One week before the 75th anniversary of D-Day, Historica Canada is marking the occasion with the release of a dramatic new Heritage Minute film highlighting the sacrifices of soldiers from New Brunswick in the Second World War.

begins with a woman鈥檚 narration as scenes of young men in battle play out on screen.

鈥淭hey were just kids from New Brunswick,鈥� she says solemnly. 鈥淣ever even left the North Shore before. Dad trained them the best he could, but how could they possibly be prepared?鈥�

The 鈥淒ad鈥� she鈥檚 referring to is Maj. Archie MacNaughton who died at the age of 47 on D-Day. He had fought in the First World War and led the North Shore New Brunswick Regiment (NSR) during the invasion of Normandy on June 6, 1944 in France.

鈥淭his was the biggest operation the world had ever seen,鈥� the narrator says in the short film.

The large-scale amphibious operation is considered to have turned the tide in the Allies鈥� favour and paved the way for the eventual liberation of France and the collapse of Nazi Germany.

More than 14,000 Canadian troops participated in the operation on D-Day with the Canadian army being assigned to take Juno Beach. The Heritage Minutes episode reenacts MacNaughton鈥檚 North Shore New Brunswick Regiment taking part in the fighting that day on Juno Beach.

鈥淗e鈥檇 already served in the First World War, earned the right to stay home, raise his children, but how could he send those boys into battle and not be by their side?鈥� the narrator asks.

鈥淢any were killed that day鈥︹��

The film then shows MacNaughton鈥檚 character freezing at the sight of a young girl who reminds him of his daughter back home.

鈥淥ne was my father,鈥� the woman says.

There is the sound of yelling and gunfire before the screen goes to black.

On D-Day alone, there were 381 Canadian soldiers and airmen who died. Another 584 Canadians were wounded and 131 were captured.

, Historica Canada writes that the Heritage Minute short film is intended to pay tribute to all of the Canadian soldiers who fought on D-Day.

鈥淥rdinary people in extraordinary circumstance,鈥� the description for the D-Day episode reads.