Why Is Remembering D-Day Important to America’s Future?

Tomorrow is D-Day, so it is only fitting that my VIPs for this week are the Greatest Generation, those men and women who saved the world from Nazi Germany. They were the brave warriors who fought and died for freedom and opportunity. Seventy-nine years ago on June 6, 1944, the massive army of Allied forces invaded Normandy. Dakota Wood wrote the following about the occasion. 

In the five years that preceded it [D-Day], Europe had been thrown into convulsion as Adolf Hitler’s war machine raged across the Continent. In the days, weeks, and months that followed D-Day, victory was assured (though at unknown additional cost), accompanied by a future that did not include domination by the Nazi regime.

But that day itself, the beginning of Operation Overlord, first had to happen, and it had to be successful. If it had failed, then the future of Europe, and likely much of the world, would have been very dark for a very long time.

By mid-1944, a slew of countries had been conquered, occupied, or severely damaged by Germany: Austria, Belgium, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, Estonia, France, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Russia, San Marino, Ukraine, and Yugoslavia.

Great Britain had held out, with sheer determination and the aid of essential American military support, against the onslaught of German airpower. Even North Africa was embroiled, as German forces rampaged across Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, and Morocco.

Germany kept a stranglehold on the Mediterranean and sank more than 3,000 merchant ships in the Atlantic, with the loss of 60,000 civilians and military personnel, before Allied navies managed to gain the upper hand.

D-Day, June 6, changed all of that. It was a singular event, to be sure, but just the tip of a much fuller story. The herculean effort of D-Day was the physical, visible manifestation of America’s human and industrial potential, harnessed for war in the years that preceded it.

The landings on Normandy’s beaches and the Allied push into occupied France involved more than 5,000 ships, nearly 200,000 troops, 4,500 bombers, and 3,800 fighters, the vast majority contributed by America. The military power assembled from across the United States, Canada, and Great Britain represented the forces of good determined to defeat the forces of evil and the commitment of the United States to this cause.

There are lessons to be learned from the war to defeat Nazi Germany. All war is evil, and World War II was no exception. The heroes and heroines of that war are mostly gone, but we should remember their lessons. Again, in the words of Wood:

Russia’s assault on Ukraine, Iran’s obsession with acquiring nuclear weapons and the destruction of Israel, and China’s relentless pursuit of hegemony hint at the sort of world envisioned by Hitler. D-Day showed what might be required to prevent such a future from taking root.

America helped to save the world from Nazism. Are we prepared to save the world again from Russia, Iran, and China – the next Axis of Evil? Is the woke military capable of such sacrifice and valor? Are Americans willing to put America first? The answers to these questions and many others will be known by the results of the 2024 Presidential Election.

Will Future Generations Follow in the Footsteps of the Greatest Generation?

            On June 6, 1944, members of the “Greatest Generation” began their invasion of Normandy in Operation Overlord. This invasion of Europe is known as D-Day, and it is important because it was the beginning of the end for the Nazi regime. More than 4,400 Allied troops died during the landings in Normandy, and more than 10,000 were wounded.

            According to Ben Shapiro, American civilians knew nothing about the invasion until President Franklin Delano Roosevelt asked all Americans to join him in praying for success of the mission. 

Almighty God: Our sons, pride of our Nation, this day have set upon a mighty endeavor, a struggle to preserve our Republic, our religion, and our civilization, and to set free a suffering humanity… let our hearts be stout, to wait out the long travail, to bear sorrow that may come, to impart our courage unto our sons wheresoever they may be.

            The men who stormed the beaches of Normandy were young – about the ages of college students today. They were 18 and 19 years old, and they had the courage to put their lives on the line for freedom. Many of today’s 18- and 19-year-old men and women need “safe places” to protect them from opposing viewpoints.

            It is truly sad that our current resident of the White House made no mention of D-Day and maintained silence on the topic. He did not utter or tweet a single word about it even when his absence was noted. However, he made an extremely important comment about bravery the next day: “To transgender Americans across the country – especially the young people who are so brave – I want you to know your President has your back.” However, Shapiro noted the difference in bravery between the Greatest Generation and today’s generation.

Bravery circa 1944: young men charging from the choppy seas of the English Channel onto the corpse-strewn beaches of Normandy, hellfire raining down upon them, to liberate a continent.

Bravery circa 2021: young men identifying as women, and vice versa.

Our definitions of bravery have shifted rather dramatically.

Our old definition of courage used to comport with the Aristotelian notion of virtue. The virtue of courage – andreia, or manliness, in Greek – lay in recognition of serious risk in pursuit of a heroic telos, a final end.

“The courageous man withstands and fears those things which it is necessary [to fear and withstand], and on account of the right reason,” Aristotle explains in “Nicomachean Ethics.” Courage is calculated and calm risk-taking for the sake of the noble and the good.

Not anymore.

            Shapiro points out that “courage lies in authenticity” today. He also wrote that “our higher virtue isn’t in upholding and defending some standard for civilization at risk to ourselves. Higher value lies in finding our personal truths, and then demanding applause from the rest of the world. Heroism lies in forcing the world to bow before our subjective ideas of truth and decency.”

            Nevertheless, Shapiro suggested another possibility for the new definition of bravery: “the goal of tearing down the old definition of the good… in personally rejecting old systems of thought and objective truth and in joining with others to demand that all systems of power be brought low.

            Only time will tell if our nation falls with the new courage, or if it discovers men and women with the courage of the “Greatest Generation” and returns to full strength.

Remembering D-Day

            The liberty principle for this Freedom Friday is the importance of knowing and remembering the history of this great country. Today marks the 75^th anniversary of D-Day, the day (June 6, 1944) that Allied forces invaded northern France by landing on the beaches of Normandy during World War II. Allied forces landed on five beaches that had the code names of Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno, and Sword. Hundreds of thousands of Allied forces were either killed, wounded, or went missing in the action of the Battle of Normandy.

            President Donald Trump, along with Mrs. Trump and various other Americans, visited Great Britain and then went to Normandy to commemorate D-Day. The President delivered a message that even his foes said was powerful. “Morning Joe” Scarborough said that the President’s words are “the most powerful he’s given as a president of the United States, from certainly the most moving setting.” Jim Acosta of CNN, said that the President “rose to the moment” and gave the “most on-message moment” of his presidency.  The President began by recognizing that the bravery and sacrifice of thousands on June 6, 1944.

We are gathered here on Freedom’s Altar. On these shores, on these bluffs, on this day 75 years ago, 10,000 men shed their blood, and thousands sacrificed their lives, for their brothers, for their countries, and for the survival of liberty.

Today, we remember those who fell, and we honor all who fought right here in Normandy. They won back this ground for civilization.

            Trump paid tribute to the 170 veterans of the World War II who were present: “You are among the very greatest Americans who will ever live. You’re the pride of our nation. You are the glory of our republic. And we thank you from the bottom of our hearts.” He told over 60 veterans who landed on D-Day: “Our debt to you is everlasting. Today, we express our undying gratitude.”

            The President continued by praising the forces of several Allied nations – British, Canadians, Poles, Norwegians, Aussies, and French. “And, finally, there were the Americans.” He mentioned individuals Americans and their courageous deeds.

Seven decades ago, the warriors of D-Day fought a sinister enemy who spoke of a thousand-year empire. In defeating that evil, they left a legacy that will last not only for a thousand years, but for all time – for as long as the soul knows of duty and honor; for as long as freedom keeps its hold on the human heart.

To the men who sit behind me, and to the boys who rest in the field before me, your example will never, ever grow old. Your legend will never tire. Your spirit – brave, unyielding, and true – will never die.

The blood that they spilled, the tears that they shed, the lives that they gave, the sacrifice that they made, did not just win a battle. It did not just win a war. Those who fought here won a future for our nation. They won the survival of our civilization. And they showed us the way to love, cherish, and defend our way of life for many centuries to come.

Today, as we stand together upon this sacred Earth, we pledge that our nations will forever be strong and united. We will forever be together. Our people will forever be bold. Our hearts will forever be loyal. And our children, and their children, will forever and always be free.

May God bless our great veterans. May God bless our Allies. May God bless the heroes of D-Day.

Ronald Reagan and D-Day

                Today marks the 72^nd anniversary of D-Day. On June 6, 1944, the Allied Armies invaded Normandy in World War II. The staff at the Patriot Post writes, “Today is the anniversary of D-Day. More than 160,000 troops landed on a 50-mile stretch of heavily fortified beaches along the Normandy coast of France in what was the largest invasion force in history, involving more than 5,000 ships and 13,000 aircraft. Some 9,000 Allied soldiers were killed or wounded that day. We owe these Patriots and generations of others an enormous debt of gratitude, and we owe them our steadfast devotion to Liberty over tyranny in our own day, so that the gift of Liberty may be extended to the next generation.”

                The Patriot Post article, titled “Honoring the Heroes of D-Day, includes a link to a speech given by President Ronald Reagan on the 40^th anniversary of D-Day. It is only fitting that we honor President Reagan today because it has been twelve years since he passed away on June 5, 2004. 

Remembering D-Day

                June 6, 2014, is the seventieth anniversary of the day Allied Forces hit Omaha Beach.  Barack Obama  delivered an address to honor the occasion.  It paled in comparison to the one given by President Ronald Reagan on the fortieth anniversary of D-Day.  I encourage you to compare the two addresses and judge for yourself who showed the most leadership and devotion to honoring the great men who succeeded in containing the threat of Hitler.

Boys of Pointe du Hoc

                The liberty principle for this Freedom Friday is the simple fact that the “greatest generation” earned their title and deserves our gratitude.  June 6, 2013, marks the sixty-ninth anniversary of one of their greatest sacrifices as well as one of their greatest accomplishments.  Today we remember D-Day.

This is an official Army statement about D-Day along with a powerful video: “June 6, 1944, 160,000 Allied Troops landed along a fifty-mile stretch of heavily-fortified French coastline to fight Nazi Germany on the beaches of Normandy, France.  General Dwight D. Eisenhower called the operation a crusade in which `we will accept nothing less than full victory.’  More than 5,000 ships and 13,000 aircraft supported the D-Day invasion, and by day’s end on June 6, the Allies gained a foothold in Normandy.  The D-Day cost was high – more than 9,000 Allied soldiers were killed or wounded – but more than 100,000 soldiers began the march across Europe to defeat Hitler.

On June 6, 1984, forty years after D-Day, President Ronald Reagan stood where a battalion of Army Rangers scaled a bluff – under heavy fire – in an attempt to silence the guns shooting the troops landing on Omaha Beach.  President Reagan, always a powerful speaker, honored those Rangers while giving one of the greatest political speeches of all time.  

The following transcript of President Reagan’s speech, courtesy of Real Clear Politics, is as follows:  “We’re here to mark that day in history when the Allied armies joined in battle to reclaim this continent to liberty.  For four long years, much of Europe had been under a terrible shadow.  Free nations had fallen, Jews cried out in the camps, millions cried out for liberation.  Europe was enslaved and the world prayed for its rescue.  Here, in Normandy, the rescue began.  Here, the Allies stood and fought against tyranny, in a giant undertaking unparalleled in human history.

“We stand on a lonely, windswept point on the northern shore of France.  The air is soft, but forty years ago at this moment, the air was dense with smoke and the cries of men, and the air was filled with the crack of rifle fire and the roar of cannon.  At dawn, on the morning of the 6^th of June, 1944, two hundred and twenty-five Rangers jumped off the British landing craft and ran to the bottom of these cliffs.

“Their mission was one of the most difficult and daring of the invasion:  to climb these sheer and desolate cliffs and take out the enemy guns.  The Allies had been told that some of the mightiest of these guns were here, and they would be trained on the beaches to stop the Allied advance.

“The Rangers looked up and saw the enemy soldiers at the edge of the cliffs, shooting down at them with machine guns and throwing grenades.  And the American Rangers began to climb.  They shot rope ladders over the face of these cliffs and began to pull themselves up.  When one Ranger fell, another would take his place.  When one rope was cut, a Ranger would grab another and begin his climb again.  They climbed, shot back, and held their footing.  Soon, one by one, the Rangers pulled themselves over the top, and in seizing the firm land at the top of these cliffs, they began to seize back the continent of Europe.  Two hundred and twenty-five came here.  After two days of fighting, only ninety could still bear arms.

“And behind me is a memorial that symbolizes the Ranger daggers that were thrust into the top of these cliffs.  And before me are the men who put them there.  These are the boys of Pointe du Hoc.  These are the men who took the cliffs.  These are the champions who helped free a continent.  And these are the heroes who helped end a war.  Gentlemen, I look at you and I think of the words of Stephen Spender’s poem.  You are men who in your `lives fought for life and left the vivid air signed with your honor.’

“I think I know what you may be thinking right now – thinking `we were just part of a bigger effort; everyone was brave that day.’  Well everyone was.  Do you remember the story of Bill Millin of the 51^st Highlanders?  Forty years ago today, British troops were pinned down near a bridge, waiting desperately for help.  Suddenly, they heard the sound of bagpipes, and some thought they were dreaming.  Well, they weren’t.  They looked up and saw Bill Millin with his bagpipes, leading the reinforcements and ignoring the smack of the bullets into the ground around him.

“Lord Lovat was with him – Lord Lovat of Scotland, who calmly announced when he got to the bridge, `Sorry, I’m a few minutes late,’ as if he’d been delayed by a traffic jam, when in truth he’d just come from the bloody fighting on Sword Beach, which he and his men had just taken.

“There was the impossible valor of the Poles, who threw themselves between the enemy and the rest of Europe as the invasion took hold; and the unsurpassed courage of the Canadians who had already seen the horrors of war on this coast.  They knew what awaited them there, but they would not be deterred.  And once they hit Juno Beach, they never looked back.

“All of these men were part of a roll call of honor with names that spoke of a pride as bright as the colors they bore:  The Royal Winnipeg Rifles, Poland’s 24^th Lancers, the Royal Scots’ Fusiliers, the Screaming Eagles, the Yeomen of England’s armored divisions, the forces of Free France, the Coast Guard’s `Matchbox Fleet,’ and you, the American Rangers.

“Forty summers have passed since the battle that you fought here.  You were young the day you took these cliffs; some of you were hardly more than boys, with the deepest joys of life before you.  Yet you risked everything here.  Why?  Why did you do it?  What impelled you to put aside the instinct for self-preservation and risk your lives to take these cliffs?  What inspired all the men of the armies that met here?  We look at you, and somehow we know the answer.  It was faith and belief.  It was loyalty and love.

“The men of Normandy had faith that what they were doing was right, faith that they fought for all humanity, faith that a just God would grant them mercy on this beachhead, or on the next.  It was the deep knowledge – and pray God we have not lost it – that there is a profound moral difference between the use of force for liberation and the use of force for conquest.  You were here to liberate, not to conquer, and so you and those others did not doubt your cause.  And you were right not to doubt.

“You all knew that some things are worth dying for.  One’s country is worth dying for, and democracy is worth dying for, because it’s the most deeply honorable form of government ever devised by man.  All of you loved liberty.  All of you were willing to fight tyranny, and you knew the people of your countries were behind you.

“The Americans who fought here that morning knew word of the invasion was spreading through the darkness back home.  They fought – or felt in their hearts, thought they couldn’t know in fact, that in Georgia they were filling the churches at 4:00 a.m.  In Kansas they were kneeling on their porches and praying.  And in Philadelphia they were ringing the Liberty Bell.

“Something else helped the men of D-Day:  their rock-hard belief that Providence would have a great hand in the events that would unfold here; that God was an ally in this great cause.  And so, the night before the invasion, when Colonel Wolverton asked his parachute troops to kneel with him in prayer, he told them:  `Do not bow your heads, but look up so you can see God and ask His blessing in what we’re about to do.’  Also, that night, General Matthew Ridgway on his cot, listening in the darkness for the promise God made to Joshua:  `I will not fail thee nor forsake thee.’  These are the things that impelled them; these are the things that shaped the unity of the Allies.

“When the war was over, there were lives to be rebuilt and governments to be returned to the people.  There were nations to be reborn.  Above all, there was a new peace to be assured.  These were huge and daunting tasks.  But the Allies summoned strength from the faith, belief, loyalty, and love of those who fell here.  They rebuilt a new Europe together.  There was first a great reconciliation among those who been enemies, all of whom had suffered so greatly.  The United States did its part, creating the Marshall Plan to help rebuild our allies and our former enemies.  The Marshall Plan led to the Atlantic alliance – a great alliance that serves to this day as our shield for freedom, for prosperity, and for peace.

“In spite of our great efforts and successes, note all that followed the end of the war was happy or planned.  Some liberated countries were lost.  The great sadness of this loss echoes down to our own time in the streets of Warsaw, Prague, and East Berlin.  The Soviet troops that came to the center of this continent did not leave when peace came.  They’re still there, uninvited, unwanted, unyielding, almost forty years after the war.  Because of this, allied forces still stand on this continent.  Today, as forty years ago, our armies are here for only one purpose:  to protect and defend democracy.  The only territories we hold are memorials like this one and graveyards where our heroes rest.

“We in America have learned bitter lessons from two world wars.  It is better to be here ready to protect the peace, than to take blind shelter across the sea, rushing to respond only after freedom is lost.  We’ve learned that isolationism never was and never will be an acceptable response to tyrannical governments with an expansionist intent.  But we try always to be prepared for peace, prepared to deter aggression, prepared to negotiate the reduction of arms, and yes, prepared to reach out again in the spirit of reconciliation.  In truth, there is no reconciliation we would welcome more than a reconciliation with the Soviet Union, so, together, we can lessen the risks of war, now and forever.

“It’s fitting to remember here the great losses also suffered by the Russian people during World War II.  Twenty million perished, a terrible price that testifies to all the world the necessity of ending war.  I tell you from my heart that we in the United States do not want war.  We want to wipe from the face of the earth the terrible weapons that man now has in his hands.  And I tell you, we are ready to seize that beachhead.  We look for some sign from the Soviet Union that they are willing to move forward, that they share our desire and love for peace, and that they will give up the ways of conquest.  There must be a changing there that will allow us to turn our hope into action.

“We will pray forever that someday that changing will come.  But for now, particularly today, it is good and fitting to renew our commitment to each other, to our freedom, and to the alliance that protects it.

“We’re bound today by what bound us forty years ago, the same loyalties, traditions, and beliefs.  We’re bound by reality.  The strength of America’s allies is vital to the United States, and the American security guarantee is essential to the continued freedom of Europe’s democracies.  We were with you then; we’re with you now.  Your hopes are our hopes, and your destiny is our destiny.

“Here, in this place where the Wet held together, let us make a vow to our dead.  Let us show them by our actions that we understand what they died for.  Let our actions say to them the words for which Matthew Ridgway listened:  `I will not fail thee nor forsake thee.’

“Strengthened by their courage and heartened by their value [valor] and borne by their memory, let us continue to stand for the ideals for which they lived and died.

“Thank you very much, and God bless you all.”

President Reagan was a great leader because he remembered historical events and helped us learn from them.  The waters of Normandy ran red with blood of brave heroes on D-Day.   The boys of Pointe du Hoc understood that tyranny is evil and must be opposed whenever it rears its ugly head.  They were willing to give their lives to destroy tyranny.  The “greatest generation” was brave because they had faith that their cause was just.  It is fitting that we remember their sacrifices.