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‘these are the men who took the cliffs. these are the champions who helped free a continent. these are the heroes who helped end a war.’ ronald reagan, 40th anniversary of d-day, june 6, 1984
as a lifelong learner and lover of history, the d-day operations are one of my favorite ‘great and mighty’ stories in history. as a conservative, and on this 65th anniversary of d-day, it would come as no surprise to you that the following is one of my favorite speeches:
president reagan’s 1984 ‘the boys of point du hoc’ speech
there is a real difference between someone who can deliver a speech and someone who feels the speech he delivers. isn’t there? you can go here for the full text of this speech by president reagan.
‘The Americans who fought here that morning knew word of the invasion was spreading through the darkness back home. They fought — or felt in their hearts, though they couldn’t know in fact, that in Georgia they were filling the churches at 4 a.m., in Kansas they were kneeling on their porches and praying, and in Philadelphia they were ringing the Liberty Bell.’
i hope you take the time to listen to this video. it is a timeless message for all of us about the principles of liberty and the need to protect them. it makes me bawl like a baby every time i hear it because i see it all happening in my mind’s eye.
‘We in America have learned bitter lessons from two World Wars: It is better to be here ready to protect the peace, than to take blind shelter across the sea, rushing to respond only after freedom is lost. We’ve learned that isolationism never was and never will be an acceptable response to tyrannical governments with an expansionist intent.’
also, i have written a post from a conservative’s perspective at another site that you may be interested in on obama’s role this year in the d-day commemorative events.
I am afraid with the Orwellian “1984” attitude prevalent in our society, our media and our schools these days, that there is time coming when these sacrifices for freedom will be forgotten. Already they are seen more as photo ops than as tributes. And as our society increasingly seeks to bury the past in order to promote an agenda, we will see the need again for young people to give their lives to save our freedom. This can change, but it’s not going to come from the top. It has to be the people who vote, who pay taxes and who live out their lives in this nation that choose to make this type of tripe stop. And it needs to happen very soon. We already have high school grads who never saw the Twin Towers fall because the media and their culture choose to insulate these children from the realities of life. Not every step will be cushioned and not every path made smooth. Some things are worth fighting for….
Micky says: My sons been grounded for screwing around in school. As part of his punishment I decided to make him watch D-day documentaries all day.
I can only find one channel airing such specials. The big three, NBC, ABC, CBS…nothing.
I’ve also noticed the moonbats cant even come by today and leave some decent words for these brave men who knew they were going to die, for their buddies the French.
Ken says: Absolutely amazing. These men helped save democracy for the planet during some of the darkest days in our history.
Never pass up an opportunity to thank a WW II vet, they are the reason we can live the way we do……free.
PenniePan says: Actually the fact that you did not mention our current Commander in Chief who is overwhelmingly popular and gave an incredible speech is really quite telling Kate. You are very UNpatriotic on such a day like today. Not to mention a spoil sport, sore loser, and jealous.
Micky be quiet. Some of us actually have a life and don’t spend day and night on rightwinger blogs like you do.
ANB says: PENNIEPAN, I’ll mention our current commander in chief, in this context: he is just returning from a speech where he criticized the American armed forces in front of a Muslim audience. Kate’s comment about feeling the speech was, I assume, an implicit comparison to obama, but I’ll make the point: Obama makes lovely, insincere speeches that are unworthy of this occasion, and unworthy of comparison to President Reagan. Now go away.
Micky says: Pennie, I love the way you tell people to be quite when you have no excuse for your lack of respect for the men who died for you.
During your whole last blurb you still never managed to take ONE MINUTE and put a word in for our guys yet in your “LIFE” you never pass an opportunity to show your patriotism and bash Bush at every opportunity.
“Micky be quiet. Some of us actually have a life and don’t spend day and night on rightwinger blogs like you do.”
Yeah, I know, you spend your life on the moonbat blogs instead, pickin up your next great line, I get it.
ON A DAY LIKE TODAY KATE IS NOT PATROTIC BECAUSE SHE DIDNT MENTION THE A-HOLE-N-CHIEF ?
Its D-DAY for goodness sake you… not OBAMA day !!!
Good grief you people are insane.
‘You are very UNpatriotic on such a day like today. Not to mention a spoil sport, sore loser, and jealous.’
pennie read this slowly. it’s not about obama.
its about ‘them.’
http://www.mikelavella.com/portfolio/wd/Dreamweaver/Media/dday4.jpg
now you be quiet. thanks.
Carly says: I think it is shameful you did not use our President’s speech to mark this day. Why???? Just because you are a conservative does that mean you cannot respect President Obama when he gives a speech on such a day as today? It was wonderful watching the President & Mrs. Obama go down a line shaking hands with member of the US Airborne. Towards the end of the line, they started passing a camera & posing for pictures (mostly with Michelle)I am so proud of my President. Why can you not appreciate that? Even that is on You Tube. Could you not have even used that?
carly thanks for the comment.
but frankly, this is my blog and i make the decisions what gets put up. obama and his bitter wife are disgraceful — today was no exception.
Micky says: ” Just because you are a conservative does that mean you cannot respect President Obama when he gives a speech on such a day as today?”
nah, its more because I dont like him.
” It was wonderful watching the President & Mrs. Obama go down a line shaking hands with member of the US Airborne”
Spine tingling, er legs, whatever.
” Towards the end of the line, they started passing a camera & posing for pictures (mostly with Michelle)I am so proud of my President.”
If hes so damn great everyone would of had their own camera, dontcha think ?
” Why can you not appreciate that? Even that is on You Tube. Could you not have even used that?”
I can find dogs making families on You tube, doesnt say much.
Kristi says: People, this has NOTHING to do with President OBAMA!!! You completely lost the point!! This is a GREAT speech. One that does not need to be compared, but to be understood. To appreciate how our country came to be, all the sacrifices that were made, and how to learn from our history to better our future.
My grandfather was one of the 90 “Boys of Point DU Hoc” who survived. This day is about them!! To HONOR the heroes, fallen and survivors alike!!
Please do not cloud the meaning of WHY President Obama spoke in Normandy today with your opinions and debate!!
lisab says: well … i agree that obama is a terrible president. for example, even with the clinton recession AND 9/11 the unemployment rate went up less under bush than it has in the first five months of obama. he is just a disaster.
however, to be fair … had he not gone to normandy, he would have been crusified. sooooo … he went as expected. he gave a speech as expected.
apart from obama beach it was nothing unexpected.
Kate, well posted blog as always, and well-moderated comments. Cross-continent handshakes and salute from me to you. Keep up the good work!
Your fan,
Jeff
Micky says: “People, this has NOTHING to do with President OBAMA!!! You completely lost the point!! This is a GREAT speech.”
Jeez, do you think you could do any better a job at contradicting yourself ?
It was not a great speech. As was said, the only reason he went is because he’d of been crusified if he didnt. Just going thru the motions, the day deserved better.
It does need to be compared Kristi. Thats how we make our evaluations as to whos actually placed more meaning on the day.
Without a doubt Reagan managed this a whole lot better than Obama, more than likely because he actually understood the importance of the day and the meaning of sacrifice, and wasnt just performing some eloquent act of pandering.
Bless your grandpa.
lisab says: well, reagan knew many veterans. he was from that generation. he actually enlisted in the army in 1937 right after he became successful in hollywood … therefore reagan had some personal experience with ww2. i am sure he knew people who died in the war.
obama’s first contact with the military was probably with his marine guards on air force one
Micky says: I think the main point here directed at that those who think were being disrespectful towards Obama is that its an incredible dissconnect and insult to have a man giving a speech in honor of men who fought for freedoms that he is willing to take away from us.
lisab says: ok … but what was he supposed to do?
in this case, if he did not go to the d-day celebrations, he would have been ripped apart by the right.
so he went … and he is still being ripped apart by the right.
i agree obama is a miserable failure as president so far, but sometimes he does deserve the benefit of doubt. he took the time to go all the way to france when i am sure he would have much rather been here in the usa
raising your taxes and redistributing the wealth of working people to illegal immigrants … soooo cut him a little slack.
Micky says: Who says he “HAS” to make a speech ? Is there some presumption that were supposed to see oif his speech can top all others ?
I’ve never served and so, as much as I’d like to, I hardly think I could relate to what these guys put out for their country.
I think what would of been a real class act would of been if he told the audience that what these men have done cant be represented by any words at all and so it would be fitting and my humbled honor if you all would join me in prayer and silence for a few moments in memory of these warriors.
And that would be that.
But no, what see instead us this vanity driven fiasco thats all about scoring points with as many demographics as possible while trying to look as he really cares about troops half as much as any of his predecessors did.
Ya know, you cant just go to Egypt the day before and trash all the efforts of our troops by apologizing for them and then the next day give a speech saying how great those same efforts were 60 years ago.
The list of messages are so mixed up I’m surprised any of us can even think straight any more/.
lisab says: “I think what would of been a real class act … join me in prayer and silence for a few moments in memory of these warriors.”
yes, that would have been a real class act, but he probably does not believe in God, and certainly most of his vocal supporters don’t …
plus it is obama … obama and class so not generally go in the same sentence
he did about as good as one could expect from obama.
Micky says: Yeah, I learned late but soon enough in my life that the highth of your expectations are always in proportion to the fall.
🙁
Ken says: Thank you Pennie for reminding us, that’s is all about Obama. It is truly terrifying to those of us who have our wits that there is such a cult following of a man who has so much power.
You really need to be in a hospital, with a team of doctors studying you around the clock to figure out what is going through that head of yours.
jaiz says: It is really the height of arrogance that some of you on this blog refuse to recognize the Obama presidency. You say it’s about the soldier who fought, yet your arguments are about Obama. How hypocritical of you. Whether you like it or not, he is the President. Whether you like it or not, he makes the decisions. Suck it up or STFU.
Micky says: Jaiz.
You’re a disengenuous fool.
The argument is in fact about how its about the soldiers and not Obama. Consequently in the course of that discussion we have to mention him in order to drive the point.
Nice try.
“STFU”
Make me.
lisab says: we recognize the obama presidency
so far he sucks at it.
as evidence unemployment and debt in his first five months is up more than unemployment and debt in bush’s first year … and that included 9/11.
obama has been a disaster so far … maybe it will change … but have you seen gas prices lately? it got up to $3.00 in illinois and fell back to $2.75 this weekend. when it gets to $3.25+ this july 4th the tea parties will be overflowing
“Suck it up or STFU.”
Yes, Jaiz, we will follow the example set by the left for the previous 8 years, how’s that? Deal? The only hypocrite here is you. You couldn’t wait to find a reason to bash Bush while he was president, it was the only thing that kept pathetic little people going, now you decry anything less than worship of B.O.
Grow up.
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