Washington DC (670 KBOI News) – 75 years ago Thursday, more than 150,000 troops from the United States, Great Britain and Canada invaded Nazi-occupied France by sea and by air.

Idaho Senator Jim Risch says when he toured the Utah and Omaha beaches and cemeteries, it was an experience he’ll never forget, and suggests all Americans should have it on their bucket lists.

“9,000 brave Americans died there that day, and when you stand there, and walk through the cemeteries, and the long lines of crosses and Star of David commemorations for each of the graves, it’s sobering.  It is incredibly sobering,” said Risch.

He says there will probably never be another large-scale invasion by troops again, because the nature of warfare has changed.

But Risch says he likes to think if we found our back against the wall, like it was in 1944, Americans would step up and answer the call again.

— Jay Howell, 670 KBOI News