- 2019 marks the 75th anniversary of the D-Day landings, when Allied forces stormed the beaches of Normandy, France.
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June 2019 will mark the 75th anniversary of D-Day.
On June 6, 1944, the Allies embarked on the crucial invasion of Normandy on the coast of France. Allied forces suffered major casualties, but the ensuing campaign ultimately dislodged German forces from France.
Did you know these eight famous people participated in the D-Day invasion?
SEE ALSO: 11 celebrities who served in the military before they got famous
James Doohan
Actor James Doohan is beloved among Trekkies for his portrayal of chief engineer Montgomery "Scotty" Scott in "Star Trek."
Years before he donned the Starfleet uniform, Doohan joined the Royal Canadian Artillery during WWII. During the Normandy invasion, he stormed Juno Beach and took out two snipers before he was struck by six bullets from a machine gun, according to website Today I Found Out.
He lost part of a finger, but the silver cigarette case in his pocket stopped a bullet from piercing his heart.
David Niven
Academy Award-winning British thespian David Niven became a lieutenant colonel of the British Commandos during the Second World War.
In the D-Day invasion, he commanded the Phantom Signals Unit, according to the New York Post. This unit was responsible for keeping rear commanders informed on enemy positions.
After the war, he declined to speak much about his military experience.
Yogi Berra
Famed baseball catcher Yogi Berra helped to storm Normandy by manning a naval support craft. The vessel fired rockets at enemy positions on Omaha Beach.
The New York Post reports that Seaman Second Class Berra manned a machine gun during the battle.
Medgar Evers
In 1963, activist Medgar Evers was assassinated due to his efforts to promote civil rights for African Americans.
Decades earlier, Evers served in the 325th Port Company during World War II, eventually rising to the rank of sergeant. This segregated unit of black soldiers delivered supplies during the Normandy invasion, according to the NAACP.
J.D. Salinger
"The Catcher in the Rye" author J.D. Salinger belonged to a unit that invaded Utah Beach on D-Day.
According to Vanity Fair, Salinger carried several chapters of his magnum opus with him when he stormed the shores of France.
John Ford
Director John Ford, famous for Westerns like "Stagecoach" and "The Searchers," also went ashore with the D-Day invasion.
As a commander in the US Naval Reserve, Ford led a team of US Coast Guard cameramen in filming a documentary on D-Day for the Navy.
His film on the Normandy invasion ultimately saw a very limited release to the public, due to the amount of Allied casualties. Much of the D-Day footage has since disappeared, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Henry Fonda
According to "WWII: The Book of Lists" by Chris Martin, American actor Henry Fonda served as a quartermaster on the destroyer USS Satterlee, which provided support to the Allies during the Normandy invasion.
Years later, he played a part in the war epic "The Longest Day," which focused on the D-Day landings.
Alec Guinness
"Star Wars" and "Bridge Over the River Kwai" star Alec Guinness served in Great Britain's Royal Navy during WWII, according to the History Answers blog.
StarWars.com reports that the Obi Wan actor served as an officer on a landing craft and transported British soldiers to the shores of Normandy on D-Day.