Friday, June 6, 2014

Remembering D-Day, 70 Years Later

Today is the 70th anniversary of D-Day. The Allied landings on the beaches of Normandy on June 6, 1944, were dubbed Operation Overlord and marked the beginning of the end for Hitler's Germany.

D-Day and its anniversary also mark two of the most extraordinary speeches in American history. They are well worth revisiting.

One is by a Democrat, Franklin Roosevelt, who addressed the nation on the evening of June 6th, 1944, and asked for all Americans to join him in prayer (it is difficult to imagine a Democratic president doing this today). You can listen to audio of President Roosevelt's remarks, "Let Our Hearts Be Stout", here. A transcript is here.

The other is by a Republican, Ronald Reagan, who spoke at Pointe du Hoc on the cliffs above Normandy to honor the 40th anniversary of the landings. You can watch the video of President Reagan's remarks, "The Boys of Pointe du Hoc", here. A transcript is here.

Please join us in remembering the heroes who fought at D-Day and all who served during the Second World War.