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President Biden Gives Speech in Normandy on Anniversary of D- Day Memorializing Allied Invasion of Nazy Held Europe; President Biden Criticizes Russian President Putin's Invasion of Ukraine during D-Day Anniversary Speech. Aired 8-8:30a ET
Aired June 06, 2024 - 08:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[08:00:00]
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Everybody that I saw that I was glad to fly alongside of, they were willing to stand up. And not all of them came back.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And they all have a story to tell. And it's our responsibility to tell those stories. People will not be forgotten as long as we keep talking keep talking about them.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I am not a hero. I just did my job. The real heroes laying here in a cemetery. These are our heroes. We should never forget them.
(APPLAUSE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Distinguished guests, the 46th president in the United States of America, Joseph R. Biden Jr.
(APPLAUSE)
JOE BIDEN, (D) PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The hour had nearly come. Monday, June 5th, 1944. The evil Third Reich was devastating the world. Nazi Germany had subjugated the once free nations of Europe through brute force, lies, and the twisted ideology of racial superiority. Millions of Jews murdered in the Holocaust, millions of others killed by bombs, bullets, bloody warfare. Hitler and those with them thought democracies were week, that the future belonged to dictators.
Here on the coast of Normandy, the battle between freedom and tyranny would be joined. Here on that June morning, the testing was at hand. President Macron, Mrs. Macron, Secretary Austin, Secretary Blinken, distinguished guests, most of all, our honored veterans who met that test of the ages -- the test of ages to that moment 80 years ago, 80 years ago today.
(APPLAUSE)
BIDEN: On behalf of the American people, as commander in chief, it's the highest honor to be able to salute you here in Normandy once more. All of you. God love you. (APPLAUSE)
BIDEN: Winston Churchill called what happened here, quote, "the greatest, most complicated operation ever," end of quote. After years of planning, Operation Overlord was ready to launch just as soon as the weather turned. Cross the choppy English Channel, the supreme commander of the allies, Dwight D. Eisenhower waited. The largest force ever of its kind built by 12 nations. Men. Guns, planes, naval craft of every description waited. The world, captive and free, waited.
[08:05:00]
Finally, Eisenhower's forecasters said there is a window in the weather. It would open briefly on Tuesday, the 6th of June. The general weighed the options and gave the order. At dawn, the allies would strike. The great crusade to free Europe from tyranny would begin. That night General Eisenhower drove to the English town of Newbury to visit paratroopers of the 101st Airborne. There were men from all over America. It was estimated that 80 percent of them would be killed within hours. That was the estimate.
But they were brave, they were resolute, and they were ready. One soldier told General Eisenhower, quote, "Don't worry, sir. The 101st is on the job. Everything will be taken care." That's what he said. And because of their courage and their resolve, because of the courage and resolve of their allies, it was taken care of.
From the sea and sky, nearly 160,000 allied troops descended on Normandy. Many, to state the obvious, never came home. Many survived that longest day, kept on fighting for months until victory was finally won. And a few, a notable band of brothers, are heroes today. Kenneth Blaine Smith is here. On that day under heavy artillery fire, he operated a range finder and radar on the first American ship to arrive at Normandy's coast, providing direct gunfire support for the rangers scaling the cliffs on their daring mission to take out the German batteries. Bob Gibson is here. He landed on Utah Beach about 10 hours after the invasion began. Bullets flying everywhere, tracers lighting up the sky. Bob drove an M4 tractor with an antiaircraft gun mounted on top, providing critical protection for the infantry against the German air force. On that day and for many days after, he continued.
Ben Miller is here, a medic with the 82nd Airborne. At 3:00 a.m. on June 6th, he and 13 other metrics flew over the channel in a rickety glider. Its wings were ripped off by giant poles that the Germans buried halfway in the ground to stop them from landing. They crashed, but they survived. And they did their duty, dragging injured soldiers to safety, treating wounds, saving lives while the battle raged.
Every soldier stormed the beach, who dropped by parachute or landed by glider, every sailor who manned the thousands of ships and landing craft, every aviator who destroy German controlled airfields, bridges, and railroads, all, all were backed by other brave Americans, including hundreds of thousands of people of color and women who courageously served despite unjust limitations on what they could do for their nation.
Louis Brown is here, part of the Red Ball Express, a truck convoy made up of mostly African American drivers. They landed in Normandy in the wake of D-Day. They rushed supplies to the rapidly advancing front lines. Woody Woodhouse is here, members of the legendary Tuskegee Airmen who flew over 15,000 sorties during the war. Marjorie Stone is here. She enlisted in the women's branch of the Naval Reserve, became an aircraft mechanic, spent the war keeping American planes and pilots in the air.
Theirs has always been the story of America. Just walk the rows of the cemetery as I have. Nearly 10,000 heroes buried side-by-side, officers and enlisted, immigrants and native born, different races, different faiths, but all Americans, all served with honor when America and the world needed them most.
Millions back home did their part as well. From coast to coast, Americans found countless ways to pitch in. They understood our democracy is only as strong as all of us make it together.
[08:10:07]
The man who fought here became heroes, not because they are the strongest or toughest job or fiercest, although they were, but because they were given an audacious mission, knowing -- everyone knew the probability of dying was real. But they did it anyway. They knew beyond any doubt there are things that are worth fighting and dying for. Freedom is worth it. Democracy is worth it. American is worth it. The world is worth it, then, now, and always.
The war in Europe didn't end for another 11 months, but here the tide turned in our favor. Here, we proved the forces of liberty are stronger than the forces of conquest. Here we proved that the ideals of our democracy are stronger than any army or combination of armies in the entire world. We proved something else here as well, the unbreakable unity of the allies. Here with us are men who served alongside the Americans that day, wearing different flags on their arms, but fighting with the same courage for the same purpose.
What the allies did together 80 years ago far surpassed anything we could have done on our own. It was a powerful illustration of how alliances, real alliances, make us stronger, a lesson that I pray we American never forget. Together, we won the war. We rebuilt Europe, including our former enemies. It was an investment in what became shared and a prosperous future. We established NATO, the greatest military alliance in the history of the world. and over time -- you got it. It is.
(APPLAUSE)
BIDEN: And over time we brought more nations into NATO, the NATO alliance, including the newest members Finland and Sweden.
(APPLAUSE)
BIDEN: Today NATO stands at 32 countries strong, and NATO is more united than ever, and even more prepared to keep the peace, deter aggression, defend freedom all around the world. America has invested in our alliances and forged new ones, not simply out of altruism, but out of our own self-interest as well. America's unique ability to bring countries together is an undeniable source of our strength and our power. Isolationism was not the answer 80 years ago and is not the answer today.
(APPLAUSE)
BIDEN: We know the dark forces that these heroes fought against 80 years ago. They never fade. Aggression and greed, the desire to dominate and control, to change borders by force, these are perennial. The struggle between a dictatorship and freedom is unending. Here in Europe, we see one stark example. Ukraine has been invaded by a tyrant bent on domination. Ukrainians are fighting with extraordinary courage, suffering great losses, but never backing down.
(APPLAUSE)
BIDEN: They've inflicted on the Russian aggressors, they've suffered tremendous losses, Russia. The numbers are staggering -- 350,000 Russian troops dead or wounded. Nearly 1 million people have left Russia because they can no longer see a future in Russia. The United States and NATO and a coalition of nearly 50 countries standing strong with Ukraine. We will not walk away.
(APPLAUSE)
BIDEN: Because if we do, Ukraine will be subjugated, and it will not end there. Ukraine's neighbors will be threatened. All of Europe will be threatened. And make no mistake, the autocrats of the world are watching closely to see what happens in Ukraine, to see if we let this illegal aggression go unchecked.
[08:15:00]
We cannot let that happen. To surrender to bullies, to bow down to dictators is simply unthinkable.
(APPLAUSE)
BIDEN: Were we to do that? It means we'd be forgetting what happened here at these hollowed beaches.
Make no mistake, we will not bow down, we will not forget.
Let me end with this: History tells us freedom is not free. You want to know the price of freedom, come here to Normandy, come to Normandy and look.
Go to the other cemeteries in Europe where our fallen heroes rest. Go back home to Arlington Cemetery.
Tomorrow, I will pay respects at Pointe Du hoc. Go there as well and remember the price of unchecked tyranny is the blood of the young and the brave. In their generation in their hour of trial, the Allied Forces of D-Day
did their duty. Now the question for us is, in our hour trial, will we do ours?
We are living at a time when democracy is at more risk across the world than a point since the end of World War II, since these beaches were stormed in 1944.
Now we have to ask ourselves, when we stand against tyranny, against evil, against crushing brutality of the iron fist, when we stand for freedom, when we defend democracy, we stand together, my answer is yes and only can be yes.
(APPLAUSE)
BIDEN: We are not far off from the time from the last living voices, those who fought and bled on D-Day will no longer be with us, so we have a special obligation. We cannot allow what happened here to be lost to in the silence of the years to come.
We must remember it, we must honor it, and live it, and we must remember the fact that they were heroes here that day does not absolve us from what we have to do today.
Democracy is never guaranteed. Every generation must preserve it, defend it, and fight for it. That's the test of the ages.
In memory of those who fought here, died here, literally saved the world here, let us be worthy of their sacrifice. Let us be the generation that when history is written about our time in ten, twenty, thirty, fifty, eighty years from now, it will be said when the moment came, we met the moment, we stood strong. Our alliances were made stronger. We saved democracy in our time as well.
Thank you very much. And may God bless you all and may God protect our troops. Thank you.
(APPLAUSE)
ANNOUNCER: Distinguished guests, in honor of the veterans gathered with us today, and those commemorated in this hallowed ground, Lieutenant Commander Katherine Miyamasu will now read The Watch.
(UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE speaking in foreign language.)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Details. Attention. Center face.
LT. COM. KATHERINE MIYAMASU, EXECUTIVE AND PERSONAL ASSISTANT FOR COMMANDER, U.S NAVAL FORCES EUROPE/AFRICA AND ALLIED JOINT FORCES COMMAND: When a sailor retires, it is traditional that a younger service this member, read The Watch.
Today, we want to read The Watch for all World War II veterans here today, both behind us and all around us.
Eighty years ago, these sailors stood The Watch. While some of us were in our bunks at night, these soldiers stood The Watch. While some of us were in school learning our trade -- marines, airman, and coastees -- stood The Watch.
[08:20:10]
Yes, even before some of us were born into this world, the men behind me and their brothers and sisters who laid before me stood The Watch, and those years when the storm clouds of war were seen brewing on the horizon of history, they stood the watch.
Many times, they would cast an eye ashore and see family standing there needing guidance and help, needing that hand to hold in those hard times, but still they stood The Watch.
They stood The Watch 80 years ago. They stood The Watch so that we, our families, and our fellow countrymen and women can sleep soundly and safely each and every night knowing that these veterans stood The Watch.
Today, we are here to say World War II veterans, The Watch stands relieved, relieved by those you have trained, guided, and lead.
American World War II veterans, you stand relieved. We have the Watch.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Preset, arms.
(APPLAUSE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Order. Armed. Center face. Preset arms
ANNOUNCER: Distinguish guests, please rise, if you are able as we salute those memorialized here at Normandy American Cemetery and remain standing for the playing of (foreign language) and the "Taps" and the departure of official party.
(UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE speaking in foreign language.)
(TRUMPETER playing)
(GUN SALUTE)
[08:25:06]
(APPLAUSE)
JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: Drama, pageantry, poignancy at the marking the 80th anniversary of the allied invasion of Normandy.
We just saw some remarkable sites, veterans of that day from 80 years ago. We saw remarkable images, jets flying overhead in the missing man formation.
We heard remarkable speeches as well, perhaps none more poignant than the reading of The Watch, which is traditional in Naval ceremonies.
That's Emmanuel Macron running to go greet the veterans of D-Day. KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: He is going back. Yes. He is running back.
BERMAN: He is not going to miss one, not this moment.
The reading of The Watch, which is a traditional Naval retirements in Naval ceremonies, but today, particularly meaningful saying to the veterans of D-Day, your watch has ended, now we have The Watch and that was the theme of President Biden's address who spoke in detail of the effort undertaken 80 years ago, and what those men and women did. But then said that it relates to today and what is happening in Ukraine.
He said Ukraine will never back down and we will not walk away because if we do, Ukraine will be subjugated and it will not end there, to surrender to bullies, he said would be unthinkable, that would be two forget what happened on these beaches.
In essence saying, again, we have The Watch.
Looking at Tom Hanks, Jamie Dimon, just some of the people gathered there.
BOLDUAN: Former Joint Chiefs Chairman Mark Milley there as well. We saw Steven Spielberg there earlier.
The president also saying about -- speaking out very strongly as we were told that he was going to against isolationism, saying it was not the answer 80 years ago, it is not the answer today.
As we continue to watch these pictures as the ceremony is coming to a conclusion, it moves on to the next part of this, which will be President Biden, who will be walking through the cemetery himself.
We will be watching that. That is going to be -- that is going to be -- and Jon Meacham, who is very close with Joe Biden and often, an adviser on his speeches.
[08:30:12]
