As part of a series of events to mark the 70th anniversary of the D-Day invasion at Normandy, Lake Prince Woods retirement community will show a movie that highlights the critical role gliders played in World War II.

“Silent Wings, The American Glider Pilots of WWII” will be shown at 2 p.m. Saturday at Lake Prince Woods and is free and open to the public.

The documentary is narrated by Hal Holbrook, and through rare archival footage and photographs, the film places the audience right at the center of the action in the dangerous world of the American glider pilot.

From the early race to build gliders to the D-Day invasion at Normandy and Nazi Germany’s final surrender, “Silent Wings — The American Glider Pilots of WWII” reveals the critical role gliders played in World War II offensives.

During World War II, 6,000 young Americans volunteered to fly large unarmed cargo gliders into battle. For these glider pilots, every mission was do-or-die. It was their task to repeatedly risk their lives landing the men and tools of war deep within enemy-held territory, often in complete darkness.

For more information, contact Susan Stone, Director of Development and PR, at sstone@uchas.org, or 923-5511.