|
From those I have been privileged enough to speak with, those whose stories I have heard, and from what I have seen, the most striking thing about the men who fought their way into Fortress Europe is their humility. Had the soldiers of the time been professionals, all-volunteer, their accomplishments would still have been vast; however, it is an enduring testament to the American nation, the culture we hold dear, and the power of a just cause that we could have done such a thing with conscripts, ordinary men thrust into extraordinary circumstances, showing the world of what stern stuff Americans are made.
Thank you to all the veterans who gave so much that we may be so lucky as to be sitting here today.
__________________
"I have seen much war in my lifetime and I hate it profoundly. But there are things worse than war; and all of them come with defeat." -- Hemingway
|