[whirring of helicopters] [cheers and applause] [whirring of helicopters] [applause] [applause] [band playing] ladies and gentlemen, please rise for the arrival of president Emmanuel Macron and donald j. Trump, president of the United States. [applause] [speaking in french] [applause] [applause] you are our president , too. Come up this way. [laughter] [applause] [background noise] [applause] [background noise] [applause] please remain standing for the playing of the french and the u. S. National anthems and the invocation. [speaking french] o, say can you see, by the dawns early light what so proudly we hailed at the twilights last gleaming whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight oer the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming and the rockets red glare the bombs bursting in air gave proof through the night that our flag was still there o say does that starspangled banner yet wave oer the land of the free, and the home of the brave [applause] ladies and gentlemen, please remain standing for the invocation by colonel timothy mallard. [speaking french] almighty god, lord of hosts, sacred to us is the memory of our fallen and the sacrifices of our veterans on these waters, shores, fields and skies. And thus we humbly ask for your holy presence here today in this ceremony. For many nations, their sacrifice poured out in blood, courage and even death to secure liberty for your enslaved children and to smash tyranny remains our moral touchstone. For so great an act of love, we pray you will grant them eternal peace and their families lasting comfort. By their courage dday and afterwards we pray you will challenge us to love freedom more than comfort, privilege, or even life itself and without thought of cost or reward, we also will recommit ourselves to pursue life, the pursuit of the common good, no matter the cost. And though we are resolute in our request, o god, we know we cannot achieve this without your divine blessing and guidance. So lead us as our shepherd even if it be again through the valley of the shadow of death towards the Green Pastures of peaceful freedom. All this we ask o father of mercy in thy holy name, amen. President and mrs. Macron, president and mrs. Trump, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, welcome to normandy American Cemetery and memorial for the commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the dday landings on 6, june, 1944. Today we honor and commemorate the 9388 interred here. The 1557 names on the wall of the missing and all world war ii veterans. [speaking french] ladies and gentlemen, please be seated. [speaking french] ladies and gentlemen, the secretary of the American BattleMonuments Commission, william matz. [applause] [speaking in french] mr. Matz good morning, ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to our commemoration ceremony of the normandy landings. It is indeed an honor for me to be with you today on these sacred grounds of the normandy American Cemetery, to celebrate the 75th anniversary of dday. We extend a warm welcome to the president of the french republic, Emmanuel Macron and his wife, bridget macron. [applause] maj. Gen. Matz and to our president and commanderinchief, donald j. Trump and first lady melania trump. [applause] maj. Gen. Matz to our many distinguished government and military leaders and to the families of our honored dead, who traveled to these now peaceful and hallowed grounds to bear witness to the valor and sacrifice of their families heroes resting here. [applause] maj. Gen. Matz and to the more than 160 world war ii veterans seated here on this stage who need no reminders of the horrors of war and who remember well their comrades who never came home. [cheers and applause] [applause] maj. Gen. Matz and folks, a very special, special welcome to the dday veterans present today, approximately 35, who 75 years ago on omaha and utah beaches and in nearby landing fields took the first treacherous steps towards liberation as a watchful world anxiously awaited word of their fate. [cheers and applause] [applause] maj. Gen. Matz the mission of the American BattleMonuments Commission is to commemorate and honor the service and sacrifice of the United States armed forces. We do so by tending the graves and the memorials of our Fallen Service men and women buried or memorialized at 26 american cemeteries around the world. We do so also by preserving the stories of their deeds and endeavors of those that fought at their side. Courageous actions that bequeath the blessings of freedom to generations yet unborn. 75 years ago this very morning in yards, simply yards from where each of you are sitting, a generation of Young American men joined by french, british, canadian and other allied actions, nations brothers in arms did the unthinkable and accomplished the impossible. These men came ashore and fought against tyranny in a massive undertaking unparalleled in human history. It was archibald mcleach, the world war i veteran who wrote these words in his poem the young, dead soldiers. They say we were young. We have died. Remember us. They say we leave you our deaths. Give them their meaning. So many gave us their deaths. It is for us, their children, for generations to come, to give them their meaning. So our presence here today in this beautiful and inspirational cemetery does just that, for the very character of a country can be determined by the way it takes care of its war dead and is a measure of its very heart and soul. To the more than 9,000 americans who sleep here silently, we give our promise that we will not forget. Each year that we gather here and everywhere they fought and fell, our still grateful hearts are filled by what they did 75 years ago this morning. We shall remember you as when you were reverently, lovingly placed in this hallowed ground. To them and to the world war ii veterans with us here today and in spirit around the world, your service, your sacrifice will have meaning so long as those who follow you hold high the torch of freedom that you kept burning through historys darkest hours. Strengthened by their courage, heartened by their valor, borne by their memory, let us continue for the ideals of which they lived and died. Today, i welcome you as we pause for a brief moment to remember and to rededicate our efforts to the promise of our commissions first chairman. General john jay pershing, that time will not dim the glory of their deeds. Thank you. [applause] ladies and gentlemen, the president of the republic of france, Emmanuel Macron. [speaking in french] pres. Macron [speaking french] translator president of the United States of america, dear donald trump, veterans of the dday landings, ladies and gentlemen. The night of the the fifth to the sixth of june, 1944, the channel was not only troubled by the menacing fog and the rough crushing waves, for a few hours earlier, general eisenhower roared his famous lets go, some 1200 warships, 5000 freight ships loaded with canons and trucks and tanks. Sailed towards the south of the isle of wight to the rendezvous point called by Operation Overlord military staff piccadilly circus. Ahead of of the tens of thousands of soldiers who took to the seas lay nothing but massive darkness. Barely lit by the glowing lamps from the ships and the full moon. Ahead of these soldiers above all lay the dread of the unknown. A few hours earlier, they had learned the purpose of their mission. Their destination, utah, omaha, massive darkness. Juneau, ford and gold beach. Were shrouded in uncertainty. Only those who a few months earlier had taken part in the sicily landings perhaps had an idea of what was to come. A bitter, difficult battle. Which would certainly claim the lives of many. Tens of thousands of soldiers drafted or volunteers, most were barely 20 years old. And yet, their days of youth seemed far behind them. Far the Rolling Hills of pennsylvania, kentucky or new jersey. Far their school years where they had learned a trade but many had never had a chance to practice. Far from the grueling training that had began in the mountains of georgia and continued across the atlantic to the south of england. Far from the months of british people waiting for an operation of which they knew nothing. Far from the worried faces of their parents when they left home. Far from the emotional goodbyes to their fiancees. To whom they wrote as they left the english shores by candlelight or the flickering flame of the cigarette lighter one last heartbreaking letter. What was running through their minds . The minds of these young people frozen by the waters of the north sea . Who knows . Their thoughts are unfathomable. We cannot plunge the minds of human beings. But what resonates still 75 years later is their incredible courage and generosity. The fortitude that carried them towards their destiny, that fortitude that had taken them thousands of miles from home to provide assistance to men and women whom they did not know to free a land they had never set foot in with no other comforts in a cause that they knew was greater than themselves. The cause of liberty and democracy. Today, france has not forgotten. France has not forgotten those fighters to whom we owe the right to live in freedom. We have not forgotten the 135,000 american, british, and canadian soldiers backed by belgium, luxembourg, dutch, norwegian, danish, polish, czechoslovak, australian, new zealand, South African and french troops landed on the sixth of june on the beaches of normandy and forever changed the course of history in europe and the world. France has not forgotten the thousands of paratroopers who just a few hours earlier had been dropped behind the line and with the support of the French Resistance fighters would take hold of strategic bridges, roads, and Railway Lines and would take over from their brothers in arms who made it out alive from the emerald shores, crimsonned by the shed blood. France has not forgoten the 2 million soldiers who, at the end of this longest day, would continue fighting on for weeks to free the towns and villages of normandy and would go through the hell of combat in the normandy countryside which was more treacherous than the combat on the beaches and on behalf of my country, on behalf of france, i bow down before their bravery. I bow down before their immense sacrifice of the 37,000 killed, the 19,000 reported missing who died as heroes in normandy between june and august 1944 and who, for many, were to rest there for eternity. I bow down to our veterans and i say thank you. We know what we owe to you veterans, our freedom. On behalf of my nation, i just want to say thank you. [applause] pres. Macron [speaking french] translator many of our veterans are here in this cemetery of equals and they died for our freedom. They are your brothers in arms. They are those who you, vincent hines, attempted to save. You volunteered to take part in the second omaha wave. On the sixth of june, you put yourself at great risk to remove the wounded from the beach under the hail of german fire. The brothers in arms with who you, dear paul werth, fought from the same omaha beach right through to the Walloon Region of belgium on the way participating on in the battle of carentan. Your brothers in arms, those who you, dear charles accompanied through the treacherous normandy countryside, you who fought nonstop from the seventh of june through to the eighth of july. The brothers in arms who accompanied you to luxembourg and even the countryside of czechoslovakia. Those brothers in arms who saved you, stanley, when you were wounded twice in the region and then in the arden. And who gave you the strength to head back into combat until you crossed the rhine river, where you took part in the liberation of the concentration camps and saw the faces of the survivors and the faces of the executioners alike. And maybe then, in the raw moment, truth of that moment, you understood what you were fighting for. Your brothers in arms. Of you too, harold, you worked first as a Radio Operator and then you deliberately decided to go to france to lead military operations in normandy, france. And in the rhine region. Dear vincent, paul, charles, stanley, harold, in recognition of your unwavering efforts for france to regain its freedom, i will in just a few minutes award you the order of the knights of the legion. [applause] pres. Macron [speaking french] translator the legion of honor is the highest distinction awarded by the french republic. It commends your extraordinary actions, your courage, your contributions to the liberation of our country. It is a way for the french nation to say once again and 75 years later that we know what we owe to the United States of america. The United States of america, dear donald trump, dear president , which is never greater than when it is fighting for the freedom of others, the United States of america that is never greater than when it shows its loyalty to the the universal values that the Founding Fathers defended, when nearly two and a half centuries ago, france came to support its independence. But we owe you more. [applause] pres. Macron [speaking french] translator we owe you more. We owe you, all those who fought, the thousands of civilians who lost their lives. And who we have not forgotten. We owe more than medals and words. What we owe you is to show ourselves worthy of the heritage of peace that you have left us. Our debt worthy of the promise of normandy. Being worthy of the promise of normandy means never forgetting free people, when they joined forces, can surmound any adversity. The victory against barbarism would never have been possible without the decisive support of the United States without the committed men and women, without the support of the American People and american industry. On the beaches of the channel in the green normandy countryside and the highest levels of the military, the armed forces were united. The allied armed forces were united. It is because the Royal Air Force assisted the canadian infantry because the French Resistance fighters opened up the lines in normandy and elsewhere to the United States armed forces in decisive moments of the battle, australians, people from new zealand, denmark, norwegians and dutch airmen arrived. In the battle of the gap, the polish tanks made all the difference. And it is because of that that this wild gamble to free europe from the nazis hold by way of the sea could be won. We shall never cease to perpetuate the alliance of free peoples. That is what the victorious sides did. Immediately after the germans and the japanese surrendered, when they created the united nations, that is what the United States did when it created the nato. That is what a few years later, the leaders of europe did. In bringing about the european union. France wishes to continue to support this promise of normandy, understand its purpose. This is what we owe to our homeland. What we owe to countries that share the same values. What we owe to democracy and liberty. The lessons are clear. Liberty and democracy are inseparable. Young americans died here. They died for their country and they died for the freedom of the world. They knew that. The french who died on the same beaches by their side fell for the liberation of their country. But they also fell so that their nation, once this task completed, would rediscover its tradition of liberty. We need to be true to their memories, and to do that, we must never sacrifice we must never renounce what their sacrifice united. The promise of normandy will be supported by france with all of its might. I promise this will be the case. This is at the heart of americas destiny, too. President of the United States of america, ladies and gentlemen. All along the roads of france, the beaches, along those roads taken by the heroes we are honoring here today as of the summer of 1944, we see hundreds of milestones. They are decorated with the stars of the American Flag and the flame of the statue of liberty. That statue that one of our greatest sculptors gave to the city of new york. These stone monuments serve as a reminder, an indelible reminder, inscribed in the countryside of france, a reminder of what our country owes the United States of america. Their presence resonates. It is an invitation to us to continue to renew the secular pact that unites france, the United States of america, and freedom. I am ready, mr. President of the United States of america, dear donald trump. The people of france are ready. Ready to renew this friendship between our nations that has contributed so much to the history of humanity and that the world expects so much from. We are ready, and we will do this. Thank you. Long live the United States of america. Long live the republic of france. And long live the friendship between our two nations. [applause] president macron will now present the legion of honor to five of our world war ii veterans. [applause] [speaking in french] pres. Macron [speaking in french] translator to vincent hines, on behalf of the french republic, we award you the award of knight of the legion of honor. [applause] pres. Macron [speaking in french] translator stanley friday, on behalf of the french republic, i award you the distinction of knight of the legion of honor. [applause] pres. Macron [speaking in french] translator charles duro, in the name of the french republic, i make you knight of the legion of honor. [applause] pres. Macron [speaking in french] translator mr. Harold terrence, in the name of the french republic, i make you knight of the legion of honor. [applause] pres. Macron [speaking in french] translator mr. Paul werth, in the name of the french republic, we make you knight of the legion of honor. [applause] [applause] ladies and gentlemen, the president of the United States. [speaking in french] [hail to the chief plays] pres. Trump president macron, mrs. Macron, and the people of france, to the first lady of the United States and members of the United States congress, to distinguish guests, veterans and my fellow americans, we are gathered here on freedoms alter, on the 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. To more than 170 veterans of this Second World War who join us today, you are among the greatest americans who will ever live. You are the pride of our nation. You are the glory of our republic. And we thank you from the bottom of our hearts. [applause] pres. Trump here with you are over 60 veterans who landed on dday. Our debt to you is everlasting. Today, we express our undying gratitude. When you were young, these men enlisted their lives in a great crusade. One of the greatest of all time. Their mission is the story of an epic battle and the ferocious eternal struggle between good and evil. On the sixth of june, 1944, they joined a Liberation Force of awesome power and breathtaking scale. After months of planning, the allies had chosen this ancient coastline to mount their campaign to vanquish a wicked empire fromhe nazi the face of the earth. The battle began in the skies above us. In the first tense midnight 1000 aircraft roared overhead with 17,000 allied Airborne Troops preparing to leap into the darkness beyond these trees. Then came dawn. The enemy who had occupied these heights saw the Largest Naval armada in the history of the world. Just a few miles offshore were 7000 vessels bearing 130,000 warriors. They were the citizens of free and independent nations united by their duty to their compatriots and to millions yet unborn. There were the british, whose nobility and fortitude saw them through the worst of dunkirk and the london blitz, the full violence of nazi fury was no match for the full grandeur of british pride. Thank you. [applause] pres. Trump there were the canadians, whose robust sense of honor and loyalty compelled them to take up arms alongside britain from the very beginning. There where the fighting poles, the tough norwegians, and the intrepid aussies. There were the gallant french commandos, soon to be met by thousands of their brave countrymen ready to write a new chapter in the long history of french valor. [applause] pres. Trump and finally, there were the americans. They came from the farms of a vast heartland. The streets of glowing cities. And the forges of mighty industrial towns. Before the war, many had never ventured beyond their own community. Now they had come to offer their lives half a world from home. This beach, codenamed omaha, was defended by the nazis with monstrous firepower, thousands and thousands of mines and spikes driven into the sand so deeply. It was here that tens of thousands of the americans came. The gis who boarded the Landing Craft that morning knew that they carried on their shoulders not just the pack of a soldier, but the fate of the world. Colonel george taylor, whose 16th infantry regiment would join in the first wave, was asked, what would happen if the germans stopped right then and there, holding the beach, just stopped them, what would happen . This Great American replied, why, the 18th infantry is coming in right behind us. The 26th infantry will come on, too. Then there is the Second Infantry Division already afloat. And the ninth division, and the second armored, and the third armored, and all the rest. Maybe the 16th wont make it, but someone will. One of those men in taylors 16th regiment was army medic ray lambert. Ray was only 23, but he had already earned three purple hearts and two silver stars fighting in north africa and sicily, where he and his brother bill, no longer with us, served sidebyside. In the Early Morning hours, the two brothers stood together on the deck of the uss enrico before boarding two separate higgins Landing Craft. If i do not make it, bill said, please take care of my family. Ray asked his brother to do the same. Of the 31 men on rays Landing Craft, only ray and six others made it to the beach. There were only a few of them left. They came to the sector right here below us. Easy red, it was called. Again and again, ray ran back into the water. He dragged out one man after another. He was shot through the arm. His leg was ripped open by shrapnel. His back was broken. He nearly drowned. He had been on the beach for hours, bleeding and saving lives, when he finally lost consciousness. He woke up the next day on a cot beside another badly wounded soldier. He looked over and saw his brother, bill. They made it. They made it. They made it. At 98 years old, ray is here with us today with his fourth purple heart and his third silver star from omaha. Ray, the free world salutes you. [applause] [applause] thank you, ray. [applause] nearly two hours in, unrelenting fire from these bluffs kept the americans pinned down on the sand now red with our heroes blood. Then just a few hundred yards from where im standing, a breakthrough came. The battle turned, and with it, history. Down on the beach, captain joe dawson, the son of a texas preacher, led company g through a minefield to a natural fold in the hillside, still here. Just beyond this path to my right, captain dawson snuck beneath an enemy machine gun perch and tossed his grenades. Soon, american troops were charging up dawsons draw. What a job he did. What bravery he showed. Lieutenant spalding and the men from company e moved on to crush the enemy strongpoint on the far side of this cemetery, and stop the slaughter on the beach below. Countless more americans poured out across this ground all over the countryside. They joined fellow american warriors from utah beach and allies from juno, sword, and gold, along with the airborne and the french patriots. Private first class russell pickett, of the 29th divisions famed 116th infantry regiment, had been wounded in the first wave that landed on omaha beach. At a hospital in england, private pickett vowed to return to battle. Im going to return, he said. Im going to return. Six days after dday, he rejoined his company. Two thirds had been killed already. Many had been wounded, within 15 minutes of the invasion. Theyd lost 19 just from small town of bedford, virginia alone. Before long, a grenade left private pickett, and he was gravely wounded. So badly wounded. Again, he chose to return. He didnt care, he had to be here. He was then wounded a third time and laid unconscious for 12 days. They thought he was gone. They thought he had no chance. Russell pickett is the last known survivor of the Legendary Company a. And today, believe it or not, he has returned once more to these shores to be with his comrades. Private pickett, you honor us all with your presence. [applause] tough guy. [laughter] pres. Trump by the fourth week of august, paris was liberated. [applause] some who landed here pushed all the way to the center of germany. Some threw open the gates of nazi concentration camps to liberate jews who had suffered the bottomless horrors of the holocaust. And some warriors fell on other fields of battle, returning to rest on this soil for eternity. Before this place was consecrated to history, the land was owned by a french farmer, a member of the French Resistance. These were great people. These were strong and tough people. His terrified wife waited out dday in a nearby house, Holding Tight to their little baby girl. The next day, a soldier appeared. Im an american, he said. Im an american, he said. Im here to help. The french woman was overcome with emotion and cried. Days later, she laid flowers on fresh american graves. Today, her granddaughter, stefanie, serves as a guide at this cemetery. This week, stefanie led 92yearold marian wynn of california to see the grave of her brother don for the very first time. Marian and stefanie are both with us today. And we thank you for keeping alive the memories of our precious heroes. Thank you. [applause] 9388 Young Americans rest beneath the white crosses and stars of david arrayed on these beautiful grounds. Each one has been adopted by a French Family that thinks of him as their own. They come from all over france to look after our boys. They kneel. They cry. They pray. They place flowers. And they never forget. Today, america embraces the french people and thanks you for honoring our beloved dead. Thank you. [applause] thank you. Thank you. [applause] to all of our friends and partners, our cherished alliance was forged in the heat of battle, tested in the trials of war, and proven in the blessings of peace. Our bond is unbreakable. From across the earth, americans are drawn to this place as though it were a part of our very soul. We come not only because of what they did here. We come because of who they were. They were young men with their entire lives before them. They were husbands who said goodbye to their young brides and took their duty as their fate. They were fathers who would never meet their infant sons and daughters because they had a job to do. And with god as their witness, they were going to get it done. They came wave after wave, without question, without hesitation, and without complaint. More powerful than the strength of american arms was the strength of american hearts. These men ran through the fires of hell moved by a force no weapon could destroy, the fierce patriotism of a free, proud, and sovereign people. [applause] they battled not for control and domination, but for liberty, democracy, and selfrule. Anything because we are a noble nation, with a virtuous people, praying to a righteous god. The exceptional might came from a truly exceptional spirit. The abundance of courage came from an abundance of faith. The great deeds of an army came from the great depths of their love. As they confronted their fate, the americans and the allies placed themselves into the palm of gods hand. The men behind me will tell you that they are just the lucky ones. As one of them recently put it, all the heroes are buried here. But we know what these men did. We knew how brave they were. They came here and saved freedom, and then, they went home and showed us all what freedom is all about. The american sons and daughters who saw us to victory were no less extraordinary in peace. They built families. They built industries. They built a National Culture that inspired the entire world. In the decades that followed, america defeated communism, secured civil rights, revolutionized science, launched a man to the moon, and then kept on pushing to new frontiers. And today, america is stronger than ever before. [applause] seven decades ago, the warriors of dday fought a sinister enemy who spoke of 1000year empire. In defeating that evil, they left a legacy that will last not only for 1000 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. [applause] 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 dday. And may god bless america. Thank you. Thank you very much. [applause] announcer 1 in honor of the fallen who gave their lives to the service of france and the United States, the president of france and the president of the United States will lay a wreath in their memories followed by a moment of silence. [speaking french] [the liberty bell march] announcer 1 ladies and gentlemen, please remain seated as president macron and President Trump greet the world war ii veterans. [inaudible] [inaudible] [inaudible] [ the liberty bell march] [speaking french] [gunshots] please be sitting by the party moves. While the party moves. French]king [inaudible] [taps] [inaudible] [inaudible] [inaudible] anything gentlemen, we kindly ask that all visitors return to the ladies and gentlemen, we kindly ask that all visitors return to the seating area. Frenchking [plane engines roaring] [inaudible] [applause] [inaudible] [applause] ladies and gentlemen, please remain seated for the departure. [speaking french] [inaudible] [inaudible] [inaudible] [inaudible] [inaudible] [inaudible] [crowd chatter] [crowd chatter] [crowd chatter] [crowd chatter] [crowd chatter] announcer monday night on the communicators. Breaking up big tech firms and the launching of antitrust investigations by the House Judiciary Committee. When we see one Company Become the market power, the dominant player, they engage in anticompetitive behavior, as laid out in the sherman act. That is stuff like selfdealing and things that do not help anybody, but designed to prevent new entrants or competition. The House Judiciary Committee announced that they are in a bipartisan way looking to hearings, briefings and doing some investigating on their own to understand the digital market and that antitrust needs to be updated, or if there is other policies. That is the exact right role for congress to be playing here. Understanding at there is a problem, identifying the problem and looking for the right tool. Announcer watch the communicators at 8 00 eastern. The 75th is anniversary of dday, the allied invasion of nazi occupied france. Next from our cspan video archive, president jimmy carter speaks at the normandy American Cemetery in 1978 where he built a long friendship between United States and france. President carter friends of the of france and the United States of america joined