tonight on "nightline," return to normandy, 75 years later. the emotional journey back. we travel to meet the american heroes from every corner of this country. their bravery, their chilling descriptions. what they saw, what they did, changing the course of history. >> we can never repay you for the debt that you have paid for us. thank you. >> flying to france together, driving to normandy. >> omaha beach. >> and what they found when they got here. the search for a lost friend with the photo this vet carried for 75 years. >> this whole beach, as far as the eye could see was just men coming ashore. >> the surprise at omaha beach. and the unexpected moment in

front of the world. the american and the french president honoring him for what he did. the young american sons who became men here back in normandy, 75 years later. >> "nightline," return to normandy will be right back.

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>> good evening tonight from france. and we are here at the normandy american cemetery where we witnessed something truly extraordinary today. world war ii veterans from back home who made the journey back. they lost so many brothers, so many of the crosses here read june 6, 1944. it was the largest amphibious assault ever. and what they did here was nothing short of heroic. in every corner of the country, from fixing planes in this alabama hangar to quietly reminiscing among treasured photos. you don't know their names, they have asked for little attention, but now we document their return to normandy.

world war ii veterans who were there on d-day, and who are now going back. >> harold phil mcmurren. >> my name is jack brown claiborne, and i was seaman first class in the navy. >> i was in the u.s. army. >> my name's harold himlesback. i was actually drafted into the army when i was 18. >> and we have set out to meet them, to travel with them as they journey back. harold. raised in yakima, washington, he is 93, about to turn 94. you're almost ready to make this trip back. how significant is this >> very. it was the most dramatic time of my life. i saw things that it all. >> harold remembers everything. the morning of june 6, 1944. >> that moment when those mines

began to explode. that was the moment you knew. >> right. you better believe it. it was dramatic, it just blows up in your face. i was saved by the guys dying within feet of me. >> they had all been training for d-day. they woke up, harold and his brothers on that ship at 3:00 a.m., told them to eat and get their gear. >> and all of a sudden i'm out on the deck when the first explosions took place. so i had no gear on or anything else. i was just, didn't even have my helmet on. and all of a sudden just explosion took place right next to us. and it just was a shock, obviously. and it just all of a sudden water came up over my head and washed over the top of us and everything. i was knocked around and down. it was a tremendous jolt, because it was actually tearing parts of the ship up, open.

>> that was just the first explosion. >> right. >> and as you're standing there getting your bearings, a second explosion. >> right. the second one's more violent. that was a powerful explosion, the second one. that's why it did so much damage. >> this was the moment brave sons became men. >> i remember i had to pick up one guy's head, you know, because he'd been cut and so forth and you almost took it as a reality of where you were, you knew you had to do these things. >> that reality at 18 years old. a reality he shares with veterans all over this country. harold mcmurren, new market, alabama. >> people say, how did you get off that boat and go in on the beach. there was a job had to be done. somebody had to do it. we did it. >> and onofreo zakara.

>> i didn't know what war was until that day. it was awful. >> at 96, he remembers d-day, even the smell. >> to this day, i have, i have flashbacks. i smell diesel oil, right away, i think of d-day. can't help it. i just can't help it. >> jack claiborne, die yersburg, tennessee. >> seeing all these boys laying there on the beach, it was just tough. for a little old kid to handle. and we were all young. >> vincent unger, orlando, florida, in the navy. >> we were in the first on that beach, in utah, terrible sound from the cannons and it was a fire and explosions. >> and back on that ship, harold, who woke up at 3:00 a.m., ate breakfast with his

brothers on that ship and learned he already lost one of them in that first explosion. >> it was just take care of your friend, and that's what we all did. we were all americans. >> you jumped in to save others. >> that's right. >> all of these men who were so young when they were sent in on d-day, now packing up, ready to go back. >> i'm ready to go. >> harold with the letter he wrote to his mother just days after storming that beach. >> i'm looking at this letter you wrote to your mom. >> he tells me he hasn't read it in years but he was about to read it to me. >> dear mom. i suppose i should begin this by telling you i am somewhere in france. >> he was extremely careful with his words. >> you were being careful because of the censors and also because it was your mom. >> my mom, you know. mothers are sensitive, too, see. >> and he shows us the photo his mother made him take the moment he returned home, proof she had her son back. >> so this handsome young man is going back to normandy.

>> that's right. i made it. >> it is a journey they never thought they would make. harold mcmurren and entry in his diary that fateful morning. >> june 6, 1944. invasion started. 7:15 a.m. english time. >> that would be all he wrote for five harrowing days. harold at 94 drives to the airport. he's going back. so is jack claiborne. >> this is me, setting there. >> vincent unger. >> and this is my baby, my ship. >> going back too. onofreo zakari, part of the fifth brigade on d-day, all of them leaving home again. >> i'm on my way to normandy. >> they have yet to meet one another, but they already share a bond. they were all there that morning, june 6, 1944.

the largest amphibious invasion in military history. 50 miles of normandy coastline, the beaches with code names, utah, omaha, juneau. and what they did would change the course of the war. when you looked around and saw all those ships, did you think, this is actually happening? >> yes, i sure did. >> could you see the beach? >> it was a couple thousand yards, you know. >> and then they saw things they will never forget. harold mcmurren, fourth infantry division. >> the medic was overwhelmed with wounded people. sometimes they were wounded themselves trying to, they would try to perform. sometimes they would be in worse shape than the men they were trying to take care of. we all had what we called a buddy. we knew that that buddy would give his life for us and vice

versa. >> onofreo zakari remembers the orders. >> i can't even get up for god's sakes. it was just fire over your head all the times. >> vincent unger, second class signal man. >> the water was from an orange to a deep red for miles. >> more than 4,000 allied troops were killed, but their brothers would prevail. when you go back to normandy, i'm sure you'll be thinking of some of those brothers you lost. >> yep, that's right. >> i'm hopin' that going back to normandy gives me closure of some kind. >> each of these men flying to atlanta to meet up and then fly together to france. the pilot thanking them before they even board. >> we can never repay you for the debt that you have paid for us. thank you. [ applause ] >> flying to france, one by one. harold himlesback, walking to the gate with his daughter sue behind him.

>> have a good flight, sir. >> thank you. >> hello. >> harold mcmurren, brought to that plane. jack claiborne on board too, vincent unger, and onoefr onoefreo zakari. >> i never thought i would be coming, but here i am. >> when we come back, the return to normandy, the unexpected moment on omaha beach. >> look at all the crosses. oh, boy. >> and the vet and his one wish to find a friend he lost 75 years ago with a photo he never stopped carrying. i was on the fence about changing from a manual to an electric toothbrush. but my hygienist said going electric could lead to way cleaner teeth. she said, get the one inspired by dentists, with a round brush head. go pro with oral-b. oral-b's gentle rounded brush head removes more plaque along the gum line. for cleaner teeth and healthier gums. and unlike sonicare, oral-b is the first electric toothbrush brand accepted by the ada for its effectiveness and safety. what an amazing clean!

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♪ "nightline," return to normandy, continues. here again, david muir. >> we have been documenting their journey for weeks. world war ii veterans who were there on d-day, from alabama, to tennessee, to california. flying to france and then driving to normandy. >> omaha beach. >> where 75 years ago they were the young men who stormed the beaches, who watched brothers die. the veterans we have followed have made it back. 75 years later just being back here, what's -- >> oh, my, this is stunning. this is beautiful. >> one by one, we greeted each of them again. this time in normandy. we gather in the normandy american cemetery, the site of the first cemetery set up by the u.s. army just two days after

d-day. as we sit here in the cemetery, you can't help but to think of -- >> the others. >> the others who didn't come home. >> that's true. >> 75 years later, do you still remember that day? >> yes, sir. vic vividly. yes, sir. >> they all do. in many ways, it's difficult to come back. >> true. in fact, this is my first time back. and i came within i'm going to say one hour of not coming back. >> harold mcmurren of new market, alabama. he has often thought of the men who did not come back. >> are you thinking about them right now? >> yes, i'm thinking about them right now. because i'm right next to them. so i have to think about it. but i will not dwell on it. >> these veterans now beaes of . veterans hand in hand returning to where it all began. harold collecting sand to take home with him. and strangers walking up to

onofreo zakari from las vegas to say thank you. 75 years after the blood shed on this beach. >> this whole beach, as far as the eye could see. was just men. coming ashore, coming ashore. unbelievable. >> and onofreo had one more wish. >> a lot of graves. look at all the crosses. oh, boy. >> to find the grave of the friend he lost. he still has the photograph of him standing before his friend's grave so long ago. and all these years later, he finds him again. donald e. simmons, who died on june 6, 1944. >> he was in the service with me and got killed. >> there is so much gratitude here, the french for them. a stranger handing jack claiborne flowers. what do they say to you when

they hand you the flowers? >> thank you, thank you. >> but this morning as the sun came up on this june 6, 2019, 75 years later, this time the gratitude would come from world leaders. the president of france, emmanuel macron arriving with first lady bridget macron with a special honor for one of the veterans we have followed. they joined president trump and first lady melania trump, president macron walking up to vincent unger, greeting jack claiborne from tennessee and when the crowd gathered here saw the veterans' faces on those screens, the swelling applause and then the standing >> we know whatwe t veterans.

our freedom. on behalf of my nation, i just want to say thank [ applause ] >> you are the pride of our nation. you are the glory of our republic, and we thank you from the bottom of our hearts. [cheers and applause] >> and then that rare honor. the legion of honor, the highest distinction from france. for five americans, including stan friday, who we have falled all the way from pennsylvania, who after d-day went far out ahead of the rest to scope out the stranger. he was a scout, witnessing two concentration camps before they were liberated. >> mr. stanley friday. >> translator: stanley friday, on behalf of the preparation republic i award you the distinction of knight of the legion of

[ applause ] >> would were waiting for stan right after. congratulations. >> thanks. >> you didn't tell us yesterday. >> they didn't tell me either. >> the french had reached out to him, but stan had no idea the honor would be this grand. what was it like up there on that stage? >> thrilling. like a dream. >> at 96, this is stan's first time back to normandy. for years he would not talk about what he saw. partly because of the friend he lost. >> before he died he wanted to know if i was all right. while he was dying. that's how good friends we were. >> stan remembering the brother he lost, honoring the fallen. looking out over omaha beach, the two presidents and the first

ladies. and for stan this day and his new medal is for all of the brothers they lost. >> medal part is for the guys that's out there, they're the heroes. i'm the stand by, they're the heroes. >> every one of these men. >> i represent them. >> and for this group of veterans who became men on this beach, who met each other to make this trip back to normandy together, a salute in normandy. we'll be right back. humira patients, you inspire us. the way you triumph over adversity. and live your lives. that's why we redesigned humira. we wanted to make the experience better for you. now there's less pain immediately following injection. we've reduced the size of the needle and removed the citrate buffers. and it has the same effectiveness you know and trust. humira citrate-free is here. a little change can make a big difference.

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♪ it is hard to put into words the gratitude you feel when you sit across from these d-day survivors. we felt it profoundly each time we sat down with them for this report. they're humble, modest, quiet heroes who didn't feel comfortable talking about what they witnessed all those years ago until just recently. and they'll tell you they're here for the heroes behind us. the more than 9,000 americans buried here. they're here to honor their brothers whom they've never forgotten. we honor our veterans tonight

and we honor the fallen 75 years later. reporting from normandy, i'm david muir, goodnight.

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