U.S. Army 2nd Lt. Miles Gabrielson, a paratrooper assigned to the 1st Squadron, 91st Cavalry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team, speaks French with a family in Normandy, France, June 3, 2014, during an event where residents welcomed the paratroopers into their homes for dinner and to interact with their families. The morning of June 6, 1944, Allied forces conducted a massive airborne assault and amphibious landing in the Normandy region of France. The invasion marked the beginning of the final phase of World War II in Europe, which ended with the surrender of Germany the following May.