A Ceremony To Commemorate The 80-th Anniversary Of D-Day Is Held In Washington, DC

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Transcript

00:00:00Mr. Kershaw is a New York Times best-selling author whose books include The Bedford Boys and The First Wave,

00:00:09which offer powerful accounts of American heroism on D-Day.

00:00:18Good morning. What a wonderful view. What a wonderful sight, especially to my left here.

00:00:27I would just like to say from the bottom of my heart, as a limey who has lived in this great country for 30 years now,

00:00:37I want to thank you, gentlemen, for everything, for my life.

00:00:43I am 58 years old, and I am one of the greatest beneficiaries, as are millions,

00:00:51countless millions of Europeans, of your duty, courage and sacrifice. Thank you very much.

00:01:06Very quickly, because I was not born on these shores, I would like to thank our allies.

00:01:15I would like to repeat the words of the great Ronald Reagan, who I believe made the finest speech about D-Day,

00:01:25stood above those perilous cliffs at Ponderhawk in 1984.

00:01:32The strength of America's allies is vital to the United States,

00:01:38and the American security guarantee is essential to the continued freedom of Europe's democracies.

00:01:48We were with you then. We are with you now.

00:01:53Your hopes are our hopes, and your destiny is our destiny.

00:02:02As I speak to you today, of the 16 million Americans who served this great nation, almost 250 years old,

00:02:13there are less than 100,000 still breathing.

00:02:18Hardly any saw action on D-Day.

00:02:25Today, I think of the many heroes I have been honored to write about and to meet.

00:02:33And I also think about a remarkable American woman, Lucille Hoback Borges.

00:02:42She will celebrate her 95th birthday this Saturday.

00:02:49In 1944, she had to wait more than six weeks to find out what had happened to her brothers, Raymond and Bedford Hoback,

00:02:59two of the Bedford boys, on D-Day.

00:03:04She told me that the only time she saw her father cry during her entire life was when he walked to a barn on the family's farm,

00:03:15having received the second of two telegrams informing him, in July 1944, that he had lost both of his sons.

00:03:26Bedford Hoback is buried at the American Cemetery at Colville-sur-Mer, not far from where he was killed,

00:03:34surrounded by 9,386 white crosses, perfectly aligned,

00:03:42headstones facing west, toward the New World, toward home.

00:03:50Raymond Hoback's name is inscribed on the wall of the missing in the same graveyard,

00:03:57alongside some 1,500 warriors whose bodies were never found.

00:04:03She told me,

00:04:06You wonder what they might have done with their lives.

00:04:10You never forget.

00:04:12I miss them every day.

00:04:18Most years you can find me in Normandy.

00:04:22Every year I go there.

00:04:25I will go there until I can no longer walk.

00:04:30I'll squat down,

00:04:33again touch the sands of Omaha Beach,

00:04:37and thank God the Allies succeeded on D-Day.

00:04:42I'll marvel at the enormity of the greatest gift the United States has ever bestowed.

00:04:52For 80 years, the longest period in recorded history,

00:04:58the Europe set free by my heroes from the Allied nations

00:05:04has enjoyed what so many of us take so much for granted,

00:05:12peace and democracy.

00:05:15And every time I return, I'll repeat to myself

00:05:20the words inscribed on the wall of the chapel in Colville-sur-Mer graveyard,

00:05:26right above Omaha Beach.

00:05:29Think not upon their passing.

00:05:33Remember the glory of their spirit.

00:05:36Thank you.

00:05:46Thank you, Alex.

00:05:51On behalf of the friends of the National World War II Memorial

00:05:55and National Park Service,

00:05:57I welcome you to today's 80th anniversary of the D-Day commemoration

00:06:05at the National World War II Memorial.

00:06:10I'm now pleased to introduce the official party for today's commemoration.

00:06:19Mr. Toby Roosevelt,

00:06:22great-grandson of Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt,

00:06:26and a member of the Friends of the National World War II Memorial Board of Directors.

00:06:32Randy Elliott, daughter of Army Corporal Frank Elliott,

00:06:54killed in action on June 6, 1944.

00:07:02From the National Park Service,

00:07:14Superintendent of the National Mall and Memorial Parks,

00:07:19Mr. Jeff Reinbold.

00:07:33Friends of the National World War II Memorial Board Chair,

00:07:37Mrs. Jane Dropa.

00:07:51United States Mint Director,

00:07:54Ms. Ventress Gibson.

00:08:03From the Military District of Washington,

00:08:12our chaplain for today's event,

00:08:14Ms. Chaplain Will Horton.

00:08:32At this time, please rise for the presentation of colors,

00:08:37the playing of the United States National Anthem

00:08:40by the United States Marine Brass Quintet,

00:08:44and the invocation by Chaplain Horton.

00:09:03The United States National Anthem is being played.

00:09:31Halt!

00:09:35Halt!

00:09:36Present arms!

00:10:01Present arms!

00:10:04Present arms!

00:10:07Present arms!

00:10:10Present arms!

00:10:13Present arms!

00:10:16Present arms!

00:10:19Present arms!

00:10:22Present arms!

00:10:25Present arms!

00:10:28Present arms!

00:10:31Present arms!

00:10:38Present arms!

00:10:41Present arms!

00:10:52Halt!

00:10:53Right shoulder, Halt!

00:10:56Right shoulder, arms.

00:11:06Halt.

00:11:07Halt.

00:11:08Turn.

00:11:09March.

00:11:12March.

00:11:13March.

00:11:14March.

00:11:15March.

00:11:26Would you join me in a word of prayer?

00:11:39Almighty God, we thank you for the strength of this nation that we love.

00:11:46We thank you for the military forces that over the years have comprehensively trained

00:11:51and built a proportional force to defend our nation in a time of war, a force that

00:11:58ethically and morally stands above all others.

00:12:01On this 80th anniversary of D-Day, our nation and our community commemorates the combined

00:12:07efforts of the American military branches and our allied forces who came together in

00:12:13the infamous hedgerows of Normandy.

00:12:15Good men and women fought for liberty, and thousands of our allied forces paid the ultimate

00:12:20sacrifice.

00:12:21The scars of that initial invasion forged the bedrock that ultimately led to the defeat

00:12:26of the rising tyranny of Nazi Germany.

00:12:29It is your presence that has also enabled us to build strong alliances between nations

00:12:34and leaders in order to defeat threats to democracy, human rights, and freedom.

00:12:39It's your merciful power that enables our coalition of military forces to defeat the

00:12:44darkness of that day, and that every day since then we have the hope of liberty and

00:12:50justice for all.

00:12:52Help us to remember the families of those who made the ultimate sacrifice, to consider

00:12:57their hearts and needs even more highly than our own.

00:13:01God, bless our nation, the organizations that make this ceremony possible.

00:13:07Bless the great citizens of our United States of America and all those who strive to uphold

00:13:11the ideals that our nation's heroes fought to safeguard.

00:13:16God bless our servicemen, both men and women, both past and present, both here and around

00:13:21the world, and their families, and God bless America, in your holy name I pray. Amen.

00:13:33Please be seated.

00:13:40Before I introduce our first speaker, it is my great privilege to introduce representatives

00:13:48of the allied nations who participated in the D-Day invasion 80 years ago.

00:13:55Without this united effort and contribution, we would not enjoy the freedom we enjoy and

00:14:01cherish today.

00:14:07From the Embassy of Australia, Naval Attaché Commodore David Frost.

00:14:24From the Embassy of Canada, Armed Forces Assistant Military Attaché Lieutenant Colonel Martine

00:14:31Aran.

00:14:48From the Embassy of the Czech Republic, Defense Cooperation Attaché and Assistant Defense

00:14:56Military Naval and Air Attaché Lieutenant Colonel Jan Novotny.

00:15:10From the Embassy of Denmark, Defense Attaché Rear Admiral Jacob de Rousseau.

00:15:26From the Embassy of France, Deputy Chief of Mission Aurélie Bonnard, and Naval Attaché

00:15:38Captain Jean-Olivier Graal.

00:15:47From the Embassy of Greece, Defense Attaché Brigadier General Nacopoulos.

00:15:56From the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Military Attaché Colonel Peter Nieuwenhove.

00:16:13From the Royal Norwegian Embassy, Defense Attaché Major General Hermann Hohenheim.

00:16:25And from the Embassy of the Republic of Poland, Deputy Chief of Mission Mr. Adam Przybylsowski.

00:16:33And from the Embassy of the Republic of Poland, Deputy Chief of Mission Mr. Adam Przybylsowski.

00:16:52Just as they were vital in defeating tyranny nearly eight decades ago, our allies continue

00:17:00to be indispensable partners in safeguarding freedom today. We are honored by your presence

00:17:08with us today. And now please welcome our first speaker,

00:17:16Friends of the National World War II Memorial, Chairwoman Mrs. Jane Droba.

00:17:24They switched podiums and took my speech. Welcome, everybody.

00:17:37Yes, we are now going to have Jeff Weinbohm take my place. Thank you.

00:17:54Way to roll with it, Jane. I appreciate that. Good morning. My name is Jeff Weinbohm. I'm

00:18:00the Superintendent of the National Mall and Memorial Parks. On behalf of the National

00:18:04Park Service, it's my pleasure to welcome you to the World War II Memorial on this,

00:18:09the 80th anniversary of Operation Overlord, the invasion of Normandy, France that marked

00:18:15the beginning of the liberation of Europe and foreshadowed the end of the Second World

00:18:21War. I'd like to offer a special welcome to our distinguished guests, members of the

00:18:27armed services, diplomatic corps who are with us, and most of all, our veterans, the families

00:18:33and friends. We are humbled to be here with you on this day, which commemorates one of

00:18:39the most extraordinary days of the 20th century. I would also like to thank the Friends of

00:18:45the National World War II Memorial, the National Park Service's partner in the care of this

00:18:50memorial, partner doesn't sound enough, friend, as well, in sponsoring today's event.

00:18:56It's a privilege and an honor to work with all of you and the Friends to ensure that

00:19:01the sacrifices and accomplishments of the millions of Americans who fought that war

00:19:06will never be forgotten. Today we also pause to remember the Allied Armies, to thank them

00:19:13who joined us in the battle on the beaches of Normandy, who reestablished liberty in

00:19:18Europe, and the men who led that great crusade. They parachuted from the sky and fought to

00:19:26the shores at beaches called Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juneau, and Sword, to free a continent

00:19:33and to stop the greatest forces of evil the world has known. More than 4,000 men in the

00:19:39invasion force made the supreme sacrifice on the beaches and in the hedgerows of Normandy.

00:19:45The fallen were fathers, sons, husbands, friends. We honor their sacrifice and acknowledge

00:19:54the gaping hole left in the families and their communities for their loss. Those who did

00:20:00return were forever changed. These were young men, many of them 18, 19, and 20, who answered

00:20:08the call to arms and took on this awesome responsibility far beyond their years. They

00:20:15were the true sons and saviors of democracy. Their bravery still inspires awe these many

00:20:22years later, right about the beginning of the end of that terrible war. Today we are

00:20:28privileged to have with us some of those young men who are here. The passage of time has

00:20:34clearly not dimmed their heroism, the heroism of their deeds in memory of their accomplishments.

00:20:40We look forward to learning a little bit more about each of them in a minute or two. We

00:20:45in the National Park Service are committed to sharing their stories and ensuring that

00:20:51the more than 4 million people who come to this memorial each year understand that the

00:20:56America we know today and the blessings we enjoy as a free people were shaped by their

00:21:03deeds. As we look around this magnificent memorial, we notice numerous references to

00:21:10momentous events that occurred on the beaches of France three quarters of a century ago.

00:21:15From the bas relief of the June 6th landings to the simple word Normandy on the northern

00:21:22fountain, to the FDR prayer plaque, to the Wall of Honor where 25 of the gold stars represent

00:21:31the approximately 2,500 American servicemen killed on that day. And immediately to my

00:21:37left, below the Atlantic arch, is a quote from General Eisenhower, taken from his delivered

00:21:43remarks to the troops that would make the invasion. He said, you are about to embark

00:21:49upon the great crusade toward which we have striven these many months. The eyes of the

00:21:55world are upon you. Have full confidence in your courage, devotion to duty, and skill

00:22:02in battle. Eighty years later, for the rest of time, these words ring just as true as

00:22:09they did on June 6th, 1944. Today the eyes of the grateful world are upon you. We remain

00:22:17forever indebted to our veterans for their courage, devotion to duty, and skill in battle.

00:22:25Thank you.

00:22:31It's my pleasure to welcome back to the mic, Jane Hurley.

00:22:39Good morning and welcome everybody. Welcome to the magnificent World War II Memorial on

00:22:45this historic day for our nation and our allied nations around the globe. A special welcome

00:22:52to our World War II veterans. As we gather here, 80 years later, to commemorate D-Day

00:23:01and the start of Operation Overlord, the Battle of Normandy, we are honored to be joined by

00:23:09President Franklin Delano Roosevelt's great grandson, Elliott Tobey Roosevelt, as well

00:23:15as representatives of the allied nations who stood side by side with the United States

00:23:21in the great effort to defeat tyranny and fascism. Thank you. I'm also honored to be

00:23:29joined by my honored colleagues, Superintendent Reingold, who you've met, Director Gibson,

00:23:36Chaplain Horton, Rhonda Elliott, and Alex Kershaw. Earlier, we had the privilege of

00:23:43hearing from Alex, the resident historian of the Friends of the National World War II

00:23:49Memorial. What a stirring and inspiring account of those first moments when the Americans

00:23:56landed on Omaha Beach and began the march to the great world. Alex has written some

00:24:03amazing books about World War II. It is crucial for all of us to listen to expert World War

00:24:10II storytellers like Alex and to our veterans' stories, which the Friends of the National

00:24:17World War II Memorial captures and archives on our website. It is important that we learn

00:24:23to be storytellers ourselves. The enduring impact of D-Day, along with the contributions

00:24:30of those who served both overseas and on the home front, must always be remembered. Equally

00:24:38important is that we remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice in this quest for freedom.

00:24:45Later during the ceremony, you will hear from a Gold Star daughter, Rhonda Elliott,

00:24:51whose father was killed on D-Day. We must never forget the families left behind.

00:24:57Today, volunteers and members of the public are giving their time to read the names of

00:25:04nearly 9,000 Americans who were killed or remain missing during the Battle of Normandy

00:25:10and Operation Overhold, and who are memorialized in the Normandy American Cemetery. Over the

00:25:19course of approximately seven hours, we started at 5 a.m., and will continue after the ceremony.

00:25:27These names are being read in front of FDR's D-Day prayer plaque in the circle of your

00:25:34members, which is just outside the Atlantic Arch. It is said that a person dies twice,

00:25:45once when they take their final breath, and later the last time their name is spoken.

00:25:52The plaque contains the words of President Roosevelt as he beseeched all Americans to

00:25:58pray for the safety and success of our men and women in the armed forces and our allies

00:26:04who are embarking on this essential mission to free Europe. I invite you to take a short

00:26:10walk after this ceremony up to the circle of your members. You can read this prayer

00:26:16that President Roosevelt invited the whole country to read with him 80 years ago tonight.

00:26:22Friends of the National World War II Memorial is proud to have led the effort to add this

00:26:27special prayer to the memorial, as well as to restore the circle of your members.

00:26:33Eighty years have passed since D-Day, but the legacy and lessons of that day and the

00:26:39days that follow remain vital to pass on to current and future generations. We must never

00:26:46forget the men and women who served and sacrificed to bring freedom to millions around the globe.

00:26:53Their remarkable efforts should inspire us in our own lives. Let us learn from their

00:27:00character, the values they represented, and the spirit of commonwealth, courage, service,

00:27:07and unity that they embodied. We must imbue these values into our own lives and ensure

00:27:14they are passed on to future generations, so all may live up to the example set by the

00:27:21greatest generation. As we reflect on this day, let us come together, unify, and strive

00:27:29to embody the spirit of cooperation and determination that defined their generation. In doing so,

00:27:37we honor their memory and ensure their legacy continues to inspire and guide us. Thank you.

00:27:46Thank you, Jane. We are now honored to hear from Gold Star daughter, Miranda Elliott,

00:28:04whose father was killed on Omaha Beach 80 years ago today.

00:28:16Ms. Gibson, Mrs. Drogo, Mr. Roosevelt, Mr. Kershaw, Mr. Reinbold, Chaplain Horton,

00:28:29honored veterans, and anybody else who's important that I might have left out.

00:28:36It was very early in the morning, so early that even though the summer solstice was just

00:28:43two weeks away, the men on the boats, most of them little more than boys, were exhausted.

00:28:50They had been up since before dawn the day before with no rest in sight in the near future.

00:28:57Most likely what kept them awake was excitement about finally getting into the fight and also

00:29:05anxiety over the fearful unknown which lay ahead. If you've ever been to the Normandy

00:29:11Coast, you know that it can be very cold and windy there even in the very early summer.

00:29:17And a huge storm had passed through the night before, making the water rougher than usual.

00:29:23In every account we hear and have heard about these men and their trip across the English

00:29:30Channel, we have been told that they were miserably seasick. With the sound of waves

00:29:39crashing against their boats on either side, each man was alone with his thoughts.

00:29:47The whole world was waiting for this day. At that moment the place of the landings was

00:29:52still a well-kept secret. I doubt if any of those men on the boats knew that they were

00:29:57part of history and indeed that they were going to participate in the most pivotal event

00:30:03of the 20th century. One of these young men was my 23-year-old father, Franklin Elliot.

00:30:11But he was hardly ever called that. He was known to family and friends as Bud or Buddy.

00:30:16He arrived at 0630 hours in the morning, H hour, by way of a landing craft made for tanks.

00:30:25Because he was part of the five-man crew of a Sherman wader tank, scheduled to land

00:30:33in the first wave. But like most craft that day, they were blown off course. So I don't

00:30:42really know exactly where they landed. But their aim, their objective was to land on

00:30:47the easy red sector. Their mission was to pave the way for the infantry who would come

00:31:01straight behind them and get ashore first. Still in the boat, my dad had taken his position

00:31:09as the tank gunner. The go order was given. The ramp came down and the tank lurched forward

00:31:19with waves kind of pushing it a little closer to the beach when BAM! They were hit by a

00:31:25German gun, by a shell from a German gun, which was hidden within one of Hitler's bunks

00:31:31concealed within the embankment behind the beach. The giant machine stopped, but only

00:31:39in chest deep water. This tank was supposed to have been their protection, and now the

00:31:45tank was out of commission, disabled, and useless. You can imagine their thoughts. Oh

00:31:52my God, what do we do now? But since the tank was only in chest deep water, each of the

00:31:57men started climbing out one by one. One of them received an ugly wound to the leg.

00:32:02And I'm told my dad and another crew member helped him get to shore. They took him as

00:32:07far up the beach as they could because the tide was coming in. Then they waited and hoped

00:32:16for a medic to come along soon. From that moment on, it went from chaos to catastrophe

00:32:24to calamity. And now the infantry troops were starting to land. In the midst of utter

00:32:30confusion, their only hope was to get across that beach and up the embankment on the other

00:32:34side. The tankers, who had suddenly become infantry, took weapons from the bodies of

00:32:41men who had already died, tried to help out where they could, and tried to move forward.

00:32:50Smoke and noise and the screams of the wounded were everywhere. A new crisis occurred every

00:32:57single minute as they saw friends and comrades being butchered before their eyes. They had

00:33:02to get off of that beach. This scene went on for hours, and we all know what those hours

00:33:09took in terms of human life. The movie was called The Longest Day for a reason. My father,

00:33:18my father survived the carnage for another 14 hours, later hiding with a Spurs sergeant

00:33:26among the brush about halfway up the embankment. And they were waiting for it to get darker.

00:33:31When it did, I'm told that my father moved forward first. He tripped a mine that had

00:33:38been planted there by Rommel's troops. The explosion instantly ended his life. What remained

00:33:49of his body, identified only by his dog tag, was buried in a temporary cemetery near the

00:33:54beach and later, some years later, was moved to the newly created Normandy American Cemetery

00:34:01situated on the bluff overlooking Omaha Beach and the English Channel. Now, this cemetery

00:34:09is a beautiful, beautiful place. But then, it was a place of violence and mayhem. A lot

00:34:18of good men from a number of the Allied countries were killed on the D-Day landings. My father,

00:34:26I think, was one of those good men. He was a senior at Georgetown University, right down

00:34:31the road here, when Pearl Harbor was attacked. And like so many men and women across the

00:34:37nation, they stopped what they were doing. He and a friend left school and enthusiastically

00:34:42enlisted. He was what people call well-rounded. He was good at sports and he was also good

00:34:52at academics. He was on the football team. He lettered in football and won honors on

00:34:58the school's debate team. His plan for his future was to come home to my mother and me,

00:35:04to come back to Georgetown, finish college, enroll in the School of Foreign Service, and

00:35:11go on in that career. How different our lives would have been had any of those things happened.

00:35:19From the letters he wrote to my mom, I knew that he was a good and very patriotic, intelligent

00:35:28man. And probably most important of all, or best of all, he had a sense of humor. And

00:35:38I learned that from reading his letters. And that endeared me to him right away, of course.

00:35:44He was in training in the United States when I was born and was killed on D-Day before

00:35:51I was two years old. I never heard his voice. I have no memory of him. To say that his absence

00:35:59was the most significant factor in my life would be a complete and honest truth. If I

00:36:06missed someone I never knew, then my mother missed him more. She went to work to support

00:36:12us and grieved him for the next 46 years when she died. She never remarried. He was

00:36:20her first and only love. I am standing here today, but I represent roughly 180,000 children

00:36:29who lost fathers in World War II. And if any of them were here, each of them would tell

00:36:39a different version of the same story. Today here in America, despite the internal problems

00:36:48we are facing, and which we have faced for the past 80 years, we enjoy more luxuries

00:36:54and advantages than any country in the history of the world. And it's a shame so many take

00:37:00them for granted. We owe these amazing advantages to the founders of our country, of course.

00:37:06But our freedoms have been continued and protected by those boys who entered Europe

00:37:11in 1944 and by those who fought in the Pacific. All of whom returned as men. We also owe our

00:37:21freedoms to the thousands of soldiers who didn't return, who are buried in their hometowns

00:37:27or in national cemeteries across the United States. And those whose remains lie under

00:37:34white marble crosses in Normandy, the Normandy American Cemetery, and 14 others across Europe,

00:37:41North Africa, and the Philippines. May we remember them. May we never forget what it

00:37:49took to win that war. And always honor their lost young lives by working for the survival

00:37:57of our precious republic and our democratic way of life. Thank you.

00:38:04APPLAUSE

00:38:17The Marine Brass Quintet will now perform a special tribute in honor of our World War II veterans.

00:38:24MUSIC

00:38:54MUSIC

00:39:24MUSIC

00:39:54MUSIC

00:40:24MUSIC

00:40:30MUSIC

00:40:36MUSIC

00:40:42APPLAUSE

00:40:49It is a great privilege to introduce our next speaker, Mr. Elliot Tobey Roosevelt III.

00:40:57Great grandson of Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt, Tobey Roosevelt served as a fighter pilot

00:41:04with the United States Air Force and Air Force Reserve. He earned a bachelor's degree from

00:41:12Stanford University with honors and an MBA from the Harvard Business School. He now serves

00:41:19as the principal in his family's investment firm. Mr. Roosevelt.

00:41:26APPLAUSE

00:41:42I would like to thank the friends of the National World War II Memorial for inviting me to the

00:41:51ceremony today. I would also like to thank the audience for being here to commemorate

00:41:58the 80th anniversary of V-Day. On June 6, 1944, I of course had not been born. My father

00:42:10was 7 years old, and it is likely if he had not yet gone to bed on a ranch southwest of Fort Worth, Texas,

00:42:18he listened to his grandfather pray before the country that evening. Among its many legacies,

00:42:26the Normandy Landings represent the delivery of humankind to a better world, where people

00:42:34reaffirmed at great cost the central ideas of human dignity, liberty, and the rule of law,

00:42:43the ideas upon which this country was founded. At a time when the outcome of the great contest

00:42:52to sustain those values hung in balance, the President of the United States chose not to make a speech,

00:43:00but with the people of this nation to make a solemn request to the Almighty, a decision reflecting

00:43:08a worldview defined by humble acknowledgment of the limits of man and of man's ultimate dependence

00:43:17upon a just, all-powerful, loving God. For those like me who have always lived within the light

00:43:26of that war's transcendent outcome, it is all too common to never have grasped or to never have been taught

00:43:35the central character of World War II. The United States and its allies faced a real, here and now today,

00:43:46existential threat. If we lost, we would live under the jackboot of Nazism. It was a fear those born later

00:43:55have never known. As such, FDR's D-Day prayer reminds us that the ideas which undergird our lives

00:44:05and which we take as givens are not givens at all, that despite this country's great strengths,

00:44:13as an embodiment of those ideas, the United States remains a delicate experiment.

00:44:21One of the many wonderful aspects of our democratic, capitalistic system is that no matter what each of us does,

00:44:30simply by working and by competing hard, each of us contributes to this country's vibrancy and strength.

00:44:37However, when compared to the sacrifices of the men who hit the beaches of France on that day,

00:44:45and others like them at different places during that war and in other wars, few of us have given much

00:44:51to merit the freedoms and protections we have enjoyed our entire lives.

00:44:55Freedoms and protections we love, freedoms and protections that we take for granted,

00:45:01and freedoms and protections which the vast majority throughout history have never known.

00:45:07When we were born, these were simply handed to us.

00:45:12At 3.32 a.m. Eastern Time, June 6, the invasion of Normandy was officially announced.

00:45:20As word spread in early morning, factory whistles blew, church bells rang, spontaneous gatherings took place,

00:45:28and throughout the day, churches and synagogues swelled as citizens took to me in prayer.

00:45:35That evening, the President went on the air.

00:45:39The White House had earlier disrupted his prayer in order that the audience could pray alongside their commander-in-chief.

00:45:46An estimated 100 million Americans did so.

00:45:50And if you would excuse the lack of a turn-of-the-century Victorian accent, the following are his words.

00:45:59My fellow Americans, last night when I spoke with you about the fall of Rome,

00:46:05I knew at that moment that troops in the United States and our allies were crossing the Channel in another and greater operation.

00:46:14It has come to pass with success thus far.

00:46:19And so, in this poignant hour, I ask you to join with me in prayer.

00:46:27Almighty God, our sons, pride of our nation,

00:46:36this day has set upon a mighty endeavor, a struggle,

00:46:42to preserve our republic, our religion, and our civilization,

00:46:50and to set free a suffering humanity.

00:46:56Lead them straight and true.

00:47:00Give strength to their arms, stoutness to their hearts, steadfastness in their faith.

00:47:09They will need thy blessings.

00:47:13Their road will be long and hard, but the enemy is strong.

00:47:19He may hurl back our curses.

00:47:22Success may not come with Russians, but we shall return again and again.

00:47:30And we know that by thy grace and by the righteousness of our cause, our sons will triumph.

00:47:41They will be so triumphed by night and by day, without rest until the victory is won.

00:47:54The darkness will be rent by noise and flame.

00:48:00Men's souls will be shaken with the violences of war.

00:48:08For these men are lately drawn from the ways of peace.

00:48:13They fight not for the lesser conquest.

00:48:18They fight to end conquest.

00:48:22They fight to liberate.

00:48:25They fight to let justice arise and tolerance and goodwill among all thy people.

00:48:34They yearn, but for the end of battle, for their return to the haven of home.

00:48:46Some will never return.

00:48:50Embrace these, Father, and receive them.

00:48:55Thy heroic servants into thy kingdom.

00:49:01And for us at home, fathers, mothers, children, wives, sisters, and brothers of brave men overseas,

00:49:08whose thoughts and prayers are ever with them, help us, almighty God,

00:49:14to rededicate ourselves in renewed faith in thee in this hour of great sacrifice.

00:49:21Many people have urged that I call the nation into a single-day of special prayer.

00:49:27But because the road is long and the desire is great,

00:49:31I ask that our people devote themselves in a continuance of prayer.

00:49:36As we rise to each new day, and again when each day is spent,

00:49:44let words of prayer be on our lips, invoking thy help to our efforts.

00:49:54Give us strength to strengthen our daily tasks,

00:49:59to redouble the contributions we make in the physical and the material support of our armed forces,

00:50:06and let our hearts be stout,

00:50:11to wait out the long travail,

00:50:14to bear sorrows that may come,

00:50:20to impart our courage unto our sons,

00:50:25wheresoever they may be.

00:50:30And, O Lord, give us faith in thee,

00:50:36faith in our sons,

00:50:39faith in each other,

00:50:41faith in our united crusade.

00:50:46Let not the keenness of our spirit ever be dulled.

00:50:50Let not the impacts of temporary events,

00:50:54of temporal matters of life's fleeting moment,

00:50:57let not these deter us in our incongruable purpose.

00:51:07With thy blessing,

00:51:10we shall prevail over the unholy forces of our enemy.

00:51:18Help us to conquer the apostles of greed and racial arrogance.

00:51:26Lead us to the saving of our country,

00:51:30and with our sister nations into a world unity that will spell a sure peace,

00:51:36a peace invulnerable to the schemings of unworthy men,

00:51:40and a peace that will let all of man live in freedom,

00:51:44reaping the just rewards of their honest toil.

00:51:48Thy will be done, Almighty God. Amen.

00:51:58That morning, though no one knew it yet,

00:52:03a new, much brighter day broke for generations,

00:52:08born and unborn,

00:52:11including a seven-year-old grandson growing up in Texas.

00:52:16As the author Rick Atkinson described,

00:52:20as the invasion fleet steamed east through the darkness for the waiting dawn,

00:52:27for this moment, Mother Nature set aside her famous indifference.

00:52:33Hallelujah sang the sea. Hallelujah. Hallelujah.

00:52:42To the World War II veterans here today,

00:52:45we are so lucky for you.

00:52:49May we now and in the future live up to your standard

00:52:54and live up to what you have conferred upon us.

00:52:59Thank you.

00:53:14Now please welcome United States Mint Director Ventress Gibson,

00:53:20who will help us to honor our World War II veterans.

00:53:28And good morning to everyone.

00:53:30This is such a humbling experience to stand before you

00:53:34at the National World War II Memorial today

00:53:38as we reflect on the victories, the sacrifices,

00:53:42and the valor of the greatest generation.

00:53:47And thank you to all of our nation's veterans

00:53:50and to our distinguished guests that are here in attendance.

00:53:56To our Gold Star families,

00:53:58your strength and your dedication serves to inspire us all continuously.

00:54:06To Ms. Elliott and to Mr. Roosevelt III,

00:54:11thank you for sharing your stories today

00:54:14because these stories not only preserve your family's legacy,

00:54:19but it preserves and articulates and clearly informs our nation's history.

00:54:26To our partners at the National Park Service

00:54:29and friends of the National World War II Memorial,

00:54:32thank you for hosting this event

00:54:34and for continuing to inform and share the lessons of yesterday

00:54:39so we can continue to grow

00:54:42and we can inform the next generation and generations of our history.

00:54:49As a proud Navy veteran,

00:54:51I understand the significance of service

00:54:54and the importance of never, never taking freedom for granted.

00:55:00Each star on the freedom wall

00:55:04and each beautiful wreath that we place today

00:55:08is a solemn reminder of the sacrifices

00:55:11that the greatest generation made to preserve and endure our freedom.

00:55:17No other generation in our nation's history

00:55:22came together to answer their nation's call in such a pivotal way.

00:55:28For me personally, I had three uncles who served in World War II,

00:55:34and they are not here with us anymore,

00:55:37but I remember the stories that they told us

00:55:41when we were children upon their return.

00:55:44The 2024 Greatest Generation Commemorative Coin,

00:55:48for which I represent the United States Mint today,

00:55:52uniquely honors the service and sacrifice

00:55:56of American service members and their civilian counterparts

00:56:00as well as our allied countries during World War II.

00:56:04The coins in this program highlight an entire generation of brave Americans

00:56:11who stepped up to defend freedom and preserve democracy.

00:56:16Each coin shines a spotlight onto this beautiful memorial,

00:56:22and I can tell you that on behalf of the employees of the United States Mint,

00:56:28who not only designed these in collaboration with so many important people,

00:56:33but also take each coin that we produce and that we design

00:56:40and that we put out to everyone to appreciate.

00:56:44The passion is unrelenting.

00:56:48They have tireless efforts of excellence,

00:56:51and for that I thank all of the Mint employees

00:56:55who brought these miniature canvases of art to you.

00:57:00And we have depictions of the coins to my right and to your left.

00:57:05The good news about the United States Mint

00:57:09and the gold, silver, and plaid coins that we showcase for this great memorial

00:57:15is that it is my honor that right now

00:57:19the Greatest Generation commemorative coins

00:57:23are one of the best sellers for the U.S. Mint.

00:57:27And what does that mean for Friends of World War II Memorial?

00:57:32More than 60,000 coins have been purchased so far.

00:57:36Right now the sales generated in surcharge,

00:57:40and a surcharge is what we give to the Friends of the Memorial,

00:57:45nearly $720,000 so far.

00:57:50And that is to help the National Park Service preserve this wonderful edifice.

00:57:56Those surcharges will be awarded to them in support of

00:58:01to ensure that we maintain, safeguard, and repair this site.

00:58:06The coins can be purchased by you or anyone else interested

00:58:11at the usmint.gov website.

00:58:14I have to put that plug in because that's important

00:58:17so we can make sure we get them all sold.

00:58:20So on behalf of the United States Mint,

00:58:23and on behalf of the great veterans that we serve,

00:58:26thank you, and God bless America.

00:58:30So at this time, would you join us in honoring the following World War II veterans

00:58:35by presenting each with their own Greatest Generation commemorative coin.

00:58:41It is now my honor to introduce to you

00:58:48two very special World War II veterans.

00:58:52As the veterans' names are called, and they either stand or wave,

00:58:57Director Gibson will step over to present them

00:59:00with a 2024 Greatest Generation commemorative coin.

00:59:05Coins are provided by Friends of the National World War II Memorial

00:59:10as a token of our appreciation for their service.

00:59:15Now our World War II veterans.

00:59:19Enlisting in the Navy at age 18, Mr. James Ellsner Barron

00:59:24served on LST 543 during Operation Overlord.

00:59:29On D-Day, LST 543 landed on Juneau Beach carrying Canadian troops.

00:59:37Jim made numerous trips across the English Channel

00:59:41caring for wounded soldiers.

00:59:44On June 16, 1944, LST landed on Omaha Beach

00:59:50delivering tanks, troops, and supplies.

00:59:54After a storm stranded the ship,

00:59:57it was repaired in Portsmouth and resumed resupply missions.

01:00:02Coast Guard Jim Hughes, the GI Bill, earned a degree in chemical engineering

01:00:09and had a long career with the Atomic Energy Commission.

01:00:16Applause

01:00:25Retired Army Colonel Frank Cohn was born in Breslau, Germany in 1925

01:00:32and escaped to the United States with his parents at the age of 13.

01:00:37He was drafted into the U.S. Army and served in the Battle of Bulge,

01:00:42the Rhineland and Central Europe campaigns,

01:00:45and met the Russians at the Elbe River.

01:00:49He later served as Sergeant of the Guard for Nazi prisoners

01:00:53tried in the Second Nuremberg Trial.

01:00:57Colonel Cohn served in the military for a total of 35 years

01:01:02including tours in Korea and Vietnam

01:01:06before retiring from his role as Chief of Staff of the Military District of Washington.

01:01:13Applause

01:01:19And with us in spirit are all of our World War II veterans,

01:01:23including our dear friend, the late Herman Sejcik,

01:01:27who landed in the first wave on Utah Beach on D-Day.

01:01:31We are grateful to have Herman's family with us as we remember him and all our veterans.

01:01:37Applause

01:01:44Please remain seated while we prepare for the official replaying at the Freedom Walk.

01:01:50Freedom Walk

01:02:20Freedom Walk

01:02:50Freedom Walk

01:03:20Freedom Walk

01:03:50Freedom Walk

01:04:00Freedom Walk

01:04:13Freedom Walk

01:04:20Freedom Walk

01:04:30Freedom Walk

01:04:40Freedom Walk

01:04:50Freedom Walk

01:05:05Applause

01:05:21Freedom Walk

01:05:26Freedom Walk

01:05:46Representing the United States of America are

01:05:52Gold Star daughter, Rhonda Elliott, and World War II veteran, Mr. James Barron.

01:06:00Applause

01:06:22Freedom Walk

01:06:36Representing the National Park Service, World War II veteran, Colonel Frank Cohn,

01:06:43accompanied by National Mall and Memorial Park Superintendent, Mr. Jeff Reinbold.

01:06:49Applause

01:06:57Freedom Walk

01:07:12Representing Friends of the National World War II Memorial are

01:07:17Friends of the National World War II Memorial Chair, Mrs. Jane Dropa,

01:07:22Board Member, retired Navy Rear Admiral, John Bidoff, and Friends resident historian, Alex Pershaw.

01:07:30Applause

01:07:38Freedom Walk

01:07:48Representing Australia is Naval Attaché Commodore David Frost.

01:07:55Applause

01:08:08Freedom Walk

01:08:15Representing Canada is Armed Forces Assistant Military Attaché, Lieutenant Colonel Martine Arcand.

01:08:24Applause

01:08:38Freedom Walk

01:08:45Representing the Czech Republic is Defense Cooperation Attaché and Assistant Defense Military Naval and Air Attaché,

01:08:55Lieutenant Colonel Jan Novotny.

01:08:59Applause

01:09:07Freedom Walk

01:09:14Representing Denmark is Defense Attaché Rear Admiral Jacob Rousseau.

01:09:21Applause

01:09:38Representing France is Deputy Chief of Mission Orlé Bonnard and Naval Attaché Captain Jean-Olivier Graal.

01:09:51Applause

01:09:57Freedom Walk

01:10:03Representing Greece is Defense Attaché Brigadier General Panagiotis Lakopoulos.

01:10:13Applause

01:10:26Representing the Netherlands is Military Attaché Colonel Peter Nieuwenhuis.

01:10:34Applause

01:10:46Representing Norway is Defense Attaché Major General Harold Hagen.

01:10:53Applause

01:11:13Representing the Republic of Poland is Deputy Chief of Mission Mr. Adam Trzbasatski.

01:11:20Applause

01:11:36Representing all our allied nations are United States Mint Director Ms. Ventress Gibson,

01:11:44Maritime Administration Deputy Associate Administrator for Commercial Sealift Ms. Melinda Simmons-Healy, and Chaplain Will Horton.

01:11:55Applause

01:12:14Please rise for the playing of Taps.

01:12:44Taps

01:13:14Taps

01:13:44Please be seated.

01:14:14We've now come to the part of the ceremony where we'll play the service songs.

01:14:20When you hear your service song being played, please stand and be recognized.

01:14:31United States Merchant Marine

01:14:37Taps

01:14:45Taps

01:14:51Taps

01:14:57Taps

01:15:03Taps

01:15:16Applause

01:15:25United States Army

01:15:30Taps

01:15:43Taps

01:16:00Taps

01:16:05United States Navy

01:16:10Taps

01:16:20Taps

01:16:30Taps

01:16:40United States Coast Guard

01:16:45Taps

01:17:00Taps

01:17:12United States Air Force

01:17:15Taps

01:17:30Taps

01:17:47United States Space Force

01:17:50Applause

01:18:00United States Navy

01:18:05Taps

01:18:10Taps

01:18:15Taps

01:18:25United States Marine Corps

01:18:28Taps

01:18:45Taps

01:19:00Applause

01:19:05This concludes today's ceremony. Thank you very much for attending.

01:19:11Today and every day, let us remember men and women of our greatest generation.

01:19:18Applause

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