80th Anniversary of D-day
June 6, 1944

The Dove of Peace Scott C2 (1938) Although not a topic found on any stamps of Vatican City, we would be remiss to not remember that today is the 80th anniversary of the Allied D-Day landing in Normandy, France, on June 6, 1944. Very few soldiers, sailors, and other participants of the landing, those correctly remembered as our “Greatest Generation”, are still around to commemorate today’s anniversary. Any who are still alive are either closely approaching or passed their 100th birthdays. But we the living should not forget the sacrifices made on that day, which started the downfall of the Nazi regime and began a return to peace, or at least a period of relative peace when compared to the horrors of the previous years consumed by World War II. I felt the stamp above, from the first Vatican airmail set issued in 1938, entitled “The Dove of Peace”, serves as a fitting wish to remember the sacrifices made on June 6, 1944, and the days that followed, to secure peace in Europe and around the world. Given the turmoil that engulfs us in 2024, we can only pray that the Dove of Peace brings us what we most desire: peace on Earth.