They landed one morning of June 1944 in fury and pain. They knew that this battle was going to be decisive and would mean the sacrifice of these young soldiers carrying 30 kilos of gear and 200 francs in their pockets. It is no wonder that the American presidents seized on this symbol. The Second World War thus led to a lasting commitment by the United States on the international scene, an interventionism legitimised by the G.I.s of the US Army. One after the other, American presidents have therefore used the successive commemorations of D-Day to revitalise American patriotism in times of international crisis.