Thread by @USWPColby

I had the great honor on Saturday to serve as the senior civilian American representative at the International Ceremony commemorating the 82nd D-Day anniversary.  It was a particular privilege, as the U.S. representative, to honor all of our brave allies that day, but especially our British and Canadian allies, who played the leading role at the nearby Juno and Sword Beaches. 1/

In my remarks, I provided our salute to the “soldiers, sailors, and airmen from Great Britain and Canada, [who] demonstrated the courage, tenacity, dedication, daring, and loyalty that won them the lasting admiration and gratitude of the whole world – not only here in Normandy but also through the entirety of two World Wars.” 2/
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I was honored to shake hands with veterans of the Free French forces and to honor the French battle flags. The Free French cause commands our respect, and I feel a particular personal admiration for it. My grandfather jumped into France with two Free French comrades and fought with the French Resistance in the Yonne Department, helping the Resistance clear the way for the charge of the Third Army under General Patton. 3/

It was also a fitting occasion to commemorate 250 years of collaboration between our two great countries, as Prime Minister Lecornu eloquently reminded us, from Saratoga and Yorktown through the Western Front, through D-Day, and to today. 4/

I concluded my remarks with a call to look forward: “Our purpose now must be to take our resolve from the legacy of Normandy – to look at our challenges realistically and seriously, to build our military strength individually and together, and to restore our home fronts so that they can, once again, supply overwhelming superiority in weapons and munitions.” 5/

“If we all do our part in this, then we can hope with confidence that we will achieve the noble purpose Eisenhower set for his forces that grave day: ‘Security for ourselves in a free world.’” 6/6