Photos

Sailors assigned to Naval District Washington commemorated the 83rd anniversary of the Battle of Midway with a wreath-laying ceremony at the U.S. Navy Memorial in Washington, June 4, 2025.

Navy divers take updated measurements of the USS Arizona's mooring platforms during a routine dive around the sunken battleship at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, June 18, 2025. The Navy plans to remove the aging platforms from the Arizona's hull later this year.

A soldier greets a veteran as a group of World War II veterans arrive on a tarmac in Normandy, France, June 1, 2025, for the 81st anniversary of the D-Day invasion, which is June 6. Members of the 1st Army, the organization that led all American forces on D-Day, welcomed the veterans.

World War II veteran Fred Nungesser salutes during a ceremony honoring the 81st anniversary of the D-Day landing in Normandy, France, June 1, 2025.

Korean War veteran Joseph Mickelsen talks with soldiers after the Bataan Death March Commemoration at San Francisco National Cemetery, April 5, 2025. The event honored the sacrifices made by veterans during World War II, particularly those who endured the brutal Bataan Death March, April 9-17, 1942, where thousands of American and Filipino soldiers lost their lives defending freedom.

Navy Cmdr. Paul Hyder, a chaplain, concludes a prayer for World War II veteran and former Marine Corps Pfc. Walter LaSota at the USS Arizona Memorial at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, April 4, 2025. LaSota's visit offered a living connection to one of the bloodiest battles of World War II.

Walter LaSota, right, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran who served in World War II, and his daughter, Cynthia LaSota, place flowers on the monument plaque on Sugar Loaf Hill in Okinawa, Japan, April 1, 2025. LaSota, a two-time Purple Heart recipient, returned to the island through an Eagle Society program that helps WWII veterans return to the sites where they once battled.

A Marine escorts a World War II veteran during the 80th Battle of Iwo Jima Reunion of Honor Ceremony on Iwo Jima, Japan, March 29, 2025.

Army Capt. Monika Stoy presents a wreath for the 80th anniversary of Operation Varsity in Hamminkeln, Germany, March 24, 2025, to honor the courage of Allied forces who fought to secure freedom during World War II. Operation Varsity was the largest single-day airborne operation of World War II, mobilizing 16,000 troops and thousands of aircraft in the final major airborne assault of the war.

U.S. and Filipino World War II veterans salute alongside military and civilian leaders during an event marking the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Manila at Manila American Cemetery in the Philippines, Feb. 22, 2025. The event recognized the service and sacrifice of more than 1,000 U.S. soldiers and more than 100,000 civilians who lost their lives during the fight to liberate the Philippine capital.

Sailors conduct military funeral honors with funeral escort for Seaman 1st Class Aaron L. McMurtrey in Section 69 of Arlington National Cemetery, Va., Feb. 13, 2025. McMurtrey was assigned to the USS California on Dec. 7, 1941, when the battleship sustained multiple torpedo and bomb hits during the attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. The attack on the ship resulted in the deaths of 103 crew members, including McMurtrey, who was officially accounted for in 2024 after his remains were identified.

Soldiers assigned to the 101st Airborne Division join World War II veterans for a parade in Bastogne, Belgium, Dec. 14. 2024. The parade marked the 80th anniversary of Bastogne and the Battle of the Bulge and honored the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) for its defense of the city and region from the German offensive during World War II.

Survivors of the attack on Pearl Harbor receive applause during a ceremony to mark the 83rd anniversary of the attack, Dec. 7, 2024, at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii.

Sailors assigned to the USS John Basilone man the ship during a commissioning ceremony in New York, Nov. 9, 2024. This is the second Navy warship to bear the name of Marine Corps Gunnery Sgt. John Basilone, a Medal of Honor recipient renowned for his heroism during World War II.

World War II veteran Jimmy Robinson speaks at the Army Yuma Proving Ground, Ariz., Nov. 10, 2024. The 103-year-old veteran served from 1942 to 1948.

A rainbow appears over the Battleship Missouri Memorial at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, Nov. 8, 2024.

Soldiers, Army retirees and World War II reenactors reenact the Waal River Crossing during the 80th anniversary of Operation Market Garden in Nijmegen, Netherlands, Sept. 20, 2024. The Waal River Crossing was one of the most intense days of fighting during Operation Market Garden.

Sailors assigned to the Navy Ceremonial Guard and the Navy Ceremonial Band conduct military funeral honors with funeral escort for Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class David Walker at Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Va., Sept. 5, 2024. Walker was killed when the USS California was torpedoed and bombed during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. His remains were not identified until 2023.

Soldiers assigned to the 3rd Infantry Regiment, known as “The Old Guard,” and the Army Band, “Pershing’s Own,” conduct military funeral honors with funeral escort for Army Chaplain (1st Lt.) George Fox at Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Va., Sept. 4, 2024. Fox was one of four chaplains who gave their lives to save others after a German U-boat sank their troop transport ship during World War II. This was a memorial funeral service as Fox’s remains were never recovered.

A color guard of U.S. and French service members leads a parade commemorating the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Montelimar, France, Aug. 28, 2024. The liberation of the city in 1944, marked a significant victory during World War II.