D-Day
June 6, 1944, D-Day
80 years ago today, allied powers took the fight to the Nazis. This signaled the beginning of the end of their dominance. It’s tragic that things ever got that far, but we made it through. And that’s the theme I want to talk about today.
It may seem like we're in a dark place right now, but this one moment proves the strength and resilience of the ideas of freedom, mutual respect and co-operation, and the consistent rejection by the American people of tyranny in any form.
At that time, like today, we found ourselves on a battlefield where stakes were global. And we recognize this moment for what it is: a pivotal turning point in the history of the world. It was science and solidarity that brought us to the beaches of Normandy, and gave us:
"an overwhelming superiority in weapons and munitions of war, and placed at our disposal great reserves of trained fighting men." - Dwight D. Eisenhower
Nothing short of a shared vision of the global order could bring about such a monumental victory against a force that, until that point, had seemed nearly unstoppable.
It wasn’t just the United States military that got us there though. Nor was it the allied militaries around the world. Without the factories and industries at home aligning, without the rationing and organizing, we could never have ramped up quickly enough to overcome the threat unfolding in Europe. And if we hadn’t intervened, if we hadn’t stepped in, then who would have? What would the world look like with victorious Nazis sweeping through Europe and the dominance of axis powers?
We’re on the cusp of a similar fight now. With Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, we see the same old patterns of unprovoked hostility. And just as then, which many American’s don’t know, we have the same old countercurrents running around here at home. Most American’s don’t remember or have never known that we had in this country, during World War 2, a significant Nazi presence here at home. Nazi sympathizers abounded, but we were not fooled then, and we will not be fooled now. We are already rising to face the threat, and we will continue to do so. Why?
Because we’re not fooled by the double-speak. We’re not fooled by atrophying of rights disguised as freedom. We know the difference, and just like we knew then, we will come together now. We’ve faced worse before, and we have overcome.
Be strong. America and our allies will prevail.
