the ceremonies honoring the fortieth anniversary of d day became more than commemorations. they became celebrations of heroism and sacrifice.
this place, pointe du hoc, in itself was moving and majestic. i stood there on that windswept point with the ocean behind me. before me were the boys who forty years before had fought their way up from the ocean. some rested under the white crosses and stars of david that stretched out across the landscape. others sat right in front of me. they looked like elderly businessmen, yet these were the kids who climbed the cliffs.*
we’re here to mark that day in history when the allied armies joined in battle to reclaim this continent to liberty. for four long years, much of europe had been under a terrible shadow. free nations had fallen, jews cried out in the camps, millions cried out for liberation. europe was enslaved, and the world prayed for its rescue. here, in normandy, the rescue began. here, the allies stood and fought against tyranny, in a giant undertaking unparalleled in human history.
we stand on a lonely, windswept point on the northern shore of france. the air is soft, but forty years ago at this moment, the air was dense with smoke and the cries of men, and the air was filled with the crack of rifle fire and the roar of cannon. at dawn, on the morning of the 6th of june, 1944, two hundred and twenty-five rangers jumped off the british landing craft and ran to the bottom of these cliffs.
their mission was one of the most difficult and daring of the invasion: to climb these sheer and desolate cliffs and take out the enemy guns. the allies had been told that some of the mightiest of these guns were here, and they would be trained on the beaches to stop the allied advance.
the rangers looked up and saw the enemy soldiers at the edge of the cliffs, shooting down at them with machine guns and throwing grenades. and the american rangers began to climb. they shot rope ladders over the face of these cliffs and began to pull themselves up. when one ranger fell, another would take his place. when one rope was cut, a ranger would grab another and begin his climb again. they climbed, shot back, and held their footing. soon, one by one, the rangers pulled themselves over the top, and in seizing the firm land at the top of these cliffs, they began to seize back the continent of europe. two hundred and twenty-five came here. after two days of fighting, only ninety could still bear arms.
and behind me is a memorial that symbolizes the ranger daggers that were thrust into the top of these cliffs. and before me are the men who put them here. these are the boys of pointe du hoc. these are the men who took the cliffs. these are the champions who helped free a continent. these are the heroes who helped end a war. gentlemen, i look at you and i think of the words of stephen spender’s poem. you are men who in your "lives fought for life and left the vivid air signed with your honor."
i think i know what you may be thinking right now -- thinking "we were just part of a bigger effort; everyone was brave that day." well everyone was. do you remember the story of bill millin of the 51st highlanders? forty years ago today, british troops were pinned down near a bridge, waiting desperately for help. suddenly, they heard the sound of bagpipes, and some thought they were dreaming. well, they weren’t. they looked up and saw bill millin with his bagpipes, leading the reinforcements and ignoring the smack of the bullets into the ground around him.
lord lovat was with him -- lord lovat of scotland, who calmly announced when he got to the bridge, "sorry, i’m a few minutes late," as if he’d been delayed by a traffic jam, when in truth he’d just come from the bloody fighting on sword beach, which he and his men had just taken.
there was the impossible valor of the poles, who threw themselves between the enemy and the rest of europe as the invasion took hold; and the unsurpassed courage of the canadians who had already seen the horrors of war on this coast. they knew what awaited them there, but they would not be deterred. and once they hit juno beach, they never looked back.
all of these men were part of a roll call of honor with names that spoke of a pride as bright as the colors they bore; the royal winnipeg rifles, poland’s 24th lancers, the royal scots fusiliers, the screaming eagles, the yeomen of england’s armored divisions, the forces of free france, the coast guard’s "matchbox fleet," and you, the american rangers.
forty summers have passed since the battle that you fought here. you were young the day you took these cliffs; some of you were hardly more than boys, with the deepest joys of life before you. yet you risked everything here. why? why did you do it? what impelled you to put aside the instinct for self-preservation and risk your lives to take these cliffs? what inspired all the men of the armies that met here? we look at you, and somehow we know the answer. it was faith and belief. it was loyalty and love.
the men of normandy had faith that what they were doing was right, faith that they fought for all humanity, faith that a just god would grant them mercy on this beachhead, or on the next. it was the deep knowledge -- and pray god we have not lost it -- that there is a profound moral difference between the use of force for liberation and the use of force for conquest. you were here to liberate, not to conquer, and so you and those others did not doubt your cause. and you were right not to doubt.
you all knew that some things are worth dying for. one’s country is worth dying for, and democracy is worth dying for, because it’s the most deeply honorable form of government ever devised by man. all of you loved liberty. all of you were willing to fight tyranny, and you knew the people of your countries were behind you.
the americans who fought here that morning knew word of the invasion was spreading through the darkness back home. they fought -- or felt in their hearts, though they couldn’t know in fact, that in georgia they were filling the churches at 4:00 am. in kansas they were kneeling on their porches and praying. and in philadelphia they were ringing the liberty bell.
something else helped the men of d-day; their rock-hard belief that providence would have a great hand in the events that would unfold here; that god was an ally in this great cause. and so, the night before the invasion, when colonel wolverton asked his parachute troops to kneel with him in prayer, he told them: "do not bow your heads, but look up so you can see god and ask his blessing in what we’re about to do." also, that night, general matthew ridgway on his cot, listening in the darkness for the promise god made to joshua: "i will not fail thee nor forsake thee."
these are the things that impelled them; these are the things that shaped the unity of the allies.
when the war was over, there were lives to be rebuilt and governments to be returned to the people. there were nations to be reborn. above all, there was a new peace to be assured. these were huge and daunting tasks. but the allies summoned strength from the faith, belief, loyalty, and love of those who fell here. they rebuilt a new europe together. there was first a great reconciliation among those who had been enemies, all of whom had suffered so greatly. the united states did its part, creating the marshall plan to help rebuild our allies and our former enemies. the marshall plan led to the atlantic alliance -- a great alliance that serves to this day as our shield for freedom, for prosperity, and for peace.
in spite of our great efforts and successes, not all that followed the end of the war was happy or planned. some liberated countries were lost. the great sadness of this loss echoes down to our own time in the streets of warsaw, prague, and east berlin. the soviet troops that came to the center of this continent did not leave when peace came. they’re still there, uninvited, unwanted, unyielding, almost forty years after the war. because of this, allied forces still stand on this continent. today, as forty years ago, our armies are here for only one purpose: to protect and defend democracy. the only territories we hold are memorials like this one and graveyards where our heroes rest.
we in america have learned bitter lessons from two world wars. it is better to be here ready to protect the peace, than to take blind shelter across the sea, rushing to respond only after freedom is lost. we’ve learned that isolationism never was and never will be an acceptable response to tyrannical governments with an expansionist intent. but we try always to be prepared for peace, prepared to deter aggression, prepared to negotiate the reduction of arms, and yes, prepared to reach out again in the spirit of reconciliation. in truth, there is no reconciliation we would welcome more than a reconciliation with the soviet union, so, together, we can lessen the risks of war, now and forever.
it’s fitting to remember here the great losses also suffered by the russian people during world war ii: 20 million perished, a terrible price that testifies to all the world the necessity of ending war. i tell you from my heart that we in the united states do not want war. we want to wipe from the face of the earth the terrible weapons that man now has in his hands. and i tell you, we are ready to seize that beachhead. we look for some sign from the soviet union that they are willing to move forward, that they share our desire and love for peace, and that they will give up the ways of conquest. there must be a changing there that will allow us to turn our hope into action.
we will pray forever that someday that changing will come. but for now, particularly today, it is good and fitting to renew our commitment to each other, to our freedom, and to the alliance that protects it.
we’re bound today by what bound us 40 years ago, the same loyalties, traditions, and beliefs. we’re bound by reality. the strength of america’s allies is vital to the united states, and the american security guarantee is essential to the continued freedom of europe’s democracies. we were with you then; we are with you now. your hopes are our hopes, and your destiny is our destiny.
here, in this place where the west held together, let us make a vow to our dead. let us show them by our actions that we understand what they died for. let our actions say to them the words for which matthew ridgway listened: "i will not fail thee nor forsake thee."
strengthened by their courage and heartened by their valor and borne by their memory, let us continue to stand for the ideals for which they lived and died.
thank you very much, and god bless you all.
儀式紀念成立四十週年的d一天變得更為重要紀念活動。他們成為慶祝活動的英雄主義和犧牲精神。
這個地方，角特設委員會，本身就是移動和雄偉。我站在那裏的壞天氣點我後面的海洋。在我之前是男孩誰四十年前戰鬥一路從海洋。一些休息的白色十字架和星星的大衞説，伸出整個景觀。其他星期六權利在我的前面。他們像老人商人，然而，這些人的孩子誰爬上懸崖.*
我們來這裏，紀念這一天在歷史上時，盟軍加入戰鬥收回這塊大陸上的自由。 4年之久，歐洲大部分地區下了可怕的陰影。自由的國家已經下降，猶太人大叫在難民營，數以百萬計高喊解放。歐洲是被奴役，世界祈求救援。在這裏，在諾曼底，救援開始。在這裏，為盟軍和反對暴政，在一個巨大的事業在人類歷史上無與倫比的。
我們站在一個孤獨的，風化點北岸的法國。空氣是軟的，但40年前在此時刻，空氣密度煙霧和呼聲的男人，和空氣中瀰漫着裂縫的步槍射擊和大炮的轟鳴。在清晨，上午的1944年6月6日， 225騎兵跳下英國登陸艇和運行的底部這些懸崖。
他們的任務是最困難和最大膽的入侵：攀登這些純粹和荒涼的峭壁，並採取了敵人的機槍。盟國已被告知，一些最強大的這些槍在這裏，他們將接受培訓的海灘上，以阻止盟軍前進。
騎兵抬起頭來，看到敵人的士兵在懸崖邊緣，他們擊落了機槍和投擲手榴彈。和美國騎兵開始回升。他們開槍繩子梯子在面對這些懸崖，並開始撤出自己的行動。當一個遊俠下跌，另一個將採取自己的位置。當一個人繩被切斷，一個遊俠會抓住他的另一併開始回升。他們攀升，反擊，並舉行了基礎。不久，一個接一個，騎兵撤出自己的頂端，並抓住該公司的土地上方的這些懸崖，他們開始抓住回到歐洲大陸。在兩日的XX年來到這裏。經過兩天的戰鬥中，只有90還可以攜帶武器。
和我身後是一個紀念的象徵遊俠匕首是推力進入前這些懸崖。和在我面前是誰把他們的男子在這裏。這些男孩的角特設委員會。這是誰的男人了懸崖。這些都是免費的冠軍誰幫助大陸。這是英雄誰幫助結束戰爭。先生們，我看着你和我想的話澍德的詩。你是誰在你的男人“的生活奮鬥的生活，離開了生動的空氣簽署您的榮譽。 ”
我想我知道你可能會考慮現在-思維“我們只是一部分，更大的努力;每個人都勇敢的那一天。 ”那麼大家。你還記得的故事，條例草案的第51次米林高地？ 40年前的今天，英國軍隊被牽制的橋樑附近，等待拼命尋求幫助。突然，他們聽到風笛的聲音，有些人認為他們做夢。那麼，他們沒有。他們抬起頭來，看到比爾米林他風笛，帶領增援部隊和無視帶有子彈進入地面身邊。
主洛瓦特是他-主洛瓦特蘇格蘭，誰冷靜時宣佈他的橋樑， “對不起，我幾分鐘的時間晚了， ”好像他會被推遲了交通堵塞，當他在真相的d剛從血腥的戰鬥劍海灘，他和他的男子剛剛採取。
人們不可能英勇的波蘭人，誰把自己的敵人和歐洲其他國家的入侵抓住;和無與倫比的勇氣，加拿大人誰已經看到了戰爭的恐怖在此海岸。他們知道他們有什麼期待，但他們不會被嚇倒。一旦他們達到朱諾海灘，他們再也不願回首。
所有這些人的一部分唱名榮譽與名稱，以一個驕傲一樣明亮的顏色，他們承擔;皇家温尼伯步槍，波蘭第24李曉霞，皇家蘇格蘭燧，老鷹的尖叫，在yeomen英格蘭的裝甲司，自由法國部隊，海岸警衞隊的“火柴盒艦隊”和你，美國騎兵。
第四十二夏天已經過去了，戰鬥在這裏，你打。你是年輕的一天，您把這些懸崖;一些你很難超過男生，最深切的歡樂與之前你的生活。然而，你可能這裏的一切。為什麼？你為什麼這樣做？是什麼促使你擱置的本能自我保護您的生命和風險採取這些懸崖？激發所有男人的軍隊在這裏會見了？我們期待在你，不知我們知道答案。這是信仰和信念。這是忠誠和熱愛。
男子諾曼底了信心，他們正在做的事情是正確的，戰鬥的信念，他們為全人類，信仰，公正上帝給予他們憐憫這個灘頭，或對下一步。這是深入瞭解-並祈禱上帝，我們並沒有失去它-是有深刻的道德區別使用武力解放和使用武力來征服。你在這裏解放，而不是征服，所以你和其他人並沒有懷疑你的事業。而你有權不懷疑。
你們都知道，有些事情是值得死去的。自己的國家是值得死亡和死亡的民主是值得的，因為這是最深刻光榮的政府形式所發明的人。所有你愛的自由。大家都願意打擊暴政，你知道你的人民的國家都在你身後。
美國人戰鬥在這裏，誰知道今天上午一詞的入侵蔓延通過黑暗回家。他們又打了-或覺得在他們的心中，儘管他們可能不知道，事實上，在格魯吉亞他們填補了教堂在上午4點。在堪薩斯州他們跪在他們的門廊和祈禱。和他們在費城的自由鐘響鈴。
別的幫助男人的d -天;其巖石一樣堅硬相信靜宜將有很大的手在活動，將展現在這裏，上帝是一個盟友在這一偉大的事業。所以，前一天晚上，在入侵時，沃爾弗頓上校問他的降落傘部隊跪在祈禱中與他，他告訴他們： “你們不要屈服於你的元首，但看看，以便您可以看到上帝的祝福，並要求他在我們’再約的事。 “另外，那天晚上，一般馬修裏奇韋他搖籃，聽在黑暗中對上帝的承諾作出約書亞説： “我將不辜負你，也不放棄你。 ”
這些都是促使他們這些東西，形成了統一的盟友。
當戰爭結束後，有生命重建和政府歸還給人民。有聯合國的重生。最重要的是，有一個新的和平得到保證。這是巨大的和艱鉅的任務。但盟軍傳喚力量的信仰，信念，忠誠，愛的人誰下跌這裏。他們重建一個新的歐洲合作。有第一次一個偉大之間的和解是誰了敵人，他們都遭受如此巨大。美國一直而言，它創造的馬歇爾計劃，幫助重建我們的盟國和我們以前的敵人。馬歇爾計劃導致大西洋聯盟-一個偉大的聯盟，為了這一天我們的盾牌自由，繁榮和和平。
儘管我們的巨大努力和取得的成功，並不是所有的結束後的戰爭很高興或計劃。一些國家失去了解放。在巨大悲痛的這一損失呼應，以我們自己的時間在街上的華沙，布拉格，和東柏林。蘇聯軍隊來到這個中心不離開大陸時，和平來了。他們仍然在那裏，不請自來的，不受歡迎的，不屈不撓，近40年後的戰爭。由於這一原因，盟軍仍然站在這個大陸。今天，當40年前，我們的軍隊在這裏只有一個目的：保護和捍衞民主。唯一的領土，我們舉行這樣的紀念，並在我們的英雄墓地休息。
我們在美國學到的慘痛教訓從兩次世界大戰。這是更好地在這裏隨時準備保護和平，而不是採取盲目的住房隔海相望，急於迴應後，才失去了自由。我們已經瞭解到，孤立主義從來就不是，而且永遠不會是一個可接受的響應暴虐政府擴張的意圖。但是，我們嘗試總是準備和平，制止侵略的準備，準備談判減少武器，是的，準備再次伸出的和解精神。事實上，沒有和解，我們歡迎超過和解與蘇聯，因此，我們可以共同減少風險的戰爭，現在和永遠。
它的擬合要記住這裏的巨大損失也受到了俄羅斯人民在二戰期間： XX.00萬滅亡，一個可怕的代價證明了世界上所有的必要性，結束戰爭。我告訴你從我的心，我們在美國不希望戰爭。我們要消滅從地球表面上的可怕的武器，人類現在已經在他的手裏。我告訴你，我們願意抓住這一灘頭。我們期待一些跡象從蘇聯，他們願意向前進，他們分享我們的渴望和熱愛和平，他們將放棄的方式征服。必須有一個不斷變化的出現，使我們能夠把我們的希望化為行動。
我們將永遠祈禱有朝一日，改變會。但現在，尤其是今天，它是好的，擬合重申我們的承諾，對彼此，對我們的自由，和聯盟，以保護它。
我們今天所約束的約束我們40年前，同樣的忠誠，傳統和信仰。我們是受現實。的力量，美國的盟友是至關重要的美國，與美國的安全保證是必不可少的繼續自由歐洲的民主國家。我們與你然後，我們與你現在。您的希望是我們的希望，和你的命運是我們的命運。
在這裏，在這個地方西方一併舉行，讓我們的誓言：在我們死了。讓我們告訴他們我們的行動，我們都明白他們死去。讓我們的行動對他們説的話而馬修裏奇韋點擊： “我將不辜負你，也不放棄你。 ”
加強了他們的勇氣和鼓舞，他們的英勇和所承擔的記憶，讓我們繼續主張的理想，他們生活和死亡。
非常感謝你，上帝保佑你們大家