U.S. Army soldiers wade ashore on “Omaha” Beach during the D-Day landings in Normandy, France, on June 6, 1944.

It’s been 72 years since D-Day. As was brought to life in Saving Private Ryan, the U.S. troops in this photo and on these ships knew they were facing likely death. They waded into the ocean anyway, and stormed those treacherous beaches to begin liberating Europe from Hitler’s iron fist. These warriors define the courage of the Greatest Generation and the millions of selfless Americans to serve since.