Lest We Forget organization hosts D-Day reenactment at Tiscornia Beach

BERRIEN COUNTY, Mich. -- Amid the sounds of gunfire and planes, Tiscornia Beach echoed with history as reenactors recreated the intense moments of D-Day, honoring the bravery of those who fought on June 6, 1944.

"The number one thing we would like for everybody to realize is that we're not here glorifying war but we're here to honor all the veterans of World War II," Reenactor Coordinator Bill Sheets said.

Spectators were captivated as the reenactment unfolded with extreme attention to detail, featuring authentic uniforms, sand trenches, hedgehogs, flyovers and pyrotechnics, recreating the battles of Normandy and Saipan.

Sheets, who served as the narrator for both reenactments, hopes spectators gained a deeper appreciation for World War II veterans.

"Whenever I see a veteran, I always shake his hand. I always tell him thank you for your service and then I thank him for my freedom. It wasn't for the World War II veterans we wouldn't be doing what we're doing today," Sheets said.

Lest We Forget is an organization dedicated to "brightening the future by illuminating the past." Previous productions have focused on World Wars I & II, Korea and Vietnam.

President of the organization Larry Wozniak says reenactments like this are essential for educating the public.

"We started Lest We Forget because we realized the schools are not teaching that much about world war history. We wanted to make sure that everybody understood what we went through and what happened," Wozniak said.

He says he couldn't be happier with how today went.

"Today went perfectly. We had fantastic crowds, we had great weather. The reenactors are all excited to do their job and they all love what they're doing. It was a beautiful day," Wozniak said.