World Leaders Honor D-Day Veterans-- Part 3: Two Days of Observances

Mixing history lesson, entertainment and remembrance, the ceremony in Portsmouth was a large-scale spectacle involving troops, dancers and martial bands, culminating in a military fly-past.  But even with all that as well as an array of world leaders, the real stars of the show were the the elderly veterans who said they were surprised by all the attention.  They said they were just doing their jobs.

"I was just a small part in a very big machine," said John Jenkins, 99, a veteran from Portsmouth, who received a standing ovation as he addressed the event.

"You never forget your comrades because we were all in it together," he said.  "It is right that the courage and sacrifice of so many is being honored 75 years on.  We must never forget."

The event, which kicked off two days of D-Day anniversary observances, paid tribute to the troops who shaped history during the dangerous mission to reach beachheads and fight in German-occupied France.