may we never forget the sacrifice of the greatest generation. >> c-span is your unfiltered view of government. we are funded by these television companies and more including charter communications. >> charter is proud to be recognized as one of the best internet providers and we are just getting started. building 100,000 miles of new infrastructure to those who need it most. >> charter communitions supports c-span as a public service along with these other televion providers. giving you a front row seato democracy. >> throughout the day in recognition of the 80th anniversarof d-day, we will bring you speeches from a nbe of presidents to honor those w sacrificed their lives in the allied invasion of france. coming up, dwight eishor

reading a message to allied forces in 1944. but first and newsreel■/ reportn the d-day invasion. ♪ ♪ >> the atlantic wall has been penetrated. the allies clung to a few beaches. now they have a solid foothold. material poured onto the

beachheads at any favorable time and some unfavorable ones. the command has announced the battle of the beaches is complete. the tremendous offensive was bitterly contested. each passing hour diminish the chances. the american, british and canadian troops pressed forward onto the soil of france. they made contact with the french people. it was no pushover over driving the germans back. there were two enemies -- the germans and the heavy seas. german prisoners were taking almost at once. american and british aircraft. preventing the germans from marshaling reinforcements.

american marauders, hiding places of nazi tank formations. with beaches free of enemy fire, lumbering bulldozers cleared the way for vital air landing strips. the blast of allied shells left

shattered german defenses. survivors were given prompt attention. some are grateful. many be mildred -- many be mildred -- bewildered. pushed forward yard by yard into the villages and small towns. more and more prisoners fell into their hands. some are still arrogant, reluctant to raise their hands in defeat. landing craft carry the captives back to england. hitler's invasion of britain. they become defeated men to confinement behind barbed wire. the united nations onslaught pushing ahead on many fronts.

in rome, american general clark commanding the allied vectors watched his men marched into the city. the allies were able to view the work of their mighty air support. some of these rail yards were bombed months a but repairs for the germans were out of the question. this is the same,r d nazi transt throughout the whole of europe. ♪ in their triumph into the internal city, united nations tr moved past great monuments of antiquity. the history of the ancient city has seen few more joyous events. ecstatic fervor by the liberators. rome is the first great capital to be freed from the enemy.

♪ the flags of the united nations, heralding the e four years of nazi here any for the people of rome. here is the balcony where mussolini once reigned. suddenly there is excitement in the square. a bomb has been thrown into the headquarters. the italian people discover there were some hiding inside. soon, they make their way in. ]éthose who collaborated with germany find little forgiveness in the hearts of the people.

as general clark drove to the capital, american flags found their way into the hands of liberated italians. a general, brilliant commander of the victorious french army went up to the balcony with the american commander. then the drama shifted to st. peter's. his holiness the pope was about to speak and nearly 500,000 packed the historic square. the pope had this to say. thanks be to god. rome has been spared the horrors of war. we should show our gratitude and cease from hatred. >> [speaking another language]

■![applause] >> back in the english channel, great convoys of troops and reinforcements continue to move toward the beaches of normandy. ♪ the beach had already expanded to 50 miles and they put ashore the equipment of a highly mechanized army.

♪ pinpoint shooting put numbers of nazi tanks out of action. bombers and fighter maintained cover for the forces below. [explosions] the allied troops are received as long-awaited friends. they are shown the way and warned about where to expect mines and given help.

♪ the allies have found firm resistance and are prepared for even stronger contests. ss than a week after the initial landings, we hadakthe g. in the northern reaches of russia, the mountains of italy and here against this tremendous military operation. ♪ among those witnessing the beach at operation where the supreme allied commander, general eisenhower. here he meets with admiral ramsey and general montgomery. the supreme commander is on