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Eighty-two years ago today, the survival of Western civilization hung in the balance. Dark forces had swept across Europe. Hitler boasted that his Atlantic wall was impenetrable. But our enemy made a fatal miscalculation. They underestimated the unbreakable will of the American fighting man. The task was daunting. A frontal assault across the churning English Channel. Directly into beaches and cliffs fortified with iron, concrete, and heavy artillery.
An impossible mission? A suicidal mission? The mission of free men. Freedom's only hope. No turning back. Alongside the brave forces of Great Britain, Canada, France, Norway, Poland, and our other capable and stable allies, the United States military spearheaded a great crusade to shatter the Nazi war machine and liberate a continent. So that freedom might prevail. We thank you for the giants whose courage shaped history. Sadly, today, different European beaches are stormed by different dangerous ideologies.
Beaches in Spain, in Italy, in Greece, in Bulgaria, boats and men arrive. When will European capitals do something about that invasion? Or is it too late? I pray not, and I believe not. The men who fought and died here restored freedom to Europe. That freedom must be maintained by this generation of leaders and war fighters. Or what they fought for was merely temporary. Today, as we face an increasingly complex threat environment, we apply the lessons from 82 years ago learned on these beaches.
Strong allies, each fully committed to doing their part, win wars. The men buried here fought in a war fighting alliance where every partner brought its full measure of industry, courage and sacrifice. Not empty slogans, not lavish summits, not communiques. Real allies doing real things, taking real losses for a shared cause worth fighting and dying for. Each nation pulled its weight. Each nation bled. America will lead, and we must. But capable allies must be right there with us, shoulder to shoulder, in the breach, when it matters.
