Order Code RS20900
Updated May 27, 2005
CRS Report for Congress
Received through the CRS Web
D-Day: The French Jubilee of Liberty Medal
and the 60th Anniversary Commemoration on
June 6, 2004, and Events for June 6, 2005
Barbara Salazar Torreon
Information Research Specialist
Knowledge Services Group
Summary
This report details the Jubilee of Liberty Medal awarded to U.S. veterans by the
French government to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the invasion of Normandy
by the Allied forces on June 6, 1994 (D-Day). These medals are no longer distributed
by the French government. Included is information on how to obtain this medal from
a commercial source and how U.S. veterans may obtain an official “Thank-You-
America 1944-1945” certificate of participation from the French government. Also
included is information on official events and activities in Normandy during the 60th
anniversary on June 6, 2004, and scheduled events for June 6, 2005. This report will be
updated as needed.
Normandy Invasion, June 6, 1944
The invasion of Normandy on June 6, 1944, was the largest air, land, and sea
invasion ever undertaken, including over 5,000 ships, 10,000 airplanes, and over 150,000
American, British, Canadian, Free French, and Polish troops.1 There are no exact figures
for the total number of D-Day participants nor exact casualty figures.2 Historical
information can be found in numerous sources including D-Day June 6, 1944 (1994) and
Citizen Soldiers: The U.S. Army from the Normandy Beaches to the Bulge to the
Surrender of Germany, June 7, 1944 to May 7, 1945
(1998) both by Stephen Ambrose;
and The Longest Day (1959) by Cornelius Ryan. Additional information is available from
1 Br i a n W i lliams, “Operation Overlord,” M i l i t a r y H i s t o r y O n l i n e , a t
[http://www.militaryhistoryonline.com/wwii/dday/overlord.aspx].
2 Some historians estimate that over 70,000 Americans and over 80,000 combined British,
Canadian, Free French, and Polish troops participated, including 23,000 men arriving by
parachute and glider. These estimates are from the histories listed above. According to estimates
from the National D-Day Memorial Museum, the Allied forces suffered 9,758 casualties, of
which 6,603 were Americans.
Congressional Research Service ˜ The Library of Congress

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the National D-Day Museum located in New Orleans, Louisiana, via the Internet at
[http://www.ddaymuseum.org].
Jubilee of Liberty Medals and the 50th Anniversary of D-Day
The Jubilee of Liberty Medal was first awarded in June 1994 to American
servicemen for their participation in the Battle of Normandy. The medals were minted
at the request of the Regional Council of Normandy to be presented to veterans attending
the 50th anniversary of the D-Day landing on June 6, 1994. Eligible veterans included all
who served in Normandy from June 6 to August 31, 1944, comprising land forces, off-
shore supporting personnel, and airmen flying cover overhead. The only stipulation was
that the medal be presented during an official ceremony, and the veteran be present to
accept. On the front of the medal is inscribed, “Overlord 6 Juin 1944” on the upper part
of the medal, with the flags of the allied nations and the names of the landing beaches
completing the face of the medal. On the reverse side is the Torch of Freedom surrounded
by the device of William the Conqueror ‘Diex Aie’ (“God is with us” in Norman French).
Unfortunately, these medals are no longer being awarded by the French government.
All medals to commemorate the 50th anniversary ceremony on June 6, 1994, have been
distributed by the French government. Additional medals for those veterans who were
unable to attend the anniversary ceremony were later distributed through the Association
Debarquement et Bataille de Normandie 1944
in France, which is now defunct.
Some Members of Congress have awarded the Jubilee of Liberty Medals to U.S.
veterans who were unable to attend the ceremony in France on June 6, 1994. These
medals were obtained either from the Association Debarquement et Bataille de
Normandie 1944
or from a commercial source.
Commercially-minted Jubilee of Liberty Medals are being manufactured by Sims
Enterprises, a private company in Kansas, that is selling these medals at a cost of $17 for
each individual medal (includes shipping and handling ) or $13 each for orders of 10 or
more medals (plus an additional charge for shipping). Please note: This company is not
affiliated with either the French or U.S. governments. Veterans are asked to send copies
of their service record for verification; copies will not be returned unless specifically
requested along with the medals. For additional information, please contact Sims
Enterprises, 616 Main Street, Newton, KS 67114; Tel: (316) 283-5817.
“Thank-You-America 1944-1945” Certificates
The French government is no longer distributing the Jubilee of Liberty medals.
Instead, the government of France is distributing a “Thank-You-America Certificate
1944-1945” for U.S. veterans. According to a letter sent in December 2000 by former
Ambassador of France to the United States, His Excellency François Bujon de l’Estang,
to then Secretary of Veterans Affairs Hershel W. Gober, the government of France is
issuing a certificate to recognize the participation of American and allied soldiers who
participated in the Normandy landing and subsequent battles leading to the liberation of
France. Veterans who served on French territory and in French territorial waters and
airspace, from June 6, 1944, to May 8, 1945, are still eligible. The certificate will not be
issued posthumously. In agreement with the U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs, the

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French Consulates General and state veterans affairs offices, veterans service
organizations, and veterans associations will identify eligible veterans, review and certify
the applications, prepare the certificates, and organize the ceremonies to present the
certificates.
D-Day participants living in Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, Ohio,
Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia may obtain applications for certificates from
the French embassy in Washington, DC, or directly from the Internet at
[http://www.ambafrance-us.org/news/statmnts/2000/ww2/index.asp].
French Consulate/”Thank-You-America”
4101 Reservoir Road
Washington, DC 20007
Tel: (202) 944-6000
Fax: (202) 944-6072
D-Day veterans living in other states may wish to contact the nearest French consulate
listed below.
Table 1. French Consulates in the United States
State
Address
Atlanta
French Consulate/”Thank-You-America”
(Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, North
3475 Piedmont Road, NE
Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee)
Suite 1840
Atlanta, GA 30305
Boston
French Consulate/”Thank-You-America”
(Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire,
Park Square Building
Rhode Island, Vermont)
Suite 750

31 Saint James Avenue
Boston, MA 02116
Chicago
French Consulate/”Thank-You-America”
(Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky,
737 North Michigan Avenue
Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska,
Suite 2020
North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin)
Chicago, IL 60611
Houston
French Consulate/”Thank-You-America”
(Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas)
777 Post Oak Boulevard
Suite 600
Houston, TX 77056
Los Angeles
French Consulate/”Thank-You-America”
(Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada,
10990 Wilshire Boulevard
New Mexico) for California, send to LA if
Suite 300
your zip code is under 93400, to SF if above
Los Angeles, CA 90024
(see below)

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State
Address
Miami
French Consulate/”Thank-You-America”
(Florida)
One Biscayne Tower 17th Floor

2 South Biscayne Boulevard
Miami, FL 33131
New Orleans
French Consulate/”Thank-You-America”
(Louisiana)
The Amoco Building
1340 Poydras Street, Suite 1710
New Orleans, LA 70112
New York
French Consulate/”Thank-You-America”
(Connecticut, New Jersey, New York)
934 Fifth Avenue
New York, NY 10021
San Francisco
French Consulate/”Thank-You-America”
(Alaska, California, Hawaii, Idaho,
540 Bush Street
Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah,
San Francisco, CA 94108
Washington State, Wyoming) for
California, send to SF if your zip code is
above 93400, to LA if under (see above)
60th Anniversary of D-Day, June 6, 2004, and Events for 2005
The official ceremony on June 6, 2004, was attended by the following heads of state:
U.S. President George W. Bush, British Prime Minister Tony Blair, Queen Elizabeth II,
and the Prince of Wales. President Chirac also invited, for the first time, representatives
of the German and Russian governments, German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, and
Russian President Vladimir Putin. Both leaders accepted his invitation. Other guests
included Queen Beatrix of The Netherlands, the Prime Ministers of Australia, Canada,
and New Zealand, as well as representatives of the Dutch and Polish governments.
On May 17, 2004, the official U.S. World War II 60th Anniversary Commemorative
Committee released its schedule of commemorative events worldwide at its website at
[http://www.60wwii.mil]. Additional information on official events, local activities, and
commemorative tours during the 60th anniversary in June 2004 and current information
on events for June 2005 are available from the following websites.
American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC). The American Battle
Monuments Commission at [http://www.abmc.gov/abmc5e.htm] lists events in Normandy
that will include substantial American participation. It also links to the official site of the
Normandy Memoire at [http://www.normandiememoire.com], which provides
information in English and French for all the anniversary events authorized by the French
D-Day planning committee. A copy of the report on the 2004 commemorations is
available at this site as well as a listing of events for June 2005.
Calendar of the Official Commemorations of June 6, 2004. This is a
lengthy calendar by month (June, July, August) and by date (June 4 to August 29, 2004)
of all official commemorations of June 6, 2004, in Normandy, France, at
[http://www.dday-overlord.com/NMacceng.htm].

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D-Day Museum 60th Anniversary of D-Day Commemorative Tour. The
National D-Day Museum in New Orleans, Louisiana, sponsored a 60th anniversary tour
from May 30 to June 8, 2004. Information on the tour itinerary and related activities in
Normandy at [http://www.stephenambrosetours.com/tours/dday-comm.html].
National D-Day Memorial. The website of the National D-Day Memorial in
Bedford, Virginia, includes information on events and tours for the 61st anniversary in
Normandy on June 6, 2005, by clicking on “Visit Normandy” at
[http://www.dday.org/start.html].
Normandy Region D-Day Tours. The official website in English of the Comité
Régional de Tourisme de Normandie lists various D-Day tours in the region as well as
general tourist information at [http://www.normandy-tourism.org/gb/16tours/index.html].
Western France Tourism Board. The official site of the Western France
Tourism Board offers information on tours and travel in the region by clicking on
“Normandy” at [http://www.westernfrancetouristboard.com].