We have driven these many months. The eyes of the world are upon you. The hopes and prayers of liberty loving people everywhere march with you. And company with the brave allies and brothers in arms on other fronts, you will bring about the destruction of the german war machine. The elimination of nazi tyranny over the oppressed peoples of europe and security for ourselves in a free world. Your task will not be an easy one. Your enemy is welltrained, wellequipped and battle hardened. He will fight savagely. This is the year, 1944. Much has happened since the triumphs of 1940 and 41. The United Nations has inflicted upon the germans in open battle. Mantoman. Our air offensive has seriously reduced strength in the air and their capacity to wage war on the ground. Has homefront has given us an overwhelming superiority in weapons and ammunitions of war. And plaisted our disposal, great reserved fighting men. The freeman of the world are marching together to victory. I have full confidence
50mile stretch of coastline defended by german forces. Allied troops suffered more than 9000 casualties but gained a foothold on french soil. Next, the author of the first way talks about the d day invasion and its impact on the war. This is one hour. Soldiers, sailors and airmen of the allied expedition wars, you are about to embark upon a great crusade for which we have driven these many months. The eyes of the world are upon you. The hopes and prayers of liberty loving people everywhere march with you. And company with the brave allies and brothers in arms on other fronts, you will bring about the destruction of the german war machine. The elimination of nazi tyranny over the oppressed peoples of europe and security for ourselves in a free world. Your task will not be an easy one. Your enemy is welltrained, wellequipped and battle hardened. He will fight savagely. This is the year, 1944. Much has happened since the triumphs of 1940 and 41. The United Nations has inflicted upon the g
France 75 years ago on june 6 , 1944. Next, President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump join french president emmanuel at the Memorial Cemetery in france to mark ddays 75th anniversary. [ applause ] [ music playing ] ladies and gentlemen, please rise for the arrival of president emmanuelle macron. Pub president of the republic of france and Donald J Trump, president of the United States. Come on up this way. [ laughter ] please join me in the playing of the french and union colors and the invitation. Oh, say, can you see, by the dawns early light, what so proudly we haild at the twilights last gleaming . Whose broad stripes and bright stars, thro the perilous fight, oer the ramparts we watchd, were so gallantly streaming . And the rockets red glare, the bombs bursting in air, gave proof thro the night that our flag was still there. O say, does that star spangled banner yet wave oer the land of the free and the home of the brave . Mesh ladies and gentlemen, please remain standing for t
So ill get us rolling. Were going to have a pretty informal discussion here where well throw out some questions that have occurred to all of us as weve been listening to these wonderful talks and the first question i will throw out, i think, i trust has occurred to many of you in the audience, and that is its really aimed primarily at gary and christopher, and that is are your two interpretations garys with the emphasis on centrality of the theater on the east and then west. Are they at odds or reconcilable . Im happy to have you go first. Set the tone. I think its all in the definition of the word is. I actually dont disagree with gary on a lot of points. The war was. Without the Virginia Campaign and without the successes that grant brought to it, that stalemate could have continued longer. Im not certainly exactly what sherman could have done had grant not had the successes that he had by bringing a different type of war fair. My point is not to critique garys emphasis on the east i
I may say, of the extent to which that history is being taught in our schools and colleges. Particularly in our schools. The ignorance of the history of our country and particularly of its military history is being widely ignored and thats got to be fixed. And one of the best people to fix it, of course, is our speaker this morning, alex kershaw. We feel in this 75th year of the anniversary of dday, particularly close to what we call the greatest generation, on memorial day we honored americans who had paid the supreme sacrifice in all of our wars. But weve always felt a particular closeness to what we call the greatest generation many of whom are slowly passing from the scene. Steven ambrose, biographer said the quality of character that we impute to them is one which has grown increasingly rare in our culture. Namely, modesty. More than one of these gentlemen is said to me that when people thank him for his service, he is embarrassed. He thanks them for their thanks. But what else wo