里根演讲.docx

里根演讲.docx

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里根演讲

RonaldReagan

Remarksonthe40thAnniversaryofD-Day

We'reheretomarkthatdayinhistorywhentheAlliedarmiesjoinedinbattletoreclaimthiscontinenttoliberty.Forfourlongyears,muchofEuropehadbeenunderaterribleshadow.Freenationshadfallen,Jewscriedoutinthecamps,millionscriedoutforliberation.Europewasenslavedandtheworldprayedforitsrescue.Here,inNormandy,therescuebegan.Here,theAlliesstoodandfoughtagainsttyranny,inagiantundertakingunparalleledinhumanhistory.

Westandonalonely,windsweptpointonthenorthernshoreofFrance.Theairissoft,butfortyyearsagoatthismoment,theairwasdensewithsmokeandthecriesofmen,andtheairwasfilledwiththecrackofriflefireandtheroarofcannon.Atdawn,onthemorningofthe6thofJune,1944,twohundredandtwenty-fiveRangersjumpedofftheBritishlandingcraftandrantothebottomofthesecliffs.

Theirmissionwasoneofthemostdifficultanddaringoftheinvasion:

toclimbthesesheeranddesolatecliffsandtakeouttheenemyguns.TheAllieshadbeentoldthatsomeofthemightiestofthesegunswerehere,andtheywouldbetrainedonthebeachestostoptheAlliedadvance.

TheRangerslookedupandsawtheenemysoldiersattheedgeofthecliffs,shootingdownatthemwithmachinegunsandthrowinggrenades.AndtheAmericanRangersbegantoclimb.Theyshotropeladdersoverthefaceofthesecliffsandbegantopullthemselvesup.WhenoneRangerfell,anotherwouldtakehisplace.Whenoneropewascut,aRangerwouldgrabanotherandbeginhisclimbagain.Theyclimbed,shotback,andheldtheirfooting.Soon,onebyone,theRangerspulledthemselvesoverthetop,andinseizingthefirmlandatthetopofthesecliffs,theybegantoseizebackthecontinentofEurope.Twohundredandtwenty-fivecamehere.Aftertwodaysoffighting,onlyninetycouldstillbeararms.

AndbehindmeisamemorialthatsymbolizestheRangerdaggersthatwerethrustintothetopofthesecliffs.Andbeforemearethemenwhoputthemthere.ThesearetheboysofPointeduHoc.Thesearethemenwhotookthecliffs.Thesearethechampionswhohelpedfreeacontinent.Andthesearetheheroeswhohelpedendawar.Gentlemen,IlookatyouandIthinkofthewordsofStephenSpender'spoem.Youaremenwhoinyour"livesfoughtforlifeandleftthevividairsignedwithyourhonor."

IthinkIknowwhatyoumaybethinkingrightnow--thinking"wewerejustpartofabiggereffort;everyonewasbravethatday."Welleveryonewas.DoyourememberthestoryofBillMillinofthe51stHighlanders?

Fortyyearsagotoday,Britishtroopswerepinneddownnearabridge,waitingdesperatelyforhelp.Suddenly,theyheardthesoundofbagpipes,andsomethoughttheyweredreaming.Well,theyweren't.TheylookedupandsawBillMillinwithhisbagpipes,leadingthereinforcementsandignoringthesmackofthebulletsintothegroundaroundhim.

LordLovatwaswithhim--LordLovatofScotland,whocalmlyannouncedwhenhegottothebridge,"Sorry,I'mafewminuteslate,"asifhe'dbeendelayedbyatrafficjam,whenintruthhe'djustcomefromthebloodyfightingonSwordBeach,whichheandhismenhadjusttaken.

TherewastheimpossiblevalorofthePoles,whothrewthemselvesbetweentheenemyandtherestofEuropeastheinvasiontookhold;andtheunsurpassedcourageoftheCanadianswhohadalreadyseenthehorrorsofwaronthiscoast.Theyknewwhatawaitedthemthere,buttheywouldnotbedeterred.AndoncetheyhitJunoBeach,theyneverlookedback.

Allofthesemenwerepartofarollcallofhonorwithnamesthatspokeofaprideasbrightasthecolorstheybore;TheRoyalWinnipegRifles,Poland's24thLancers,theRoyalScots'Fusiliers,theScreamingEagles,theYeomenofEngland'sarmoreddivisions,theforcesofFreeFrance,theCoastGuard's"MatchboxFleet,"andyou,theAmericanRangers.

Fortysummershavepassedsincethebattlethatyoufoughthere.Youwereyoungthedayyoutookthesecliffs;someofyouwerehardlymorethanboys,withthedeepestjoysoflifebeforeyou.Yetyouriskedeverythinghere.Why?

Whydidyoudoit?

Whatimpelledyoutoputasidetheinstinctforself-preservationandriskyourlivestotakethesecliffs?

Whatinspiredallthemenofthearmiesthatmethere?

Welookatyou,andsomehowweknowtheanswer.Itwasfaithandbelief.Itwasloyaltyandlove.

ThemenofNormandyhadfaiththatwhattheyweredoingwasright,faiththattheyfoughtforallhumanity,faiththatajustGodwouldgrantthemmercyonthisbeachhead,oronthenext.Itwasthedeepknowledge--andprayGodwehavenotlostit--thatthereisaprofoundmoraldifferencebetweentheuseofforceforliberationandtheuseofforceforconquest.Youwereheretoliberate,nottoconquer,andsoyouandthoseothersdidnotdoubtyourcause.Andyouwererightnottodoubt.

Youallknewthatsomethingsareworthdyingfor.One'scountryisworthdyingfor,anddemocracyisworthdyingfor,becauseit'sthemostdeeplyhonorableformofgovernmenteverdevisedbyman.Allofyoulovedliberty.Allofyouwerewillingtofighttyranny,andyouknewthepeopleofyourcountrieswerebehindyou.

TheAmericanswhofoughtherethatmorningknewwordoftheinvasionwasspreadingthroughthedarknessbackhome.Theyfought--orfeltintheirhearts,thoughtheycouldn'tknowinfact,thatinGeorgiatheywerefillingthechurchesat4:

00am.InKansastheywerekneelingontheirporchesandpraying.AndinPhiladelphiatheywereringingtheLibertyBell.

SomethingelsehelpedthemenofD-day;theirrock-hardbeliefthatProvidencewouldhaveagreathandintheeventsthatwouldunfoldhere;thatGodwasanallyinthisgreatcause.Andso,thenightbeforetheinvasion,whenColonelWolvertonaskedhisparachutetroopstokneelwithhiminprayer,hetoldthem:

"Donotbowyourheads,butlookupsoyoucanseeGodandaskHisblessinginwhatwe'reabouttodo."Also,thatnight,GeneralMatthewRidgwayonhiscot,listeninginthedarknessforthepromiseGodmadetoJoshua:

"Iwillnotfailtheenorforsakethee."

Thesearethethingsthatimpelledthem;thesearethethingsthatshapedtheunityoftheAllies.

Whenthewarwasover,therewerelivestoberebuiltandgovernmentstobereturnedtothepeople.Therewerenationstobereborn.Aboveall,therewasanewpeacetobeassured.Thesewerehugeanddauntingtasks.ButtheAlliessummonedstrengthfromthefaith,belief,loyalty,andloveofthosewhofellhere.TheyrebuiltanewEuropetogether.Therewasfirstagreatreconciliationamongthosewhohadbeenenemies,allofwhomhadsufferedsogreatly.TheUnitedStatesdiditspart,creatingtheMarshallPlantohelprebuildouralliesandourformerenemies.TheMarshallPlanledtotheAtlanticalliance--agreatalliancethatservestothisdayasourshieldforfreedom,forprosperity,andforpeace.

Inspiteofourgreateffortsandsuccesses,notallthatfollowedtheendofthewarwashappyorplanned.Someliberatedcountrieswerelost.ThegreatsadnessofthislossechoesdowntoourowntimeinthestreetsofWarsaw,Prague,andEastBerlin.TheSoviettroopsthatcametothecenterofthiscontinentdidnotleavewhenpeacecame.They'restillthere,uninvited,unwanted,unyielding,almostfortyyearsafterthewar.Becauseofthis,alliedforcesstillstandonthiscontinent.Today,asfortyyearsago,ourarmiesarehereforonlyonepurpose:

toprotectanddefenddemocracy.Theonlyterritoriesweholdarememorialslikethisoneandgraveyardswhereourheroesrest.

WeinAmericahavelearnedbitterlessonsfromtwoworldwars.Itisbettertobeherereadytoprotectthepeace,thantotakeblindshelteracrossthesea,rushingtorespondonlyafterfreedomislost.We'velearnedthatisolationismneverwasandneverwillbeanacceptableresponsetotyrannicalgovernmentswithanexpansionistintent.Butwetryalwaystobepreparedforpeace,preparedtodeteraggression,preparedtonegotiatethereductionofarms,andyes,preparedtoreachoutagaininthespiritofreconciliation.Intruth,thereisnoreconciliationwewouldwelcomemorethanareconciliationwiththeSovietUnion,so,together,wecanlessentherisksofwar,nowandforever.

It'sfittingtorememberherethegreatlossesalsosufferedbytheRussianpeopleduringWorldWarII.Twentymillionperished,aterriblepricethattestifiestoalltheworldthenecessityofendingwar.ItellyoufrommyheartthatweintheUnitedStatesdonotwantwar.Wewanttowipefromthefaceoftheearththeterribleweaponsthatmannowhasinhishands.AndItellyou,wearereadytoseizethatbeachhead.WelookforsomesignfromtheSovietUnionthattheyarewillingtomoveforward,thattheyshareourdesireandloveforpeace,andthattheywillgiveupthewaysofconquest.Theremustbeachangingtherethatwillallowustoturnourhopeintoaction.

Wewillprayforeverthatsomedaythatchangingwillcome.Butfornow,particularlytoday,itisgoodandfittingtorenewourcommitmenttoeachother,toourfreedom,andtothealliancethatprotectsit.

We'reboundtodaybywhatboundus40yearsago,thesameloyalties,traditions,andbeliefs.We'reboundbyreality.ThestrengthofAmerica'salliesisvitaltotheUnitedStates,andtheAmericansecurityguaranteeisessentialtothecontinuedfreedomofEurope'sdemocracies.Wewerewithyouthen;we'rewithyounow.Yourhopesareourhopes,andyourdestinyisourdestiny.

Here,inthisplacewheretheWestheldtogether,letusmakeavowtoourdead.Letusshowthembyouractionsthatweunderstandwhattheydiedfor.Letouractionssaytothemthewordsforwhi