Millions Cried Out For Liberation And The World Prayed For Its Rescue

World War II veteran Paul Jackson, who landed on the beach during D-Day, signs a photograph from D-Day during an event to commemorate the 70th anniversary of Victory in Europe (VE) Day at the National World War II Memorial on the National Mall in Washington, DC. (Photo credit: SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images)

This day, June 6th, marks the 72nd anniversary of D-Day.  Operation Overlord was the largest invasion by sea in history on the Normandy shores of France and was the turning point in World War II by Allied Forces to liberate the continent of Europe from Nazi Germany.

There are so few surviving veterans.  The National World War II Museum estimates that by 2036, there will be no living veterans out of the roughly 16 million who served from the United States.

Prolific character actor, Charles Durning, who died on Christmas Eve 2012, was in the first wave of troops to land on Omaha Beach on D-Day and his unit’s lone survivor of a machine gun ambush.

For much of his life, he avoided discussing the harrowing combat experiences that never left him confessing, “There are many secrets in us, in the depths of our souls that we don’t want anyone to know about.  There’s terror and repulsion in us, the terrible spot that we don’t talk about.  That place that no one knows about—horrifying things we keep secret.”

In 2007, during the National Memorial Day Concert from the West Lawn of the US Capitol, Durning recounted the horror of the landing on Omaha Beach.  It was riveting and left the audience in tears.

Durning was awarded a Silver Star for valor and three Purple Hearts.  He spent months in hospitals and was treated for psychological trauma.  In 2008, France awarded him the National Order of the Legion of Honor.

This June 6, remember well the heroism of all those young men who fought to liberate America’s oldest ally from Nazi occupation. Without their service and sacrifice, our world might be a darker place. Gen. George S. Patton may have summed it up best when he said, "It is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died. Rather we should thank God that such men lived."

They Left The Vivid Air Signed With Their Honor

An aerial view of the American cemetery in Colleville-sur-Mer, near Omaha beach, site of the vast military operation by Allied forces in Normandy, which turned the tide of World War II, eventually leading to the liberation of occupied France and the end of the war against Nazi Germany. 
(Photo credit JOEL SAGET/AFP/Getty Images)

As many of you champ at the bit waiting for the three day weekend commemorating Memorial Day to start, I wanted to take a moment to share my thoughts on the magnitude of what this “holiday” means to America.

President Ronald Reagan, speaking at Arlington National Cemetery in 1982, noted that Abraham Lincoln dedicated a small cemetery at Gettysburg marking a terrible collision between the armies of the North and South.  He concluded that Lincoln was wrong when he said, “The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here; while it can never forget what they did here.”

Reagan said, “His remarks commemorating those who gave their ‘last full measure of devotion’ were long remembered.  But since that moment at Gettysburg, few other such addresses have become part of our national heritage—not because of the inadequacy of the speakers, but because of the inadequacy of words.”

“I have no illusions about what little I can add now to the silent testimony of those who gave their lives willingly for their country. Words are even more feeble on this Memorial Day, for the sight before us is that of a strong and good nation that stands in silence and remembers those who were loved and who, in return, loved their countrymen enough to die for them.”

On Memorial Day or any other day, the cemeteries for those Americans who fell in battle offer profound lessons.

In 1950, four-star General Mark W. Clark wrote about returning to Italy after World War II was won. It was Memorial Day, as it happened, and Clark was with his wife.

“We visited the American cemetery at Anzio and saw the curving rows of white crosses that spoke so eloquently of the price that America and her Allies had paid for the liberation of Italy,” he wrote. “If ever proof were needed that we fought for a cause and not for conquest, it could be found in these cemeteries. Here was our only conquest:  all we asked of Italy was enough of her soil to bury our gallant dead."

How can we remember those who have sacrificed their lives for our country?  To honor its war dead who remained overseas, the United States maintains 24 permanent military cemeteries; 22 of them in 8 countries follow the path of American forces in World War I and World War II in the European Theater and the Pacific Theater of the global conflict.  These are some of the most highly maintained shrines of their nature in the world.  Among the graves are tales of dedication and heroism for the nation.

Beneath the neatly patterned white crosses and Stars of David lie the remains of 125,000 Americans. There are 94,000 more names commemorated on Walls of the Missing whose bodies were never found. Dignified and serene, they were created to honor America's fallen, but they are also intended to inspire and eloquently teach the living the scope of their sacrifice and loss in the sweep of history.

The next few paragraphs are dedicated to my friends who are veterans of Vietnam.  I bear no shame in telling you that I revered Ronald Reagan.  No one did more to heal the nation with his optimism and patriotism and the promise that America was indeed a land that God had blessed.

On Veteran’s Day 1984, President Reagan spoke at the dedication of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Statue.

“Those who fought in Vietnam are part of us, part of our history. They reflected the best in us. No number of wreaths, no amount of music and memorializing will ever do them justice but it is good for us that we honor them and their sacrifice. And it's good that we do it in the reflected glow of the enduring symbols of our Republic.” 

“The fighting men depicted in the statue we dedicate today, the three young American servicemen, are individual only in terms of their battle dress; all are as one, with eyes fixed upon the memorial bearing the names of their brothers in arms. On their youthful faces, faces too young to have experienced war, we see expressions of loneliness and profound love and a fierce determination never to forget.” 

“The men of Vietnam answered the call of their country. Some of them died in the arms of many of you here today, asking you to look after a newly born child or care for a loved one. They died uncomplaining. The tears staining their mud-caked faces were not for self-pity but for the sorrow they knew the news of their death would cause their families and friends.” 

“As you knelt alongside his litter and held him one last time, you heard his silent message—he asked you not to forget.” 

“When you returned home, you brought solace to the loved ones of those who fell, but little solace was given to you. Some of your countrymen were unable to distinguish between our native distaste for war and the stainless patriotism of those who suffered its scars. But there's been a rethinking there, too. And now we can say to you, and say as a nation: Thank you for your courage. Thank you for being patient with your countrymen. Thank you. Thank you for continuing to stand with us together.” 

“The men and women of Vietnam fought for freedom in a place where liberty was in danger. They put their lives in danger to help a people in a land far away from their own. Many sacrificed their lives in the name of duty, honor, and country. All were patriots who lit the world with their fidelity and courage.”

Please stay safe this weekend.  Enjoy your freedom and thank you for your readership.

Mr. President Tear Down This Wall

The second day of the Democrats’ government shutdown brought with it another day of World War II veterans “storming” the barricades and fences set up to keep them out of the World War II Memorial.

There will be 23 more Honor Flights during the month of October and the possibility of 23 more confrontations with Park Police and fake protesters.

It’s no coincidence that the National Parks Service released this statement yesterday:

"The Honor Flights are being granted access to the WWII memorial to conduct First Amendment activities in accordance with National Park Service regulations applicable to the National Mall and Memorial Parks."

What brought about this reversal of abuse of our treasured veterans who waited 65 years for their own memorial on the National Mall?

A team of legal experts at The American Center for Law and Justice led by Jay Sekulow and Robert W. Ash warned the president, “Should the closure of the memorial continue, we will be obligated to file a federal lawsuit seeking an injunction against the government.”

Their letter, delivered to the White House via oversight service, said the “Greatest Generation” as represented by the veterans who were scheduled to visit the memorial, and who actually moved the barricades and tore down barriers erected by workers on the orders of the administration, “stepped forward during some of the darkest days of our history and placed themselves in harm’s way to protect the country they loved and our way of life.”

“Veterans of the Second World War are dying at the rate of approximately 640 per day. In order to allow veterans to see the memorial that was erected in their honor, Honor Flights have been organized to bring interested veterans to Washington to see the memorial that was erected to honor them,” the attorneys explained.

“Whoever in your administration made that decision exercised extremely poor judgment and should be admonished.”

“What we are witnessing is a disturbing violation of the First Amendment rights of our nation’s heroes,” said Jay Sekulow, chief counsel of the ACLJ. “By spending money to bring in barricades to attempt to shut-down an open-air memorial is abhorrent and deeply insulting to WWII vets who defended the very freedoms that are now threatened by the Obama administration’s actions.”

The issue of the closure of the World War II memorial took over headlines nationwide on Wednesday, just a day after the first confrontation developed.

Additionally, Rep. Steven Palazzo (R-MS) issued this terse warning:

“With due respect, Mr. President, we demand: First, that the World War II memorial be reopened immediately for all veterans, their families, and the public to honor and recognize the courage and achievement of those who fought to keep us free; Second, that the memorial be opened once again for First Amendment expressive activity by all members of the public; Third, that the barricades be taken down and removed forthwith; and Fourth, that you issue a personal apology on behalf of your administration to the veterans and their families who have been affected by the current closure.”

As was reported yesterday, the closure of the memorial was deliberately ordered by this administration.  A despicable act to say the least and was clearly politically motivated. 

At the WWII Memorial, Carol Johnson w/the Park Service says they were told to close the site by White House's Office of Management & Budget.

— Stephen Hayes (@stephenfhayes) October 2, 2013

Shame on The World’s Most Dangerous Community Organizer who daily spits in the faces of active duty military service members and veterans.

Velvet Ropes, Barricades And The Democrat’s Government Shutdown

Photo Credit:  Kevin Lamarque / Reuters

At the World War II Memorial there is a Freedom Wall.  The Monument is known as the Field of Gold Stars.  The inscription there reads: 

Here We Mark The Price Of Freedom

At the entrance to the memorial is the Announcement Stone.  The inscription on that stone reads:

Here In The Presence Of Washington And Lincoln,

One The Eighteenth Century Father And The Other The

Nineteenth Century Preserver Of Our Nation,

We Honor Those Twentieth Century Americans

Who Took Up The Struggle During The Second World War

And Made Sacrifices To Perpetuate The Gift Our Forefathers

Entrusted To Us:

A Nation Conceived In Liberty And Justice

The memorial weaves the watershed event of the 20th century into the National Mall's historical narrative as it humbly pays tribute to America’s greatest generation. 

More than 125 Honor Flight veterans from Mississippi and Iowa arrived for a previously scheduled visit to the World War II Memorial Tuesday morning, the first day of the government shutdown, to find it barricaded by the National Park Service. Several members of Congress escorted them inside after cutting police tape and moving barriers that blocked the memorial.

The trip had been planned for months for a group of 91 veterans as well as family members and escorts.

The Daily Caller and Ace of Spades reported that The World’s Most Dangerous Community Organizer specifically denied a permit to allow these veterans to visit the memorial.

Former Senator Bob Dole said of the memorial:

“When World War II ended, the generation of Americans that defeated the forces of tyranny neither asked for nor expected a memorial. They came home. They went to work. And they built a nation that remains the world's most powerful example of democracy and freedom in action.” 

“Many heroes from that great conflict did not return home. They didn't live to see the fruits of their sacrifice.  More than 12 million of the 16 million who served in uniform will not live to see the memorial completed. We build this memorial in their memory. We build it so future generations of Americans never forget what the World War II generation was called to do. We build it so they never forget the cost of freedom.” 

“There will come a day when many of our youth will be called veterans. Although our prayers ask for peace, the lessons of history teach us that freedom is not free. It must be earned and it must be protected from those who would conquer and oppress.” 

“The World War II Memorial will reinforce the message of our National Mall—the message of freedom—for generations to come.”

We owe our World War II veterans—in fact, all our veterans—a debt we can never fully repay.

The kabuki theater over national park closings is a disgusting, vindictive and trivial antic by this president and his minions in the Democratic Party.  It is meant to give the American people the sense that the function of federal workers is to open velvet ropes and point to where Washington once slept.

For the troops, many of whom are wheelchair-bound and now in their 80’s and 90’s, who fought at Pearl Harbor, Wake Island, Bataan Corregidor, The Coral Sea, Midway, Guadalcanal, New Guinea, Buna, Tarawa, Iwo Jima, Murmansk Run, Anzio, St. Lo, Alsace, The Battle of the Bulge and Remagen Bridge, storming the Memorial against National Park Police was an easy victory.

Erecting barricades to keep these honorable men and women from the memorial that was built in their honor became something vile.   All these elderly vets wanted to do was lay flowers and pay their respects to their fallen brothers— a generation that changed the world.

And the president remained silent.