve Command's 302nd, 910th and 440th Airlift Wings took part in this year's 68th Anniversary commemoration of the historic invasion. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Stephen J. Collier) Air Force Lt. Col. John Lacy speaks with a World War II veteran June 1, 2012, in Picauville, France. U.S. and allied forces attended a commemorative ceremony in the Picauville town square honoring the Airmen and soldiers who lost their lives during the famous Normandy D-Day invasion. Both the Airmen and soldiers were killed when their C-47 aircraft was brought down by German anti-aircraft artillery at 1:20 a.m., June 6, 1944 during the invasion of France. Lacy is the assistant U.S. air attaché to France with the Defense Attaché Office in Paris. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Stephen J. Collier) Allied paratroopers stand in formation June 1, 2012, in Picauville, France, during a ceremony honoring U.S. Airmen and soldiers killed during the D-Day invasion of France. U.S. and allied forces attended the commemorative ceremony in the town square honoring the Airmen and soldiers who lost their lives when their C-47 aircraft was brought down by German anti-aircraft artillery at 1:20 a.m., June 6, 1944 as part of the famous Normandy invasion. Members of the Air Force Reserve Command's 302nd, 910th and 440th Airlift Wings took part in this year's 68th Anniversary commemoration of the historic invasion. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Stephen J. Collier) Philippe Catherine, mayor of Picauville, France, addresses attendees June 1, 2012, during a commerative ceremony honoring the Airmen and soldiers who lost their lives during the famous Normandy D-Day invasion. A memorial erected within Picauville pays tribute to Airmen of the 9th Air Force as well as 82nd and 101st Airborne paratroopers who lost their lives when their C-47 Skytrain aircraft were brought down by German anti-aircraft artillery in the early morning hours of June 6, 1944. The aircrews and paratroopers paid the ultimate sacrifice supporting the invasion. Members of the Air Force Reserve Command's 302nd, 910th and 440th Airlift Wings took part in this year's 68th Anniversary commemoration of the historic invasion. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Stephen J. Collier) Standing adjacent to Picauville Mayor Philippe Catherine, Air Force Col. William "Bill" Ward addresses attendees June 1, 2012, during a commemorative ceremony in Picauville, France honoring the Airmen and soldiers who lost their lives during the famous Normandy D-Day invasion. U.S. and allied forces attended the ceremony in the Picauville town square that remembers the transport aircrews and paratroopers who were killed when their C-47 aircraft were brought down by German anti-aircraft artillery at 1:20 a.m., June 6, 1944 during the invasion of France. Ward is commander of the 86th Operations Group, a subordinate organization to the 86th Airlift Wing based at Ramstein Air Base, Germany. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Stephen J. Collier) With her peers watching, a young French girl places a remembrance candle adjacent to the Troop Carrier Command Memorial June 1, 2012, in Picauville, France during a ceremony honoring U.S. Airmen and soldiers killed during the D-Day invasion. U.S. and allied forces attended the commemorative ceremony in the Picauville town square honoring the Airmen and soldiers who lost their lives when their C-47 Skytrain aircraft were brought down by German anti-aircraft artillery at 1:20 a.m., June 6, 1944 as part of the famous Normandy invasion. Members of the Air Force Reserve Command's 302nd, 910th and 440th Airlift Wings took part in this year's 68th Anniversary commemoration of the historic invasion. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Stephen J. Collier) A crowd hears June 1, 2012, the names of Airmen killed during the initial D-Day invasion of Normandy in the town square of Picauville, France. U.S. and allied forces attended a commerative ceremony honoring the Airmen and soldiers who lost their lives during the famous Normandy D-Day invasion. A memorial erected within Picauville pays tribute to Airmen of the 9th Air Force as well as 82nd and 101st Airborne paratroopers who lost their lives when their C-47 Skytrain aircraft were brought down by German anti-aircraft artillery in the early morning hours of June 6, 1944. The aircrews and paratroopers paid the ultimate sacrifice supporting the invasion. Members of the Air Force Reserve Command's 302nd, 910th and 440th Airlift Wings took part in this year's 68th Anniversary commemoration of the historic invasion. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Stephen J. Collier) U.S., allied forces remember D-Day sacrifices in Picauville by Staff Sgt. Stephen J. Collier 302nd Airlift Wing Public Affairs 6/2/2012 - PICAUVILLE, France -- U.S. Airmen and soldiers, together with allied paratroopers, joined June 1, 2012, to take part in the annual commemorative ceremony in Picauville, France honoring the Airmen and soldiers who lost their lives during the famous Normandy D-Day invasion. U.S. and allied forces attended the ceremony in the Picauville town square that remembers the transport aircrews and paratroopers who lost their lives when their C-47 aircraft were brought down by German anti-aircraft artillery in the early morning hours of June 6, 1944 during the invasion of France.