Echoes of Normandy: Remembering Those Who Served
On this day eighty-two years ago, over 70,000 young American men, alongside just as many of their fellow British and Canadian soldiers, stormed the heavily defended beaches at Normandy to liberate a continent from fascist tyranny in the largest combined amphibious and airborne assault in history. There were some great intelligence, code-breaking and deception operations leading up to the invasion undertaken by some amazing men and women, all worthy of study particularly by those of us with careers in national security, but on that day the story was the courage, determination, innovation and sacrifices of our citizen soldiers on those beaches. They fought for the security of their families back home, for the rights we enjoy under our Constitution, for the freedom of the subjugated people of Europe, and — in those most terrifying of moments — they fought for their lives and the lives of their brothers-in-arms on either side of them on the field of battle.
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Their struggles and their sacrifices brought freedom to millions, reaffirmed America’s commitment to freedom for millions more at home and abroad, and forged relationships that led to peace even among former enemies. It is particularly worth remembering the sacrifices of that day in 1944 as another devastating war in Europe threatens the sovereignty of a democratic nation, and breaks the promise that hard-won victory offered of lasting peace for millions in Europe.
As the proud son and nephew of two of those brave young men, I ask that each of us in our own way remember the men and the events of that day and the bitter days, weeks and months that followed. The struggle against tyranny, extremism and oppression continues worldwide, far away and yet very near, but we have the examples of those courageous and selfless men and women from which we can draw inspiration — as individuals; as current and former military, intelligence officers, diplomats, and public servants; and as Americans. The need to remember and the challenges we face abroad and at home persist, and as long as I am able I will champion that reminder. Scholars estimate there may be fewer than 1,800 D-Day veterans alive today; that number gets smaller every day, so if you know one, please don’t wait too long to say thanks.
