they knew that if it's almost surely the french who died on the same beach as by their side to sell for the liberation of their country so certainly but they also fell on a similar vein so that their nation once this task completed would to rediscover its tradition of liberty we need to be true to their memory by and to do that so good that we must never sacrifice what we must never renounce what their sacrifice united charitable the promise of normandy will be supported by france with all its might i promise this will be true to the case american very and this is the heart of america's destiny to miss you to please you don't need any president of the united states of america ladies and gentleman. all along the roads the farms reaches from cotton town to shell both from shared water as on from

avalanche to metz the mets' to pass it on. along those roads taken by the heroes we are honoring here today as of the summer 944 all along that we see hundreds of milestones on it when they are decorated with the stars of the american flag and with the flame this is the statue of liberty that statue that one of our greatest sculptors gave to the city of new york images of the these stone monuments of vision on the memoir served as a reminder and indelible remind us this is inscribed in the countryside of france a reminder of what our country owes the united states of america as president resonates it's an invitation to us to continue hearing when you are secular part of that unites france the united states of america and freedom if you play. mr.

i'm ready mr president of the united states of america did donald trump the people of france already. ready to bring you this friendship between our nations. i don't know that has contributed so much the history of humanity and that the world expects so much from we are ready and we will do this you know missing thank you. long live the united states of america. and in long live the friendship between our 2 nations. that. are going to. want her home and i'm going to.

tell you. miss your vincent heintz or no not if you blink 1st says no this is all shivani we awarded the usual don't know the or water of night at the beach and performance.

most certainly right here stanley friday no not at the heart of the french republic . i watch it the distinction of the legion of honor.

this is you shall joel shall surely not at all if you recall in the name of the french republic rufus will serve any i make united of the beach and on a. miss you oh yeah star all current very fast and the name of the front trip public refers to will serve any lady on with us tonight of the legion of honor.

miss you. paul well no not if you really thought in the name of the french republic will serve any we make you knight of the legion of honor.

ladies and gentlemen the president of the united states donald. i don't see miss it done that. does it doesn't. president my crown miss is my crown. and the people of france

to the 1st lady of the united states. and members of the united states congress. 2 distinguished guests veterans and my fellow americans we are gathered here on freedom's altar. on the shores on these bluffs on this day 75 years ago 10000 men shed their blood and 1000 sacrificed their lives for their brothers for their countries and for the survival of liberty today we remember those who fell and we honor all who fought right here in normandy they won back is ground for

civilization to more than 170 veterans of the 2nd world war who join us today you are among the very greatest americans who will ever live. you are the pride of our nation you are the glory of our republic. and we thank you from the bottom of our hearts one. thang. here you are over 60 veterans who landed

on d.-day are dead to you is everlasting today we express our gratitude when you were young these men enlisted their lives in a great crusade one of the greatest of all times. their mission is the story of an epic battle and the ferocious eternal struggle between good and evil on the 6th of june 1904 they joined a liberation force of awesome power and breathtaking scale after months of planning the allies it chose in this ancient coastline to mount their campaign to vanquish the wicked tyranny of the nazi empire from the face of the earth. the battle began in the skies above us in those 1st

tense midnight hours 1000 aircraft roared overhead with 17000 allied airborne troops preparing to leap into the darkness beyond these trees then came dawn the enemy who had occupied these heights so the largest naval armada in the history of the world just a few miles off shore where 7000 vessels bearing 130000 warriors they were the citizens of free and independent nations united by their duty to their compatriots into millions yet unborn there were the british whose nobility and fortitude saw them through the worst of dunkirk and the london blitz. the full violence of nazi fieri

was no match for the full grand year of british pride thank you. there were the canadians whose robust sense of honor and loyalty compel them to take up arms alongside britain from the very very beginning. there were the fighting poles the tough norwegians and the intrepid aws ease there were the gallant french command as soon to be met by thousands of their brave cut you have been ready to write a new chapter in the long history of french. and

finally there were the americans they came from the farms of a vast heartland the streets of glowing cities and the forges of mighty industrial towns before the war many had never ventured beyond their own community now they had come to offer their lives half a world from home this speech code named omaha. was defended by the nazis with monstrous fire power thousands and thousands of minds its bikes driven into this and so deeply. it was here that tens of thousands of the americans came

the us who boarded the landing craft that warning knew that they carried on their shoulders notches the pack of a soldier but the fate of the world colonel george taylor whose 16th infantry regiment would join in the 1st wave was asked what would happen if the german stopped right then and there cold in the bits just stop them what would happen. this great american replied why the 18th infantry is coming in right behind us the 26th infantry will come onto then there is the 2nd infantry division already afloat and then one division and the 2nd armored and the

3rd armored and all the rest maybe the 16th won't make it but someone will one of those men in taylor's 16th wrench it was army medic ray lambert ray was only $23.00 but he had already earned 3 purple hearts and 2 silver stars fighting in north africa and sicily where he and his brother bill no longer with us served side by side. in the early morning hours the 2 brothers stood together on the deck of the u.s.s. ereka. before boarding to separate higgins landing craft. if i don't make it will said please please take care of my family

ray asked his brother to do the same. of the $31.00 men. on ray's landing craft only ray and 6. made it to the beach there were only a field of them left. they came to the sector right here below us easy read it was called again and again ray ran back into the water he dragged out one man after another. he was shot. through the arm his leg was ripped open. by shrapnel his back was broken he nearly drowned he had been on the beach for hours bleeding saving lives when he finally lost consciousness he woke up the next day on

a cot. beside another badly wounded soldier he looked over and saw his brother bill they made it they made it they made. at 98 years old ray is here with us today with his 4th purple heart and his 3rd silver star probably. for free you are so much you.

thank you. nearly 2 hours in unrelenting fire from these bluffs kept the americans pinned down on the sand now read with our hero's blood then just

a few 100 yards from where i'm standing a breakthrough came the battle turned and with it history. down on the beach captain joe dawson the son of a texas preacher led company g. through a minefield. to a natural fall. in the hills still here just beyond this path to my right captain dawson snuck beneath an enemy machine gun perch and tossed his grenades soon american troops were charging up dawson's draw. what a job he did what bravery he showed. lieutenant spaulding and the men from company he moved on to crush the enemy strongpoint on the far side of this

separate tear and stop the slaughter on the beach. countless war americans poured out across this ground all over the countries. they joined fellow american warriors from utah beach and allies from juneau sword in gold along with the airborne and the french patriots private 1st class russell pickett of the 29th divisions famed 160 infantry regiment had been wounded in the 1st wave that landed on omaha beach at a hospital in england private pickett valor to return the battle i'm going to return he said i'm going to return. 6 days after

d.-day he rejoined his company 2 thirds had been killed already. many had been wounded within 15 minutes of the invasion. they lost 19 just from the small town of bedford virginia alone before long a grenade left private pickett. and he was gravely wounded so badly won't. again he chose to return he didn't care he had to be here he was then wanted a 3rd time and laid unconscious for 12 days they thought he was gone they thought he had no chance russell pickett is the last known survive of the legendary company. in 2 day believe it or not he has

returned once more to the sures to be with his comrades private beckett you honor us all with your presence.

by the 4th week of august paris was liberated. somewhere landed here pushed all the way to the center of germany some threw open the gates of nazi concentration camps to liberate jews who had suffered the bottomless horrors of the holocaust and some warriors fell on other fields of battle returning to rest on this soil for eternity. before this place was consecrated to history the land was owned by

a french farmer a member of the french resistance these were great people these were strong and tough people. his terrified wife waited out the day in a nearby house holding tight to their little baby girl the next day a soldier appeared i'm an american he said i'm here to help. the french woman was overcome with emotion and cried days later she laid flowers on fresh american graves today her granddaughter stephanie serves as a guide at this cemetery this week stephanie led 92 year old marian wind of california to see the grave of her brother done for the very 1st. marian and stephanie are both with us

today and we thank you for keeping alive the memories of our precious heroes thank you. i. i i i. i .

neither $1388.00 young americans rest beneath the white crosses and stars of david. arrayed on these beautiful grounds. each one has been adopted by a french family that thinks of him as their own they come from all over france to look after our boys they kneel they cry they pray a place flowers and they never forget today america embraces the french people. and thank you for honoring our beloved dead thank you.

i . to all of our friends and partners. our cherished alliance was forged in the heat of battle tested in the trials of war and prove it in the blessings of peace our bond is unbreakable. from across the earth americans are drawn to this place as though it were a part of our very soul we come not only because of what they did here we come because of who they were they were young men with their entire lives before them they were husbands who

said good bye to their young brides and took their duty as their fate they were fathers who would never meet their infant sons and daughters because they had a job to do and with god as their witness they were going to get it done. they came wave after wave without question without hesitation and without complaint more powerful than the strength of american arms was the strength of american hearts. these men ran through the fires of hell moved by a force no weapon could destroy the fierce

patriotism of a free proud and sovereign people. they battled not for control and domination but for liberty democracy and self rule they pressed on for love and home and country the main streets the school yards to churches and neighbors the families and communities that gave us men such as these they were sustained by the confidence that america can do anything because we are a noble nation with a virtuous people praying to a righteous god the exceptional might came

from a truly exceptional spirit the abundance of courage came from an abundance of faith the great deeds of an army came from the great depths of their love as they confronted their fate the americans of the hour placed themselves into the palm of god's hand the men behind me will tell you that they are just the lucky ones. as one of them recently put it all the heroes are buried here but we know what these men did we knew how brave they were they came here and saved freedom and then they went home and showed us all what freedom is all

about the american sons and daughters who saw us to victory.