>> I AM, TOO. THANKS, ALEX. THANK YOU. >>> HE WASN'T THE MOST IMPORTANT PERSON THERE. THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES IS USUALLY THE MOST IMPORTANT PERSON IN THE ROOM OR THE MOST IMPORTANT PERSON IN THE STADIUM, OR THE MOST IMPORTANT PERSON WHEREVER THE PRESIDENT IS. NOT TODAY JOE BIDEN AND NEW THAT THE 200 D-DAY VETERANS WHO SURROUNDED HIM TODAY ON THE COAST OF FRANCE WERE THE MOST IMPORTANT PEOPLE THERE. THEY WERE THE MOST IMPORTANT PEOPLE THERE 80 YEARS AGO, AND THEY WERE THE MOST IMPORTANT PEOPLE THE TODAY. >> MEN WHO FOUGHT HERE BECAME HEROES, NOT BECAUSE THEY WERE THE STRONGEST OR TOUGHEST OR THE FIERCEST, ALTHOUGH THEY WERE. BUT BECAUSE THEY WERE GIVEN AN AUDACIOUS MISSION, KNOWING, EVERY ONE OF THEM KNEW, THE PROBABILITY OF DYING WAS REAL. BUT THEY DID IT ANYWAY. THEY KNEW, BEYOND ANY DOUBT, THERE ARE THINGS THAT ARE WORTH FIGHTING AND DYING FOR. >> THE WORLD HAD NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THE D-DAY INVASION ON THE NORTHERN COAST OF FRANCE, ALONG THE ENGLISH CHANNEL ON JUNE 6th 1944. IN THE WORLD HAS NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE IT SINCE. >> WINSTON CHURCHILL CALLED WHAT HAPPENED HERE, QUOTE, THE GREATEST, MOST COMPLICATED OPERATION EVER. >> WINSTON CHURCHILL WANTED TO BE THERE. PRIME MINISTER CHURCHILL, WHO WAS A COMBAT VETERAN IN HIS YOUNGER DAYS, TOLD THE COMMANDER OF THE D-DAY INVASION AND FUTURE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, GENERAL DWIGHT D EISENHOWER THAT HE WANTED THE BOARD AND NAVY SHIP TO GET A CLOSER VIEW OF THE ALLIED TROOPS HITTING THE BEACH IN NORMANDY. GENERAL EISENHOWER TOLD CHURCH HILL THAT THEY COULD NOT TAKE THAT RISK. CHURCHILL TOLD HIM, EXASPERATED GENERAL EISENHOWER, THAT HE WOULD BOARD A BRITISH NAVY SHIP AND THERE IS NOTHING THE AMERICAN GENERAL COULD DO TO STOP HIM. AND THAT WAS TRUE. EISENHOWER COULDN'T STOP CHURCH HILL FROM ORDERING A BRITISH NAVY SHIP. BUT THE KING OF ENGLAND COULD. WHEN KING GEORGE HEARD THAT CHURCHILL WAS GOING TO JOIN THE D-DAY INVASION FORCES ON A BRITISH NAVY SHIP, THE KING SAID HE WANTED TO BE ON THAT SHIP, TOO. AND THEN, PRIME MINISTER CHURCHILL, THE MOST STUBBORN AND THE MOST COURAGEOUS BRITISH PRIME MINISTER IN HISTORY BACKED DOWN, REALIZING THAT HE COULDN'T RISK THE KING'S LIFE ON THAT WARSHIP THAT DAY. AND SO WINSTON CHURCHILL AND THE KING OF ENGLAND AND THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES HAD TO STAY AT THEIR POSTS AND WAIT. WAIT FOR THE MOST IMPORTANT NEWS THEY WOULD EVER HEAR IN THEIR LIVES. BEFORE GENERAL EISENHOWER GAVE THE ORDER TO GO, HE WAS WARNED BY HIS TOP EXPERT, ON THE AIRBORNE LANDING OF PARATROOPERS, THAT IT WAS GOING TO BE A DISASTER THAT ALMOST ALL OF THE PARATROOPERS WHO WOULD BE THE VERY FIRST AMERICANS TO SET FOOT IN FRANCE THAT DAY WOULD BE SHOT DEAD BY GERMAN FIRE AS THEY WERE FLOATING TO EARTH, HANGING FROM THEIR PARACHUTES. THEY WOULD ALMOST FALL, LAND ON FRENCH SOIL, DEAD. THAT WAS THE PREDICTION. PARATROOPERS WERE GOING TO LAND BEHIND ENEMY LINES SO THAT IF THE SOLDIERS WHO HIT THE BEACH COULD MAKE IT UP THE HILL, PAST THE FIRST LINE OF GERMAN DEFENSE, THEY WOULD HAVE THE SUPPORT OF THOSE BRAVE PARATROOPERS ALREADY ON THE GROUND IN FRANCE, HAVING LANDED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT. GENERAL EISENHOWER WAS GIVEN A VISION OF ALL OF THOSE PARATROOPERS, LYING DEAD IN FRENCH FIELDS. AND HE KNEW THAT THE INVASION PLAN COULDN'T WORK WITHOUT THE PARATROOPERS LANDING FIRST. HE ALSO KNEW THAT THE SLIGHTEST CHANGE IN THE WEATHER COULD COMPLETELY DEFEAT THE INVASION. AND GENERAL EISENHOWER KNEW THAT IT WAS POSSIBLE. BUT VIRTUALLY ALL OF THE ALLIED TROOPS, WHO MADE IT TO THE BEACH, WOULD BE IMMEDIATELY CUT DOWN BY GERMAN FIRE AND NEVER MAKE IT ACROSS THOSE BEACHES. EVERY SINGLE ASPECT OF THE MOST COMPLEX LOGISTICAL UNDERTAKING IN HUMAN HISTORY COULD HAVE GONE WRONG, AND COULD HAVE GONE WRONG ALL AT THE SAME TIME. AND INSTEAD OF THE HISTORY THAT WAS COMMEMORATED THERE TODAY, THAT CAN SEEM SO INEVITABLE IN RETROSPECT, WE COULD HAVE HAD A DISASTROUS DEFEAT AND FULL RETREAT, BACK ACROSS THE ENGLISH CHANNEL, TO ENGLAND. AND THE ALLIES, AFTER SUCH A FULL DEFEAT AND RETREAT, COULD NOT POSSIBLY HAVE ATTEMPTED ANOTHER INVASION FOR AT LEAST A YEAR. IT HAD TAKEN TWO YEARS TO PLAN THE D-DAY INVASION. IT HAD TAKEN MORE THAN A YEAR TO BUILD MANY OF THE INNOVATIVE KINDS OF EQUIPMENT THAT GOT THOSE SOLDIERS TO SHORE THAT DAY. A NEW TYPE OF MASSIVE FLOATING DOCK HAD TO BE INVENTED, AND THEN BUILT, AND THEN DRAGGED ACROSS THE ENGLISH CHANNEL, SOMETHING THAT HAD NEVER BEEN USED BEFORE. AND NO ONE WAS SURE WOULD WORK. THERE WERE COUNTLESS WAYS FOR THE D-DAY INVASION TO FAIL AND WHITE EISENHOWER KNEW EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM, AND HE STILL SAID GO. AND WHEN HE SAID GO. HE HANDWROTE THE STATEMENT THAT HE WOULD ISSUE IN DEFEAT. THE STATEMENT HE NEVER HAD ISSUE. IN HIS OWN HANDWRITING, GENERAL EISENHOWER WROTE, OUR LANDINGS IN THE AREA HAVE FAILED TO GAIN A SATISFACTORY FOOTHOLD AND I HAVE WITHDRAWN THE TROOPS. MY DECISION TO ATTACK, AT THIS TIME AND PLACE, WAS BASED ON THE BEST INFORMATION AVAILABLE. THE TROOPS, THE AIR, AND THE NAVY, AND ALL THAT BRAVERY AND DEVOTION TO DUTY COULD DO. IF ANY BLAME OR FAULT ATTACHES TO THE ATTEMPT, IT IS MINE ALONE. OF COURSE, GENERAL EISENHOWER WAS READY TO TAKE THE BLAME ALONE, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT HONOR DEMANDED. EIGHT YEARS LATER, GENERAL EISENHOWER WAS ELECTED PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES. AFTER GENERAL EISENHOWER'S FAITHFUL SERVICE TO DEMOCRATIC RESIDENCY BECAME THE FIRST REPUBLICAN PRESIDENT IN 20 YEARS. AND IN A TRAGIC COLLAPSE OF HONOR, IN WHITE EISENHOWER'S POLITICAL PARTY, IT IS NOW IMPOSSIBLE TO IMAGINE THE LAST REPUBLICAN PRESIDENT TAKING THE BLAME ALONE FOR ANYTHING. IN FACT, DONALD TRUMP'S LAST WHITE HOUSE CHIEF OF STAFF, JOHN KELLY, WHO WAS A MARINE CORPS GENERAL, SAYS THAT DONALD TRUMP, QUOTE, GRANT THAT OUR MOST PRECIOUS HEROES WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES IN AMERICA'S DEFENSE ARE LOSERS AND WOULDN'T VISIT THEIR GRAVES IN FRANCE. ERNEST HEMINGWAY WAS WITH THE TROOPS ON D-DAY AS THEY APPROACHED THE BEACH. IN A MAGAZINE ARTICLE TITLED VOYAGE TO VICTORY, HEMINGWAY WROTE, THE WIND WAS BLOWING HARD OUT OF THE NORTHWEST. AS WE MOVED IN TOWARD THE GRAY EARLY LIGHT, THE 36 FOOT COFFIN SHAPED STEEL VOTES TOOK SOLID GREEN SHEETS OF WATER THAT FELL ON THE HELMETED HEADS OF THE TROOPS, PACKED SHOULDER TO SHOULDER IN THE STIFF, AWKWARD, UNCOMFORTABLE. ONLY COMPANIONSHIP OF MEN GOING TO A BATTLE. AS FAR AS YOU COULD SEE, THERE WERE LANDING CRAFT MOVING IN OVER THE GRACIE. HEMINGWAY WATCHED THE BATTLESHIP TEXAS SHELLING THE SHORE. SHE WAS JUST OFF AND FIRING OVER US AS WE MOVED INTO THE FRENCH COAST. THOSE OF OUR TROOPS WHO WERE NOT WAX GRAY WITH SEASICKNESS. FIGHTING IT OFF, TRYING TO HOLD ONTO THEMSELVES BEFORE THEY HAD TO GRAB FOR THE STEEL SIDE OF THE BOAT, WERE WATCHING THE TEXAS, WITH LOOKS OF SURPRISE AND HAPPINESS. UNDER THE STEEL HELMETS, THEY LOOKED LIKE PIKEMEN OF THE MIDDLE AGES, TO WHOSE AID IN BATTLE HAD SIMILARLY, SOME STRANGE AND UNBELIEVABLE MONSTER. OTHER SHIPS WERE FIRING OVER US ALL DAY, AND YOU WERE NEVER AWAY FROM THE SUDDEN SLAPPING OF NAVAL GUNFIRE. THE BIG GUNS OF THE TEXAS AND ARKANSAS THAT SOUNDED AS THOUGH THEY WERE THROWING WHOLE RAILWAY TRAINS ACROSS THE SKY, WERE FAR AWAY, AS WE MOVED ON IN. THEY WERE NO PART OF OUR WORLD, AS WE MOVED STEADILY OVER THE GRAY, WHITECAPPED SEA TOUR WHERE, AHEAD OF US, DEATH WAS BEING ISSUED IN SMALL, INTIMATE, ACCURATELY ADMINISTERED PACKAGES. THEY WERE LIKE THE THUNDER OF A STORM THAT IS PASSING IN ANOTHER COUNTY, WHOSE RAIN WILL NEVER REACH YOU. BUT THEY WERE KNOCKING OUT THE SHORE BATTERIES SO THAT LATER, THE DESTROYERS COULD MOVE IN, ALMOST TO THE SHORE. ON THE BEACH, ON THE LIFT, WHERE THERE WAS NO SHELTERING OVERHANG OF SHINGLED BANK, THE FIRST, SECOND, THIRD, FOURTH, AND FIFTH WAVES LAY WHERE THEY HAD FALLEN, LOOKING LIKE SO MANY HEAVILY LADEN BUNDLES ON THE FLAT PEBBLY BEACH. >> THE FEW, THE NOTABLE BAND OF BROTHERS, ARE HERE WITH US TODAY. KENNETH PLANE SMITH IS HERE, ON THAT DAY, UNDER HEAVY ARTILLERY FIRE, HE OPERATED A RANGEFINDER RADAR FOR THE FIRST AMERICAN SHIP TO ARRIVE AT NORMANDY'S COAST. PROVIDING DIRECT GUNFIRE SUPPORT FOR THE RANGERS, SCALING THE CLIFFS ON THEIR DARING MISSION TO TAKE OUT THE GERMAN BATTERIES. BOB GIBSON IS HERE, HE LANDED ON A UTAH BEACH ABOUT 10 HOURS AFTER THE INVASION BEGAN. BULLETS FLYING EVERYWHERE, BOB DROVE AN M4 ATTRACTOR, THAT AIRCRAFT COMING OUT ON TOP, PROVIDING CRITICAL PROTECTION FOR THE INFANTRY. AGAINST THE GERMAN AIR FORCE. ON THAT DAY, AND FOR MANY DAYS AFTER, WE CONTINUED. THAT MILLER IS HERE, A MEDIC WITH THE 82nd AIR FORCE. AT 3:00 A.M. ON JUNE 6th, HE AND 13 OTHER ADDICTS WERE WORKING A GLIDER. ITS WINGS WERE RIPPED OFF BY GIANT POLLS THAT THE GERMANS BURIED HALFWAY IN THE GROUND TO STOP THEM FROM LANDING. THEY CRASHED, BUT THEY SURVIVED. AND THEY DID THEIR DUTY, DRAGGING INJURED SOLDIERS TO SAFETY, TREATING WOUNDS, SAVING LIVES OF A BATTLE RAGED. EVERY SOLDIER STORMED THE BEACH, LANDED BY GLIDER. EVERY SAILOR, BY THE THOUSANDS OF SHIPS AND LANDING CRAFT. EVERY AVIATOR WHO DESTROYED CONTROLLED AIRFIELD, BRIDGES, AND RAILROADS, ALL WERE BACKED BY OTHER BRAVE AMERICANS, INCLUDING HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE OF COLOR AND WOMEN WHO COURAGEOUSLY SERVED, DESPITE UNJUST LIMITATION ON WHAT THEY COULD DO FOR OUR NATION. LEWIS BROWN IS HERE, PART OF THE RED BALL EXPRESS, A TRUCK CONVOY MADE OF MOST AFRICAN- AMERICAN DRIVERS. HE LANDED IN NORMANDY IN THE WAKE OF THE D-DAY, THEY RUSHED SUPPLIES TO THE RAPIDLY ADVANCING FRONT LINES. WOODY WOODHOUSE IS HERE. MEMBERS OF THE LEGENDARY TEST COOKIE AIRMAN, WHO FLEW OVER 15,000 SEARCHES DURING THE WAR. MARJORIE STONE IS HERE. SHE ENLISTED IN THE WOMEN'S BRANCH OF THE RESERVE, BECAME AN AIRCRAFT MECHANIC, SPENT THE WAR KEEPING AMERICAN PLANES AND PILOTS IN THE AIR. THEIRS HAS ALWAYS BEEN THE STORY OF AMERICA. TO WALK THE ROWS OF THE CEMETERY, AS I HAVE, KNOWING 10,000 HEROES BURIED SIDE-BY- SIDE, OFFICERS HAD ENLISTED, IMMIGRANTS AND NATIVEBORN, DIFFERENT RACES, DIFFERENT FAITHS, BUT ALL AMERICANS. ALL SERVE WITH HONOR WHEN AMERICA AND THE WORLD NEEDED THEM MOST. >> AFTER THE WORK, PEACE IN EUROPE WAS BUILT AND MAINTAINED WITH THE UNITED NATIONS AND WITH THE NATO, WHOSE MISSION IS STILL MAINTAINING PEACE IN EUROPE. >> THE UNITED STATES AND NATO, THE COALITION OF MORE THAN 50 COUNTRIES, STANDING STRONG WITH UKRAINE, WE WILL NOT WALK AWAY. [ APPLAUSE ] BECAUSE IF WE DO, UKRAINE WILL BE SUBJUGATED, AND IT WILL NOT END THERE. UKRAINE'S NEIGHBORS WILL BE THREATENED, ALL OF EUROPE WILL BE THREATENED. AND MAKE NO MISTAKE, THE AUTOCRATS OF THE WORLD ARE WATCHING CLOSELY TO SEE WHAT HAPPENS IN UKRAINE. TO SEE IF WE LET THIS ILLEGAL AGGRESSION GO UNCHECKED. WE CANNOT LET THAT HAPPEN. TO SURRENDER TO BULLIES, TO BOW DOWN TO DICTATORS, IT IS SIMPLY UNTHINKABLE. [ APPLAUSE ] WERE WE TO DO THAT, WE WOULD BE FORGETTING WHAT HAPPENED HERE ON THESE HALLOWED BEACHES. MAKE NO MISTAKE, WE WILL NOT BOW DOWN. WE WILL NOT FORGET. >> UKRAINE'S PRESIDENT, VLADIMIR ZELENSKYY WAS THERE TODAY TO HONOR THOSE WHO FOUGHT FOR FREEDOM 80 YEARS AGO. >> THE SAVIOR OF THE PEOPLE. [ APPLAUSE ]
