Today, 78 years ago America's Greatest Generation and our allies faced a huge German challenge along the shores of France. D-Day. They came from Ohio, California, Iowa along with New York, and everywhere else. They were both rich and poor and all between. They responded to the call of the highest order. Freedom for us, and freedom of people in many other countries was questioned and they stood up to defend it, as President Reagan declared in his memorable speech he delivered in Pointe du Hoc commemorating the 40th anniversary of the day due to the fact that they “knew that some things are worth dying for.”
It's no secret that certain things are worth dying for. A nation is something worth dying for and democracy is well worth dying for because it's the most honorable type of government that has ever been invented by mankind. You all enjoyed liberty. All of you were ready to stand up against tyranny, and you were confident that the citizens of your nations were with your back.
Estimated deaths (sadly it's impossible to be able to pinpoint exactly) included approximately two thousand Americans with 1900 allies. This is a large number of Gold Star families. How many Americans have heard of this? Do they appreciate the sacrifices made by those soldiers during the battle that ultimately ended victory at the European Front? Evidently, not enough. And here we are.
The world is an extremely dangerous place. In the time of WWII when the population was at its highest, around 11% of the American population was actively serving within the army. At present, that number is just a fraction of 1. This means that a small percentage of people know anyone who has been in the military which has led to an enormous gap between people. Our current culture isn't getting the concept. We've lost our connection. We've lost the purpose and the knowledge of the purpose that our military has to serve. I've heard a phrase in the past that I regret now: “Our military exists to kill people and break things.” While this is true, it's also a bit limited and we're here for many other things. The US military is simultaneously the most powerful guarantee of liberty, freedom, and humanitarian assistance throughout the globe. From the presidency of President Reagan:
“Forty years are gone since that fight that you engaged in here. You were young when you climbed these cliffs, many of you were barely older than boys, but with the greatest happiness of life in front of you. But, you took a risk in this place. Why? Why did you do it? What prompted you to put aside your self-preservation instincts and put your life at risk to cross these high cliffs? What was the motivation behind all the soldiers of the armies who fought here? We glance at you and we have the answer. The answer was faith, and trust as well as the love of loyalty.”
A couple of times when Bill Clinton was chatting around the White House, I was his Air Force Military Aide and carrying his “Nuclear Football,” the President's Emergency Satchel, as well as all the other items POTUS has to unleash nuclear weapons. My job was not an appointment. It wasn't a political position; it was a mission for the military. But that didn't stop me from watching what was happening around me; then later (after retiring) I wrote the best-selling work “Dereliction of Duty: The Eyewitness Account of How Bill Clinton Compromised America's National Security.”
What was immediately evident for me was the Clinton administration's distorted conception of our military and its importance in the functioning of a republic. One of the most fundamental facts concerning the US military throughout the years was its non-political nature as well as its commitment to achieving success. The primary mission of our military is clearly to win the wars of our country. In the Clinton times, the mission was involved in politics as well as the larger culture war, of which the national defense shouldn't be a part of -however, here we are.
As has become increasingly evident in the last more than 18 months since the Biden administration took power, it is continuing to implement the policies that failed Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, as well as George W. Bush.
