On June 6, 1944, more than 156,000 Allied troops from America, Great Britain, and Canada landed along a 50-mile stretch of heavily fortified coastline along the beaches of Normandy, France. Duringthe coordinated attack known as "Operation Overlord," more than 6,500 ships and 11,000 aircraft supported the D-Day invasion. It was the largest air, land, and sea operation ever undertaken.

It took years of meticulous planning and tedious training in order for the audacious plan to succeed. But it all came down to the men . . . the brave souls who leapt from the landing crafts into thecold Atlantic waves as bullets tore through the air and through the men on either side. After reaching the shores, they faced over 200 yards of beach, where they had to run and crawl past a maze of barriers, bodies, and enemy fire to reach the meager protection of the cliffs. Surrounded by a rain of bullets and artillery, they finally had a chance to fight - and fight they did.

Allied forces suffered nearly 10,000 casualties with more than 4,500 dead. Yet, because of the valor and sacrifice of the men who charged into the wall of bullets, the beaches were secured.

By August, all of France was liberated, and within a year, Allied forces met Russian troops in Berlin and the war in Europe was over.

Available exclusively from American Mint, this limited-edition military knife is exquisitely crafted in 420 stainless steel to resemble the combat knives carried by the U.S. soldiers during World War II. A full 12" in length, the knife features a 7 1.8"-long bladewith a matte black finish imprinted on both sides with a gold tone tribute. The rugged handle is made of a tough, hardened rubber wrapped with specially treated leather grips.