With the coming of spring, 1944, the winter stalemate in italy was broken. Our forces resumed fighting their way up the west coast of the italian boot towards rome. Against bitter german opposition. The british advanced up the east coast, in face of equally bitter opposition. In the pacific, troops of the first cavalry division, land on the islands in the admiralty group. To wipe out all japanese resistance, and to take hold of the entire group of violence. We landed in large forces at homeland here, on the north coast of new guinea. General stillwell and his troops, were fighting the japanese in burma. This was global warfare, on a scale never known before. Less than three years before, hitler had addressed the nation. Germany will face war on the United States to a positive conclusion. A japanese militarist, joins the chorus. Americans have radios, automobiles, big beefsteaks, when a people have those things, they dont want to fight. Americans wont sleep in hammocks, or lie in trenches. They are like a tiger who stomach is full. They are sleepy. The american, is no soldier. The american, no soldier . And yet there he was, carrying the fight to the aggressors. The self acclaimed superman, was coming to his bitter surprise and zero, the fighting quality of the american soldiers. These aggressors, had made a slight miscalculation. In italy, our forces pushed on through rain and mud. Over mountains, across rivers. Our power drive, the italians who forced the italians from france and the low country. Our invasion of france, was soon to come. We now have an army numbering millions of soldiers. We now had 150,000 armored vehicles, as compared to the 29 tanks, the army had 1940. 400,000 artillery pieces, were now engaged in the war effort, compared to the 235, available in 1940. From 1940 Production Capacity of 117 aircraft a month, we were now producing 9000 planes of all types all month. A plane every five minutes, 12 an hour. Here are 150,000 pain planes, to wipe out enemy industry and supply routes and communications. The american fighter, grow sleepy on a full stomach, was now fully awake, lean and fighting in the jungles. On the 4th of june, 1944, our fifth army captured rome. It was a military victory yes, but a psychological effect, carried a greater impact throughout the world. For it was the first Access Capital to fall into our hands. Bringing consternation and foreboding to our enemy. And rejoice to the free world, and its fighting force. In england, after months of planning and preparation, it was dday minus two. General eisenhower, was about to put together the most a massive innovation. England had become a staging area for troops and now is a four. Thousands of vehicles, ready to be assembled combat aircraft, 20,000 Railroad Cars and locomotives. 20 million square feet of covered storage. 44 million square feet of open storage face storage space, four tires, bombs, shells and other explosive devices. Awaiting for invasion and embarkation, were support vehicles. Rope on row of tanks, and a wide range of artillery weapons. 170 miles of new railroad had been instructed to haul 2 million tons of combat hardware to invading ports. The United States army, high constructed 163 airfields in england, for the allied planes that were bombing germany. The invasion directed by the combined chief of staff, general eisenhower, had his orders. You will enter the continent of europe, and in conjunction with the other allied nations, undertake operations, aimed at the heart of germany, and the destruction of her armed forces. Another american general, what you have a central role with complying with that order, general bradley, with the field forces. Dday, minus one, invasion forces began embarking in england, destination normandy. Involved in this massive amphibious invasion, was 3 million soldiers, sailors, an airman. 4000 ships and boats 20,000 vehicles of all types, and an endless list of combat support weapons. Operation, overlord, the code name for the invasion was close at hand. Now the day approached, the final preparation was underway. In the darkness, before dawn on june six 1944, the great invasion began to unfold. 17,000 men, at the 82nd and 103rd division, with over 2000 pounds of come back equipment and supplies, were going to drop zones behind the invasion beaches. The invasion armada, the largest ever assembled, was now in position off the coast of france. Well our salt forces prepared each hour, allied naval power began onshore bombardment. This was amphibious warfare on a scale that stagger the imagination. Nothing like it had ever been had before. At omaha beach, in the first assault, 30,000 american troops stormed the shore. British and canadian forces, struck at three different beach sectors. At utah beach, 20,000 american troops. By the end of the first day, our invasion assure equaled 121,000 men. With every passing hour, with each passing day, reinforcements streamed ashore, to align the beach had with tanks, trucks, ammunition and supplies. Hundreds of our fighters and bombers, were now over europe carrying pay lots of destruction. Geared at hitlers fortress in europe. Flying fortresses, and heavy formations, cascaded 3500 tons of explosive, upon nazi held positions. Our mass bountiful bomber formations, were given air support. They fought off enemy air attacks. As the roar of engines, and concussion of the bombs were still ringing in the years of the battered enemy, our ground artillery opened up. Our tanks, an infantry rolled forward, driving west, two other ports on the peninsula. Other elements, push south and east, towards paris. What was left, of ten german divisions, was knocked off by the very men their fury their fury had told them were not soldiers, or fighters. Again the aggressor had made a slight miscalculation. As the germans, were in northwestern france, the United States seventh army, hit the beaches in southern france, on the morning of august 15th. During that day, men and equipment were landed. The americans Six Army Corps push north, along the valley. And other troops moved moved eastward towards the italian border. The drive into the heart of france, while patents third army were just east and south of paris. The first flanking the third. The seventh, now was moving up swiftly from the south. Ten days, after the landings in southern france, paris was liberated after four years of nazi occupation. Deliberation of paris, like the liberation of rome, less than three months before, was cause for rejoicing and the psychological effect was felt throughout the free world. Among our troops, paraded so proudly down the shot that easy, like their fathers who had followed that same flag down the avenue a quarter of a century before. Celebrating another victory which they too had one. And who had come theyre not for conquest, but to liberate. Once the ban of our fighting forces knew there was only one more important milestone along the road to victory allied. Armies, held positions all along the line of the seine river. In the south of france, they captured to dont. And marseille. The british and canadians took brussels, and the great support of antwerp. The First American army pushed across the border, and drove on to liaise. The third took ridden via. The third, having crossed the river, reached the muzzle river. Now they ran all the way from the swiss border to the north sea. Seventh army patrols, coming up from the south, that patrols from the third army. The two armies, were now were to have a coordinated offensive to come. Retreat, for nazi forces, caught on the wrong side of the line, was cut off. We rounded up our share of prisoners. The desperate plight, of his of hitlers armies became more apparent. As the once mighty destructive force, fell to an army that they were told would never last on the soil of the third are reich longer than nine hours. In the 97 days, the fifth corps had led the assault on omaha beach, it had come nearly 500 miles, and now drove across the german border, and now stood on german soil. Who was it, that once said the americans, was no soldier. In world war ii, the american soldier proved his fighting quality. As he always has, and always will. He sends, second to none and his leadership, isnt second to none. From private to general, he is the product of a free society, conceived in liberty. He even has the power, through his right to vote in free election. To his own commander and chief, he has a voice in making the laws which govern him. He has a precious heritage to defend. Much to fight for, when he must fight. To defend his good way of life, he prefers the art of peace, as all men of good will do. But he knows how to practice the art of war. In some of the scenes, filmed and the actual Historic Events that have been documented in the series, you have seen the reaction to the american soldiers, by newly liberated people, in north africa, italy, and france. To them he was, and still is a living symbol of freedom. For he came to their land, giving of himself. Not for conquest, but deliberate, to defeat and destroy a ruthless aggressor, or we might as well say, these people who like evil through history, live on and has been known by many names, these aggressors, who would dictate and oppose his will upon those he would conquer in a slave. And not the least among those, who stand opposed to him, is the american soldier. He knows, the price of freedom is eternal vigilance. If that is true the United States army had taken the longest and toughest road. Arriving on the 4th of june 1944, two years and six months after pearl harbor and americas entrance into the war