Member-only story
THIS DAY IN HISTORY-D-Day Invasion 80 years
The Audacity of Democracy Demands Treasure
Incredible sacrifices of D-Day
Today’s anniversary memorial of the landing on Pointe Du Hoc in France was not attended by any of the brave rangers who scaled the cliffs to take out the Nazi artillery 80 years ago. They weren’t there because they are all deceased now.
Thankfully, some historical first person accounts of the battle for freedom against Nazis have been recorded in a variety of ways, but the people who lived it are slowly fading away.
It is up to the rest of us who remain to remind the rest of us who remain what an incredible sacrifice was given on D-Day, and after, 80 years ago during WWII. We need to listen to the echos and the stories of this time to learn the important lesson-democracy is not free.
President Biden spoke at this memorial today at Pointe Du Hoc and told the story of the rangers who came on shore despite being shot at from snipers above. They scaled the cliffs on rope ladders, until the ladders were cut. They climbed the ropes, until they were cut and then used their bare hands to continue the climb.
When one soldier who was barely hanging on said, “I’m not sure I can make it.”
