A 300-yard sculptural diorama depicts the D-Day landing on Omaha Beach and the dangers soldiers faced as they crossed the sand. (Cantigny photo)

Eighty years ago, soldiers of the U.S. Army’s 1st Infantry Division played a leading role in the Allied invasion of France, storming Omaha Beach in Normandy and jump-starting the liberation of Europe during World War II.  

Cantigny will commemorate that pivotal day—June 6, 1944 and the days surrounding it—all summer. 

D-Day is sometimes called “the 24 hours that saved the world.”

It’s an epic chapter of military history.

Underlying Operation Overlord’s outcome is the story of extreme sacrifice. On Omaha Beach alone, more than 2,000 American soldiers died in combat. 

The First Division Museum at Cantigny is remembering D-Day with two exhibits and themed programming. Unless indicated, all are free to the public with paid parking. 

• “Nothing But Victory” is an immersive outdoor installation spanning 300 yards across the Cantigny landscape, simulating the man-made and topographical features that soldiers encountered in Normandy. Elements along the exhibit trail blend art and history to convey a message of both triumph and loss. (Free guided tours are available June 8, July 13, and Aug. 24; see FDMuseum.org for details.)  Exhibit opens June 6. 
• “Over Land, Over Sea, Overlord,” inside the museum, explores the personal D-Day stories of
  

  
  Inside the First Division Museum, a complementing exhibit profiles seven personalities who participated in the Normandy invasion. (Cantigny photo)

  seven personalities, revealing an intersection of celebrity and sacrifice. The actions of the featured servicemen speak to the universal call to defend liberty in the face of adversity. Exhibit open.: 

• Victory Feast: A Culinary Commemoration of D-Day’s 80th Anniversary: On Thursday, June 6 – 6 p.m. a cocktail reception features a chilled raw bar followed by a tour of “Nothing But Victory” guided by First Division Museum curator Jessica Waszak. After the tour, sit down to a four-course “farm-style dinner” outside the museum with French wine pairings. For costs and reservations, visit Cantigny.org. ($) 

• Moonlight Movie: “Saving Private Ryan” On Friday, June 7 at 8:15 p.m. the movie, directed by Steven Spielberg and starring Tom Hanks, is set during the Normandy invasion. The storyline is emotional, the combat scenes graphic and intense, including the Omaha Beach landing on D-Day. 
• Evening Symphony: Commemorating D-Day in Music on Saturday, Jun 8 at 7:30 p.m.  Gather in the Tank Park for this timely performance by the West Suburban Symphony, featuring stirring patriotic and military music, including the “Band of Brothers” suite and the “Saving Private Ryan” theme, among other selections. 
• Lectures (presentation times vary; check FDMuseum.org) 
• Celebrity Servicemen: Famous Individuals of D-Day on June 8, July 8, Sept. 23. 
• Faces of D-Day: on June 10 and Sept. 9. 
• Beyond the Beaches: The 1st  Division and Armor at Normandy on June 17, July 22 and Aug. 5. 
• Dynamic Leadership: Three Generals and the 1st  Infantry Division on Aug. 9. 

Hundreds of dog tags hang as part of the D-Day remembrance. (Cantigny photo)

Cantigny is open every day except Tuesday and offers free admission every Wednesday for those who register in advance. The park opens at 7 a.m. See First Division Museum hours, parking fees, and a full calendar of upcoming events at Cantigny.org. The museum will offer extended hours June 6-9. 

Cantigny, located at 1S151 Winfield Road in Wheaton, is the 500-acre estate of Colonel Robert R. McCormick (1880-1955), long-time editor and publisher of the Chicago Tribune, and founder of the Chicago-based Robert R. McCormick Foundation.  

It is home to display gardens, walking trails, a museum dedicated to the 1st Infantry Division of the U.S. Army, a highly ranked 27-hole public golf course and a golf academy for all ages and ability levels.  

More information is online at Cantigny.org, including hours, admission fees and upcoming events.