>> representing belgium, -- i coming his excellency, is world war ii veteran mr. clarence guy . >> for presenting brazil, its

secretary -- he is accompanied by holocaust of fiber, mr. stephen denby. [applause] >> representing canada, deputy head of mission dennis stevens a company by world war ii veteran mr. james t mills.

>> representing the czech republic, deputy chief of mission in the world are two veteran mr. abdul kareem. [applause] >> representing denmark is the deputy chief of mission. he is accompanied by world war ii veteran, mr. les wheeler. [applause]

>> representing france, is french army colonel, he is accompanied by -- [applause] representing the country of georgia, -- he is accompanied by world war ii veteran, mr. bill ficcaccio. [applause]

representing the country of greece the company by world war ii veteran mr. james -- [applause] representing the country of kazakhstan, as deputy chief of mission, a company by world war ii veteran and chairman of the oss society, commander q mcgovern. --hugh montgomery.

[applause] >> representing the country of the kurdish republic and world war ii veteran mr. robert zimmerman. [applause] representing the country of luxembourg and world war ii veteran mr. sammy thompkins.

[applause] representing the country of malta, deputy chief of mission and holocaust survivor mr. manny mindel. [applause] representing the republic of malta -- it's his excellency and world war ii veteran and tuskegee airmen, colonel charles mcgee. [applause]

representing the country of the netherlands, as deputy chief of mission and holocaust survivor miss luis israel who is originally from the netherlands. [applause] representing the country of new zealand, is defense attache and world war ii veteran mr. harry miller. [applause]

representing norway, major general and world war ii veteran, mr. james taylor. [applause] representing the country of holland, military ash and take -- as you take and holocaust survivor, miss helena peabody. [applause] representing the country of russia, acting military atache

and accompanying him is world war ii veteran -- [applause] representing slovakia, peter's almanac the company by mrs. lawrence shelby reynolds. [applause]

representing the country of south africa, ambassador -- and a company by by world war ii veteran mr. clarence anderson. [applause] representing the country of turkmenistan, is ambassador -- and world war ii veteran mr. clarence walters. [applause]

representing the country of ukraine -- accompanied by world war ii veteran miko koven. [applause] representing the united kingdom major general richard bridwell

accompanied by mr. alex kershaw and world war ii veteran mr. john nair. [applause] ladies and gentlemen, please stand. ♪ [taps]

♪ >> at this time will be playing the service songs. if you are a veteran or currently serving, please stand with you here your service on played. the armed forces medley. ♪

♪ >> the united states coast guard. ♪

>> the united states marine corps. ♪ >> the united states army. ♪

>> the united states navy. ♪ >> and the united states air force. ♪

[applause] >> we hope you enjoyed today's ceremony. thank you very much for coming. this concludes the ground portion of today's ceremony. the arsenal of democracy world war ii flyover will and it's an executive 20 minutes. thank you.

♪[indiscernible] ♪

[indiscernible] ♪

i just got a letter a letter a letter the sweetest little letter from my honey today. i opened up the letter the letter the letter it made me feel much better here is what it had to say i had a dream last night a dream i --

i wish that i was kissing you i just got a letter a letter a letter the sweetest little letter from my honey today ♪

[applause] >> the airmen of note. ladies and gentlemen, if you could clear the plaza. is going to be authorized for interviews with camera people. if you're trying to get around their, please go back to the seating area. we need to keep the plaza area clear for the upcoming flyover. once the flavored does start in about 17 minutes, with elected everyone seated so you are not blocking the view of other people that are sitting. we appreciate your cooperation in this matter. if you have no business on the plaza, we would like for you to move out.

thank you very much. another request while the band plays, is please do not block the tv cameras. do not walk in front of the tv cameras. thank you. ♪ [indiscernible]

♪

>> looking live at the u.s. capitol and the washington monument across the river in virginia and waiting for the

beginning of the arsenal of democracy flyover. it is part of the v.e. date 70th anniversary here the nations capital. this is a look from the top of the can at building. we saw the beginning of the vanguard of 15 flights of planes and will be coming over the nations capital. beginning in about 12 minutes or so. we will continue live coverage looking here at the lincoln memorial from the world war ii memorial on the national mall. it is v.e. day the 70th anniversary celebration and ceremony continuing here in the nation's capital. coverage across the ocean in the u.k.. we will show you that later in the program schedule. president obama this morning with a statement the a youtube on this 70th anniversary. president obama: hello everybody here at today marks a historic anniversary. 70 years since the allied

victory in europe in world war ii. on ve..e., the cloud of fear that it hung for so many years finally lifted. here at home, from small towns to times square, crowds gathered in celebration. singing and dancing with joy. they would be three more months of deadly fighting in the pacific, but for a few hours the world rejoiced in the hope of peace. general eisenhower announced the news with little fanfare. the mission of this allied force, he said, was fulfilled. but his simple message belied that the stored irrigation of the allied victory. and the staggering human loss. for over five years brutal fighting laid waste to an entire continent. mothers, fathers children were murdered in concentration camps. by the time the guns fell silent in europe some 40 million people

on the continent had lost their lives. today we pay tribute to all who served. they were patriots, like my grandfather who served in patton's army. soldiers, sailors, airmen, merchant marine, and the women of the wacs. they gave their lives so people like we could live free. there were women who stepped up in unprecedented numbers, like my grandmother, building bombers . this was the generation that saved the world. this was the generation that traded in their uniforms for a college education so they could marry their sweethearts, and build the strongest middle class the world has known.

this was the generation that includes heroes like the teske air man, -- tuskeegee airmen, and continue the fight for freedom here at home expanding opportunity for minorities and women. we will be forever grateful for what these men and women did for the selfless grace they showed it one of our darkest hours. as we mark the 70th anniversary, let's not simply commemorate history. let's rededicate ourselves to the freedoms for which they fought. let's make sure we keep striving to fulfill our founding ideals. that we are a country that no matter where we come from, what we look like, if we work hard and take responsibility, every american will have the opportunity to make of our lives what we will. that's stand unit -- let's stand united in our allies, on behalf

of common values, freedom, security democracy, and rule of law, against bigotry in all their forms, so we give meaning to that pledge, never forget, never again. most of all let's salute that generation whose courage and sacrifice we are here today. their spirit lives on in the brave men and women in uniform and families who continue to defend the freedom are parents and grandparents fought for. let's honor them on this day and every day with the gratitude to have earned and respect they deserve. may god bless them come and may he continue to bless the united states of america. announcer: president obama from this morning on this 70th anniversary of the end of world war ii in europe. the flyover, the arsenal of democracy flyover, with vintage

world war ii aircraft, should be starting shortly, coming down the potomac river and across the national mall into the nation's capital. live coverage continuing here on c-span. >> and finally we would like to recognize the generous support of our corporate sponsors. several companies recognize the historic nature of this unprecedented event and made significant financial commitments to our flyover. particularly, thanks for the leadership demonstrated by honeywell aerospace northrup grumman, general at work, and the tramp -- general electric, and the triumph group. we're honored to welcome 500 meant to put on the uniform of their country to defend freedom military veterans of the second world war from the army, army air force navy, imamarine corps, coast guard, and merchant

marine. this event is to recognize the contributions they made to ultimate victory in europe and the pacific. several of those veterans will be on board aircraft participating in the flyover. a man was a b-17 pilot for the army air forces in world war ii. he is now 96 and still and active bush pilot in alaska. he drove here from alaska by himself and will be on board one of the b-17's. a rear admiral shot down in the aircraft for the navy. today he will fly in one of the texans that comes by early in the flyover. owl tucker through a lightning in europe during world war ii before been shot down over germany on his 22nd comeback mission. he spent the last several months of the war as a prisoner of the

germans. mr. tucker will be one of the biplanes for today's flyover. in 1945, a pilot was based in the pacific theater, and he will participate in the flyover as a passenger in one of the b-17's. also with us today are veterans who participated in a discussion forum last night at the national air and space busy. he thanks to bud anderson, charles mcgee, chester finnigan, and one other for joining us last night and being here this afternoon. as grateful as we are for their bravery and service, we're here to celebrate not just g.i. joe but rosie the riveter as well. in a speech he made in december of 1945, franklin results --

roosevelt said -- that is already across the globe. president roosevelt understood the power of the people, when they spoke of, there will, -- [indiscernible] he knew that once this country became involved in hostilities the immense u.s. industrial complex would transition from peacetime manufacturer of automobiles, tractors, bicycles, and airliners to the production of jeeps tanks, machine guns and warplanes. and he was right. for the second time in less than a quarter of the century, mouth the american people were called on to help save the world from forces of oppression come and in the battlefields of europe, the waters of the south pacific, and factories throughout this great country of ours, they responded to that challenge as americans always have. in the intervening years, the stores what those brave americans did and how they did

it has been told less frequently in the schools and the history books and our schools, the narrative has been reduced to a few paragraphs. those stories deserve more. americans should know not so very long ago our way of life, our freedom, and the fate of much of the world hung in the balance, and resolve with which this country rose to that challenge, is even 70 years later quite remarkable. over the last several months, as we prepared for this commemoration in the history climateflyover, several things - - everyone participated. second, there is a genuine

heartfelt humility among these men who willingly walked into harms way to protect and defend this country. as recently as yesterday evening, i had a personal. -- personal hero tell me he was just doing his job. the deep respect that the veterans here with us today have for those they consider to be the real heroes of world war ii, those men who did not come home, the warriors who gave their last full measure of devotion to the struggle that took place seven decades ago in faraway places like burma bastogne the coral seea, and tunisia. today it is our challenge and great honor to use the remarkable collection of the digit military aircraft to tell their stories. we will start the arsenal of democracy with the airplanes

that taught our boys to fly, the trainers. in 1938, when the commander of the u.s. air force is consider our preparedness, he recognized u.s. did not have enough airplanes were pilots. three years before the japanese attack on poor harbor, the u.s. army air forces was comprised of 21,000 airmen. by the end of the war, the army air forces included 2.3 million people and production of aircraft of all types reached nearly 300,000. in a war that military leaders learned would be determined by air superior article this unprecedented -- superiority, this unprecedented increase in their parent was recognized to be one of most important factors in the allied the. the three years before pearl harbor that challenge had not been solved and the united

states was looking at immense disparity bewtween what it had been needed. the military created what we become a civilian pilot training program. by the time the program ended it trained pilots, including senator john glenn and one of our guest here today bud anderson. now, ladies and gentlemen, approaching are the trainers. all u.s. military pirates completed a program that was a conversation three phases, primary, basic, and advanced.

these warriors learn to fly in a wide for any of aircraft am among them the grasshopper -- [indiscernible] better known as the piper cub. here they come now. >> ladies and gentlemen please kneel down so -- [indiscernible] thank you. >> in addition to the training aircraft, all these planes had more time functions. one pilot reported 60 confirmed kills of german tankers outfitted with a bazooka.

these aircraft are part of that air bird gag agle. all having the top speed of 90 to 95 miles per hour. all politics completed the program was a congress in three phases. this process was designed to increase the complexity of the training. one of the iconic trainers was a boeing stearman biplane constructed of wood, fabric, and tubular steel. there were more than two dozen different variants.

these are the stearman biplanes. [applause] primary training introduced the principles of flight. basic training introduced them into the complexities of radio communications. advanced was designed to prepare the crews to go into combat.

another trainer was a plane used by the army air forces, british royal air force is, and the royal canadian air force. the pt-19 was an open cockpit design. advanced training was a compost in aircraft like the north american -- weighing in at near ly three tons and retractable landing gear, the t0-6 was designed to help pilots fly aircraft they would fly in the war. 16,000 texans were built.

when the war began, the corporation was a big name in aviation. the company built radios for the be 25 to be 34. it also manufacturing -- for the be 25. the company is now a part of honeywell aviation, one of our sponsors of the arsenal of democracy flyover. there was no signal company that made a bigger contribution to america's success than the grumman corporation. grumman designed and built the wildcat f6 hellcat fighter.

all planes were essential to success to a naval battles in the pacific. in 1994, the company merged with northrup. we will see grumman planes in the formation flyovers today. when the triumph group a acquired an industry if you use ago, they acquired some history. the corsair was a critical tool in the war against japan. the company that was once -- is not part of the triumph group, a sponsor of today's flyover. general electorate was a vital part -- general electric was a vital part to the effort.

ge pioneered the development and integration of turbochargers into aircraft engines. many thanks to ge for being a sponsor of the flyover. in just a moment, that t-6 flight will be coming over, the texans. they called it the harvard. it was indeed an aircraft of higher learning. here comes the texans, the 600 horsepower plane.

this into the sun they make as they come over. there were also multi engine trainers. one was named the kansan. it also served many functions, including a training platform for bombing, navigation, and gunnery. with two 450 horsepower engines it will have a great sound all its own. look over the memorial. it is inbound now.

ladies and gentlemen the at-11, the twin beech. inbound now are two curtis war hawks, a 1930 seven designed that at the time of pearl harbor was our number one fighter in the pacific. directly to our left, the two curtis p-40 war hawks liquid cooled engines.

in 1942 after a series of setbacks in the pacific a lieutenant colonel led 16 of these mitchell bombers on a bombing raid to tokyo and four other cds. the rate was american -- the raid was american improvisation at its finest. an american strike on the homeland of japan provided americans with a much needed boost in morale. although the results were only minor damage, it had a profound impact on japanese strategy. their leaders became more concerned about attacks than before. ladies and gentlemen three b 25 mitchell commerce, two of the be 25's, 18 marine corps pbj-1.

in june of 1942, as the japanese and american navies converged on a tiny fall can it island in the middle of the pacific the sta ke was set for a dramatic shift in momentum. tipoff of japanese plans pby catalina's were deployed from midway to search hundreds of miles of ocean for enemy ships. one of them found a japanese fleet steaming toward midway and radioed the information to american military planners. this is thepby pby catalina.

from three u.s. carriers, wildcat fighters who escorts for sewer bombers, but problems and bad luck plagued americans as they began their attacks. most of the american torpedo bombers were shot out of the sky in the first three hour of the battle. not a single u.s., tour peter had a japanese ship despite eight separate attacks by 94 airplanes. then the tide turned. as the japanese focus their attention on the torpedo bombers flying off the surface of the water, sbd dive bombers attacked from a higher altitude, fatally damaging three of four japanese carriers. the balance of naval power in the pacific had shifted

permanently. we are right now awaiting the sb d gauntlet in the wildcat. wildcats were designed by grumman as the f4f but were producing great numbers by general numbers under the another designation. the wildcat and the gauntlet. when the u.s. marines stormed the shores of water can now --

guadalcanal, japanese conquest had reached their peak. this would be a critical turning point in the war in the pacific. a small airfield on the island was the focal point of six months of fierce battles on the ground air, and c, and by the time japanese conceded the island 25,000 pennies -- japanese had been killed with thousands more dead from malaria. central to the battle was the venerable grumman f4 wildcat which operated from carriers by u.s. navy pilots and henderson field by marine corps pilots. although outmatched by the faster and more agile japanese planes, the wildcats were able to hold their own because of their rugged construction and the unique battle tactics developed by the naval aviators who flew them. by the end of 1943 the first grumman f6 hellcats, a new and

far superior grumman fighter were being deployed to the pacific theater, during the early critical battles in the pacific in 1942 and 1943, it was the wildcat that shouldered the burden as america's principal carrier-based fighter. the wildcats you will see here today are both the variance deployed on smaller escort carriers for anti-submarine duty. interestingly, pilots wildcat told me that rather than flipping a switch to raise the landing gear, after they took off they maintained about 90 or 95 miles an hour, put their left hand on this ticket, instead of

the right hand, and to the right hand and had to crank the landing gear up to get it up. it was not a fun airplane in the pattern. ladies and gentlemen, your comes the wildcat. -- here comes the wildcat. an admiral of japan was commander of the combined fleet, and mastermind behind the attack on pearl harbor. in the spring of 1940 through them american codebreakers intercepted and decoded a

message with his itinerary from an airplane trip between two islands in the solomon islands area. on april 18, a flight of 18 p 38 lightning's was dispatched on four canal -- guadalcanal on a route that was designed to maximize the element of surprise. here comes the four-tailed devils which shot down, moto -- yamamoto's plane. the mission not only avenged the deaths of 2400 americans at pearl harbor, but also described the japanese -- deprived the japanese of one of their finest military strategists.

known as hitler's gas station -- was a huge conference of romanian oil refinersies the supply germany with more than 1/3 of its fuel. military strategist opted for a single large raid by bombers attacking from an altitude of just 200 feet. flying the mission of low altitude would help avoid radar and increase the accuracy of their bombs but the low altitude would put the aircraft and crews at greater risk. b 24 was selected for the mission because it was only u.s. bomber that could manage to 2400 mile round-trip from libya and back. though complex to fly, the u.s. produced more to be 24 bombers than any other, and in 1944, assembly lines rolled out a new one every 50 minutes -- 58 minutes.

the american lost nearly 1/3 of their bombers on that raid on august 1, 94943. they then adopted daily rates from higher out to with that be 51 mustang -- b-51 mustang. as attacks tax on the oil refineries of romania continued during the summer of 1944, american forces pushed into france. general cap arnold noted the increasing number of vehicles along the side of the road that had just run out of gas. here's the liberator with the mustang. in the days of the war, after

the allies had decided that the british would conduct nighttime bombing raids on german targets and americans would bomb during daylight hours, mission losses were horrific. without escorts, u.s. bombers in particular suffered unsustainable losses. by some estimates the fatality rate of b-17 and be 24 crews was put at nearly 50%. that began to change with the introduction of the e-51 mustang. when outfitted with external fuel tanks made of a papier-mache --here come the mustangs. mustangs also flown by the 332nd fighter group and by 1944, the

german air force was trying to survive. a single week, the allies sought to hasten the end. operation argument was a series of large-scale royal air force and u.s. armya single week, the raids. more than 1000 bombers were sent against their targets. allies dropped more than 25 million pounds of ordinance. rates were intended to meet german -- bait german fighters in the air. the german air force lost 1/3 of its remaining single engine writers month -- fighters that month, and eat percent of its pilots, but u.s. forces suffered as well. in more than 3000 sorties, 247 b-17's were lost despite the bomber's ability to sustain damage and bring airmen home.

outfitted with 13 50 caliber machine guns, the crews who this aircraft, earning the nickname flying fortress, with the ability to fly long distances with a payload of 6000 pounds. these aircraft were the workhorse of america's strategic bombing campaign in europe. four motors allowed the b-17 to lumber at high out the tubes, but it was not a pressurized aircraft. when you have to fly up where it was cold, crew members wore suits that had electric wires in them to keep them warm. they wore oxygen masks, and would come back from missions with marks on their faces from frostbite that was created from being such high-altitude and low

temperatures. in all, over 12,700 b-17's were built, and remaining flying today, somewhere around a dozen. it is part of the reason that we love to see these airplanes fly. so if you are still in existence today. that b-51 mustang long-range fighters had a production total of in the neighborhood of 50,000, and about 160 are still flyable around the world today.

announcer: we're waiting for the two b-17 bombers that will be coming across shortly. they were part of our heavy bomb fleet along with the liberator we saw fly by earlier. there were about 18,000 b-24 liberators made, or than any other american aircraft during the war.

here come the first b-17, and the second. the flying fortress, 10 crew members in each aircraft. first allied soldiers in france on d-day arrived by parachute after midnight on june 6, 1944. 13,000 paratroopers from the 82nd and 101st airborne division made the trip. these elements jumped into normandy to secure a series of bridges and crossroads vital to the success of the allied

invasion of france. the c-47 began its life as the douglas dc3. the plane was reconstructed as a military transport. another food supplies and personnel from muddy airfields across the himalaya range to places in china. after d-day, the c-47 supported the allied effort in germany. here comes the c-47. after 1945 eisenhower credited four weapons to winning the war, one of them being the c-47.

about 11,000 of those were built, and 1100 remain flyable around the world today, some with conversions on engines. the 1944 battle of maybe golf with the largest carrier to carrier at all. in a flotilla that included 15 aircraft carriers and more than 100 supporting ships, the u.s. navy arrived to capture the island of saipan for use as a base for b-29 to bomb japan. one hellcat pilot shot down six 70's dive bombers in less than eight in its brief american losses were 29 aircraft, plus a nominal damage to a single battleship. the superiority of u.s. pilots was so dramatic that the battle

came to be known as the great maraianas turkey shoot. 11 japanese ships were lost. u.s. navy aircraft attacked and many ship with hellcats, dive bombers, grumman avengers, and it curtis held diver. what you'll see here today are two tbm and a held diver, the only one that still is flying today. the battle was decisive in eliminating the japanese navy to conduct large-scale operations. giving the u.s. a new level of naval dominance that lasted until the end of the war. announcer: ladies and gentlemen, we have two special guests today, senator robert dole and senator warner. they are in the front row. let's hear it for them. announcer: ladies and gentlemen,

here come the two tbm avengers, and curtis held diver, named big tailed beast. the battle of the bulge was germany's last major campaign in world war ii. it began in mid-december 1944 as a surprise attack on american forces in ardennes. the battle would involve more than 500,000 germans, 600,000 americans, and 50,000 british troops. characterized i cold temperatures the battle

demonstrated how thoroughly air support had been integrated into contemporary military operations. the allies inability to dominate the skies prolonged the german offensive and conversely the return of air support help the allies achieve victory in the battle. began on december 16 with a german attack designed to catch allies where and spit forces in half. the germans wanted to capture the belgian harbor of antwerp. that offenses against differences created a bulge in the allied lines. one of the aircraft that drove the germans back was the a-26 invader, built by douglas. immortalized by the photo of marines raising the u.s. flag over announcer about you, the

battle of iwo jima helped secure three airfields and provided a staging area for the much anticipated invasion of the japanese homeland. it is a testimony that more than 25,000 u.s. marines were killed in february and march of 1945. nearly 19,000 japanese soldiers were killed. only battle of the war in which u.s. casualties exceeded japanese. the corsair was critical to the american success on your jima. initially designed as a carrier-based fighter, the pilot sat far back in the fuselage and the view was restrict by the propeller and a huge fuel tank, making landings challenging on the pitching deck of a carrier. early models went to land-based marine pilots who put the aircraft to effective use in dogfights and ground support.

corsair pilots shot down 11 japanese aircraft for every corsair lost, and by the beginning of 1945, marine corps pilots were flying low-level missions with bombs, rockets, and napalm in support of their fellow marines on the beaches and in the jungles of the small islands throughout the south pacific. the japanese called this airplane whistling death. some of you remember the 214 the black sheep squadron meled by pappy boyington. he also racked up 28 kills during his career. from the right and in front of you, here come the f-4u

corsair, a bent-wing bird. the b-29 super fortress could carry 20,000 pounds of bombs target more than 2000 miles away. at 30,000 feet, it was able to fly above most of japan's home island defenses. instead of conventional gun tourists, the weapons were on lifters on the fuselage, meet to a system that was a marvel of technology in the 1940's. by the time the plane entered the war, an earlier generation of heavy bombers had leveled much of germany, to the super forces were deployed to china and to tinian. the move to the islands but aircraft within 1500 miles of tokyo, well within the bomber's range. with large numbers and vast

tailored to it was not long before the b-29 had destroyed every strategic target in japan. the only aircraft capable of delivering the world's first nuclear bombs, modified super fortresses join their standard comrades on tinian. on august 6, the enola gay dropped a bomb on the city of hiroshima. three days later boxcar destroyed nagasaki with a plutonium bomb. on august 14, japanese surrendered unconditionally. surrender is formalized in a ceremony aboard the missouri in tokyo bay on september 2 1945. compared to the 12,000-plus

b-17 and liberators that were built, reduction of the super fortress was about 4000. it was rushed into service. it was fraught with engine problems, so great that engines were routinely swapped out after only 25 hours of flying time. just shy of 4000 b-29's were built by boeing, and also by bell. and also martin aircraft. the ability for their b-29 to fly at such high-altitude is because it was the first u.s. aircraft that was pressurized. the aircrew should be operating the aircraft in normal kinds of temperatures. ladies and gentlemen, here comes

the b-29. over 12 million americans answered the nation's call over the course of the war. we are going to have now what is known as a missing man formation. it serves to remind us of those who sacrificed their future for that of our nation, and it is a tradition which dates back to world war ii. the symbolic moment when a single aircraft brakes formation and sores skyward, -- soars skyward. ladies and gentlemen, you help us please recognize our fallen heroes and stand while "taps" is being played.

["taps"]

announcer: ladies and gentlemen you may be seated. thanks for the texas flying legends for performing the missing man formation. 70 years ago the world rejoiced. london's trafalgar all square was the scene of an immense street party. drove for frenchman -- joyful

frenchman celebrated on the shelves elysees -- champs elysees. although the country knew there was so much work to be done in the pacific, huge celebrations were held in chicago, los angeles, iming, and times -- miami, and times square. to the factory workers and is is is providing those servicemen with the weapons of war so vital to their success, to the families who went without so that the boys overseas could have all of the a collaborative effort, a triumph the entire country could be proud of, and seven decades later, we are no less proud. for all those here today who played a role in america's victory in world war ii, whether in military or civilian capacity, thank you for your service. for everybody else, thank you for joining us here today to

commemorate our country's victory in world war ii. and recognize the men and women who made it possible. many thanks to the government agencies that helped make today's flyover possible, the orphanage -- the organizations that helped with the cement, and to our sponsors, including general electric honeywell era space, triumph group and it has been my distinct pleasure to spend time with you today and commemorate u.s. victory in world war ii. travel safely, and when you have the opportunity, be sure to thank a vet as a god. -- a vet. i looked at the back of a t-shirt and it said, "if you can read this, thank a teacher." it can read this in english, -- god bless you all, and god bless

america. [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2015] [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. visit ncicap.org]

announcer: the 1945, following the fall of berlin, the end of fighting in europe ve day in europe. look for more coverage of ve day on american history tv, and you'll find video at www.c-span.org/history. we will take you to london for

the commemoration. president obama comments this morning on the 70th anniversary. president obama: today marks a historic anniversary, 70 years since the victory in europe during world war ii. on ve day, people swarmed the streets of london and paris and moscow in the cloud of fear that had hung for so many years lifted. at home, from small towns to times square, crowds gathered in celebration, seeing in dancing with joy. it would be three more months of deadly fighting in the pacific but for a few hours, the world rejoiced in the hope of peace. general eisenhower announced the news with low fanfare. the mission of this allied force was fulfilled. the simple message like the extraordinary nature of the big and staggering human loss.

over five years, brutal fighting laid waste to an entire continent. mothers, fathers children were murdered in concentration camps. by the time the guns fell silent in europe, some 40 million people on the continent have lost their lives. today we pay tribute to all who served. they were patriots, like my grandfather who served in the army soldiers, sailors airmen, marines, coast guard, merchant marine, and the women of the wacs and waves. they gave their lives so that we and people the world over free. they were women who stepped up in unprecedented numbers manning the home front and like my grandmother building bombers on assembly line this was the generation that literally save the world, that ended the war

and laid a foundation for peace. this was the generation that trade in their uniforms for a college education so they could marry a sweetheart, buy homes these children, and build the strongest middle clouds the world has known. -- middle class the world has been. included here is like tuskeegee airmen and the hope code -- not avajo code talkers. we will be forever grateful for what these remarkable men and women did for the selfless grace they showed in one of our darkest hours as we mark the 70th anniversary, let's not something commemorate history. that's rededicate ourselves to the freedoms for which they fought. let's make sure we keep striving to fulfill our founding ideals, that we are a country no matter where we come from or what we

look like or who we love, if we work hard and take responsibility every american will have the opportunity to make of our lives what we will. let stand united with our allies in europe and beyond on behalf of our common values, freedom security democracy, human rights, and the rule of law around the world. and against bigotry and hatred in all their forms so we give meaning to that pledge, never forget, never again. most of all, let's salute that generation of americans whose courage and sacrifice are the reason we are here today in peace and freedom. their spirit lives on in our brave men and women in uniform and their families continue to defend freedoms our parents and grandparents fought for. as americans grateful for their service, let's honor them on this day and every day with the gratitude they have earned and respect that they deserve. may god bless them, and may continue to bless the united

states of america. announcer: also today in london, following yesterday's elections david cameron and other british party leaders attended a memorial service to mark the end of world war ii. it features a wreath laying ceremony remarks of the grandson of former wartime prime minister winston churchill. >> the prime minister, david cameron, the conservatives having won a majority overnight from buckingham palace. ed miliband said today that his resignation would take place after this service. [indiscernible] ♪ this morning the prime minister said we should start by remembering those who gave such service and sacrifice to save

our country. but also to save our democracy which we have seen in action today. first minister of wales ms. st urgeon.

announcer: his royal highness, the duke of york. on the 70th anniversary of victory in europe as we prepare for a two-minute silence all the elements are in place to pay tribute to that generation, to all the men and women who helped secure peace and freedom for our world. [bells ring]

[bells ring]

♪ [horns]

♪ [horns]

♪

>> wales, scotland, and northern ireland. here comes nicola sturgeon the prime minister since 2014.

♪ [horns] ♪ >> representatives of the service chiefs. the army, the navy. ♪

the next wreath was laid by the president of the legion. vice admiral sir peter wilkinson.

the last wreath laid by randolph churchill and robert gale. robert gale was loading his landing craft with ammunition after the amphibious invasion in 1945 when he heard about the end of the war in europe.

♪ >> on the stay at this hour we commemorate the 70th anniversary of ve day. we give thanks for all who play their part in achieving victory in the second world war. we remember with sorrow all those who were killed and whose lives were changed forever. >> the right reverend, bishop to her majesty's forces. randolph churchill will now read extracts from his great-grandfather, winston churchill.

randolph churchhill: the extract from winston church help's speech the eighth of may, 1945. yesterday morning at 2:41 a.m. at headquarters, general jodl, the representative of the german high command, and grand admiral doenitz, the designated head of the german state, signed the act of unconditional surrender of all german land, sea, and air forces in europe to the allied expeditionary force, and simultaneously to the soviet high command. today is victory in europe day. hostilities will and officially at one minute after midnight tonight, but in the interest of saving lives, the cease-fire

again yesterday, to be sounded all along the front, and our dear channel islands are also to be freed today. the german war is therefore as an end, after years of intense preparation, germany hurled herself on poland at the beginning of september 1939 and, in pursuance of our guarantee to poland and in agreement with the french republic, great britain, the british empire and commonwealth of nations, declared war upon this foul aggression. after gallant france had been struck down we, from this island and from our united empire maintained the struggle single-handed for a whole year , until we were joined by the military might of soviet russia, and later by the overwhelming

power and resources of the united states of america. we may allow ourselves a brief period of rejoicing; but let us not forget for a moment the toil and efforts that lie ahead. we must now devote all our strength and resources to the completion of our task, both at home and abroad. advance, britannia! long live the cause of freedom! god save the king!

♪ >> oh, almighty god, grant that we beseech you that we honor those who died in service of their country and the crown. may be so inspired by the spirit of their love and fortitude that forgetting all selfish and

unworthy motive, we may live only to that glory and to the service of mankind through jesus christ, our lord, amen. ♪ >> [singing] ♪

[singing]

>> teach us, good lord, to serve you as you deserve, to give and not count the cost, to fight and not heed the wounds, to toil and not to seek for rest, to labor and not to ask for reward, except knowing that we do your will, through jesus christ our

lord, amen. our father, which art in heaven hallowed be thy name. a kingdom come, thy will be done as earth as it is in heaven. give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive them that trespass against us and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil for thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory forever and ever, amen. under god's gracious mercy and protection we commit you. lord bless you and keep you. the lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you. the lord lift up the light of his countenance upon you and give you his peace this day and always. amen.

♪ god save our gracious queen! long live our noble queen! god save the queen! ♪ ♪ send her victorious happy and glorious

long to reign over us, god save the queen! ♪ >> the duke of york leaving by the foreign and commonwealth office. leading the dispersal. the other efficient take their leave. they joined this pause in national life.

there come here to pay their respects. robert gale, the royal naval wre ath layer. representatives of the three services. the navy, the army, the air force. terry charman, a respectful moment.

>> beautifully done with the simple city that marks a lot of the remembrance in britain. >> today is the start of the ve day weekend. it is the solemn remembrance today. the mood will change. >> i think the mood will change. there was a lot of solemnity in 1945 but then of course the mood to change to one of celebration. though not as a riotous celebration as greeted the armistice in 1918. >> to think it is because the second world war went on that much longer, the end was that much longer and coming? >> the people of britain were

much more affected by the second world war than the first. rationing, intensive bombing destruction of cities. the invitation of goes -- now goes to the public to lay a wreath. >> one sees the groups of veterans there, so many of the different branches of the services represented. at least three old soldiers wearing berets with the polish people on-- eagle on them. germans, both jewish and non-jewish, came to this country as refugees, loathing that not the regime -- the nazi regime. ♪

>> other served in the regiments. ♪ >> the 19 standards. ♪ [military march music] ♪ >> it is as if the silence has been opened. now we have the applause and a sense of celebration begins. ♪ >> the anniversary must bring

back memories, both happy and unhappy. they freed -- ♪ >> on this day 70 years ago peace at last returns to europe. another three months before victory in the far east. then the most instructive global conflict in history, was finally over. ♪ [applause] >> shortly, the bears will be removed and the public having laid there -- the barriers

will be removed and the public having laid thieeir wreaths will disperse. >> the ceremony happened hours after ritter dish prime minister david cameron and his conservative party one on narrow majority. he spoke to reporters this morning outside of 10 downing street. prime minister david cameron: i

have just been to see her majesty the queen and i will now form a majority conservative government. i have been proud to lead the first coalition government in 70 years and i want to thank all those who worked so hard to make it a success, and in particular, on this day, nick clegg. elections can be bruising clashes of ideas and arguments and a lot of people who believe profoundly in public service have seen that service cut short. ed miliband rang me this morning to wish me luck with the new government. it was a typically generous gesture from someone who is clearly in public service for all the right reasons. the government i led did important work. it laid the foundations for a better future and now we must build on them. i truly believe we are on the brink of something special in our country. we can make britain a place where a good life is in reach for everyone who is willing to work and do the right thing.

our manifesto is a manifesto for working people and as a majority government we will be able to deliver all of it. indeed it is the reason why i think majority government is more accountable. three million apprenticeships, more help with childcare helping 30 million people cope with the cost of living by cutting their taxes. building homes that people are able to buy and own. creating millions more jobs that give people the chance of a better future. and yes, we will deliver that in-out referendum on our future in europe. as we conduct this vital work we must ensure that we bring our country together. as i said in the small hours of this morning, we will govern as a party of one nation, one united kingdom. that means ensuring this recovery reaches all parts of our country, from north to south from east to west.

and indeed it means rebalancing our economy, building that northern powerhouse. it means giving everyone in our country a chance, so no matter where you're from, you have the opportunity to make the most of your life. it means giving the poorest people the chance of training, a job, and hope for the future. it means that for children who don't get the best start in life, there must be the nursery education and good schooling that can transform their life chances. and of course it means bringing together the different nations of our united kingdom. i have always believed in governing with respect. that's why in the last parliament we devolved power to scotland and wales and gave the people of scotland a referendum on whether to stay inside the uk. in this parliament, i will stay true to my word and implement as fast as i can the devolution that all parties agreed for wales, scotland, and northern

ireland. governing with respect means recognizing that the different nations of our united kingdom have their own governments, as well as the uk government. both are important and indeed with our plans, the governments of these nations will become more powerful, with wider responsibilities. in scotland, our plans are to create the strongest devolved government anywhere in the world, with important powers over taxation. and no constitutional settlement will be complete if it did not offer also fairness to england. when i stood here five years ago, our country was in the grip of an economic crisis. five years on, britain is so much stronger. but the real opportunities lie ahead. everything i have seen over the last five years, and indeed during this election campaign, has proved once again that t