It sure is good to see you.
♪
WILL: TODAY MARKS 77 YEARS SINCE
D-DAY.
VETERANS AND FAMILY MEMBERS
GATHERING IN FRANCE PAYING
TRIBUTE TO THE THOUSANDS KILLED
AND INJUREDDED.
CARLEY: THIS INCLUDES MORE THAN
2500 AMERICAN SOLDIERS WHO DIED
ON THE BEACHES OF NORMANDY, THE
LARGEST SEA IS-BORNE INVASION IN
HISTORY -- SEA-BORNE INVASION IN
HISTORY AND ULTIMATELY THE END
OF WORLD WAR II.
LAWRENCE: HERE WITH MORE,
PRESIDENT OF THE NATIONAL D-DAY
MEMORIAL FOUNDATION, APRIL MESSIER.
WHAT DOES THIS DATE MEAN TO YOU?
>> OH, GOODNESS, I THINK THIS
WAS SUCH AN IMPORTANT DATE FOR ALL OF US.
ALL OF US.
JUNE 6TH WAS A DATE WHERE IT
TRULY TURNED THE TIDE OF WORLD
WAR II.
IT WAS THE LIBERATION OF FRANCE
WHICH ALLOWED US TO MOVE FORWARD
AND INTO GERMANY.
AS EISENHOWER SAID IN HIS FAMOUS
ORDER OF THE DAY, THE LIB ARE
RATION -- LIBERATION OF THE
OPPRESSED PEOPLES OF EUROPE, AND
IT ALLOWED US TO REALLY WIN THE
WAR.
SO WE ARE GRATEFUL TO ALL OF
THOSE WHO SERVED AND SACRIFICED
SO MUCH DURING THAT TIME.
CARLEY: YEAH. YOU KNOW, APRIL, I WAS READING
YOU KNOW, APRIL, I WAS READING
ABOUT A 96-YEAR-OLD WORLD WAR II
VETERAN WHO WAS THE ONLY VETERAN
STILL ALIVE E WHO ATTENDED LOCAL
D-DAY CEREMONIES, SO WE ARE
LOSING THESE BRAVE MEN AND
WOMEN.
AND IT’S SO IMPORTANT TO HONOR
THEM.
ALSO WE CAN LEARN FROM THEM.
WHAT CAN WE TODAY LEARN FROM THE
FOLKS WHO SERVED IN WORLD WAR
II?
>> OH, THEY HAVE SO MUCH THEY
CAN TEACH US, AND IT’S BEEN SUCH
AN HONOR OVER THE YEARS TO HEAR
THEIR STORIES AND TRULY JUST SEE
HOW EVERYONE CAME TOGETHER. IT
IT WAS TRULY ABOUT NOT ONLY
PATRIOTISM, BUT COOPERATION.
YOU KNOW, YOU LOOK AT D-DAY, IT
WAS THE MOST COMPLEX MILITARY
OPERATION EVER ATTEMPTED, AND
ALL OF THESE ALLIED FORCES --
NOT JUST AMERICANS, BUT THE
ALLIES -- COMING TOGETHER ON AN
INTERNATIONAL SCALE TO DEFEAT
NAZI TYRANNY, IT WAS NOT ONLY THE ACHIEVEMENT, BUT I THINK WE