1 00:00:04,120 --> 00:00:08,080 Speaker 1: On this eightieth anniversary of D Day, I want to 2 00:00:08,240 --> 00:00:13,080 Speaker 1: share with you President Franklin Eleanor Roosevelt speaking to the 3 00:00:13,240 --> 00:00:17,200 Speaker 1: entire country that night as their young men and women 4 00:00:17,480 --> 00:00:20,720 Speaker 1: who were risking their lives entering the continent of Europe 5 00:00:21,120 --> 00:00:24,479 Speaker 1: taking on the Nazi pot and Roosevelt goes in the 6 00:00:24,560 --> 00:00:29,560 Speaker 1: radio and he leads the entire country in prayer, and 7 00:00:29,640 --> 00:00:31,760 Speaker 1: when I ask about having a day of prayer, he says, 8 00:00:31,800 --> 00:00:35,880 Speaker 1: oh A, I hope every American will pray every day 9 00:00:36,880 --> 00:00:40,199 Speaker 1: while this war goes on. I recommend that highly. I 10 00:00:40,200 --> 00:00:42,560 Speaker 1: hope you will listen to it. And if you find 11 00:00:42,560 --> 00:00:45,040 Speaker 1: it as moving as I do, I hope you'll share 12 00:00:45,040 --> 00:00:47,080 Speaker 1: it with your friends. 13 00:01:00,120 --> 00:01:01,200 Speaker 2: Or by allied sorts. 14 00:01:01,280 --> 00:01:01,680 Speaker 3: Of course. 15 00:01:01,920 --> 00:01:04,440 Speaker 2: Says that heavy fighting is taking place between the Germans 16 00:01:04,440 --> 00:01:08,119 Speaker 2: and invasion forces on the Normandy Peninsula, about thirty one 17 00:01:08,160 --> 00:01:12,479 Speaker 2: miles southwest of Lajavre. Another bulletin, also from Berlin radio 18 00:01:12,560 --> 00:01:16,920 Speaker 2: and unconfirmed, says the British American landing operations against the 19 00:01:16,920 --> 00:01:19,640 Speaker 2: western coast of Europe from the sea and from the 20 00:01:19,680 --> 00:01:24,600 Speaker 2: air are stretching over the entire area between Cherbourg and Lejavre, 21 00:01:24,959 --> 00:01:26,840 Speaker 2: a distance of about sixty miles. 22 00:01:31,959 --> 00:01:35,800 Speaker 1: On June sixth, nineteen forty four, one hundred and fifty 23 00:01:35,840 --> 00:01:41,600 Speaker 1: six thousand Allied troops stormed the beaches of Normandy. Paratroopers 24 00:01:41,680 --> 00:01:45,720 Speaker 1: landed behind the beaches. A huge number of ships were 25 00:01:45,720 --> 00:01:50,600 Speaker 1: in the English Channel. The airpower was over all of 26 00:01:50,600 --> 00:01:55,360 Speaker 1: that part of France. And it was the greatest, single 27 00:01:55,520 --> 00:02:00,880 Speaker 1: complex event in human history, vastly more complicated than going 28 00:02:00,920 --> 00:02:03,800 Speaker 1: to the Moon or anything we've tried to do. I 29 00:02:03,840 --> 00:02:06,480 Speaker 1: wanted to share with you because I think that it's 30 00:02:07,360 --> 00:02:12,760 Speaker 1: really important that we occasionally stop and look at a 31 00:02:12,880 --> 00:02:18,240 Speaker 1: decisive event, try to understand what would have happened without 32 00:02:18,280 --> 00:02:22,079 Speaker 1: that event, and try to understand the people who made 33 00:02:22,080 --> 00:02:26,480 Speaker 1: it possible. Everybody knew that something big was going to happen, 34 00:02:26,800 --> 00:02:29,560 Speaker 1: they didn't know where, and they weren't sure the details. 35 00:02:29,560 --> 00:02:32,839 Speaker 1: And frankly, we'd gone to a great links to keep 36 00:02:32,880 --> 00:02:35,560 Speaker 1: the Germans confused about what we were doing. If you 37 00:02:35,800 --> 00:02:38,440 Speaker 1: were looking at it from the German side, they all 38 00:02:38,480 --> 00:02:41,640 Speaker 1: assumed it would be in France, but nobody knew the 39 00:02:41,639 --> 00:02:44,919 Speaker 1: exact date. Nobody knew the exact location. When I say nobody, 40 00:02:44,919 --> 00:02:48,560 Speaker 1: I mean among civilian Americans. And when it came I 41 00:02:48,560 --> 00:02:52,800 Speaker 1: think people were a little stunned by the scale. But 42 00:02:52,919 --> 00:02:54,960 Speaker 1: to get a feel for that, there are a couple 43 00:02:54,960 --> 00:02:58,680 Speaker 1: of radio broadcasts that really went straight to people. Remember 44 00:02:58,720 --> 00:03:01,240 Speaker 1: this is an age when the radio is the only 45 00:03:01,480 --> 00:03:04,880 Speaker 1: common mechanism of communication, and this is what people are 46 00:03:04,919 --> 00:03:08,520 Speaker 1: listening to in order to have a sense of what's 47 00:03:08,560 --> 00:03:08,960 Speaker 1: going on. 48 00:03:09,440 --> 00:03:11,840 Speaker 2: Men and women of the United States, this is a 49 00:03:11,880 --> 00:03:16,000 Speaker 2: momentous hour in world history. This is the invasion of 50 00:03:16,160 --> 00:03:20,240 Speaker 2: Hitler's Europe, the zero hour of the Second Front. The 51 00:03:20,280 --> 00:03:24,119 Speaker 2: men of General Dwight Eisenhower are leaving their landing barges, 52 00:03:24,440 --> 00:03:27,200 Speaker 2: fighting their way up the beaches into the fortress of 53 00:03:27,320 --> 00:03:30,240 Speaker 2: Nazi Europe. They are moving in from the sea to 54 00:03:30,320 --> 00:03:33,560 Speaker 2: attack the enemy under a mammoth cloud of fighter planes, 55 00:03:33,880 --> 00:03:37,840 Speaker 2: under a ceiling of screaming shells from Allied warships. The 56 00:03:37,880 --> 00:03:41,480 Speaker 2: first news flashes do not say, but a large proportion 57 00:03:41,600 --> 00:03:43,960 Speaker 2: of this assault is believed to be in the hands 58 00:03:43,960 --> 00:03:47,160 Speaker 2: of American men. They are making the attack side by 59 00:03:47,280 --> 00:03:51,160 Speaker 2: side with the British Tommies who were bombed and blasted 60 00:03:51,200 --> 00:03:55,440 Speaker 2: out of Europe at Dunkirk. Now at this hour they 61 00:03:55,600 --> 00:04:00,200 Speaker 2: are bombing and blasting their way back again. This is 62 00:04:00,200 --> 00:04:04,640 Speaker 2: the European Front. Once again being established in fire and blood, 63 00:04:05,080 --> 00:04:07,920 Speaker 2: not only by the Americans and British, but by many 64 00:04:07,920 --> 00:04:12,040 Speaker 2: allies in the fight against Axis aggression. This is the 65 00:04:12,080 --> 00:04:16,440 Speaker 2: supreme test of Allied spirit and of Alied weapons. The 66 00:04:16,480 --> 00:04:20,440 Speaker 2: world's greatest military undertaking is underway. 67 00:04:22,480 --> 00:04:27,400 Speaker 1: Before they landed, it was very possible it wouldn't work, certainly. 68 00:04:28,160 --> 00:04:32,960 Speaker 1: Prime Minister Winston Churchill was deeply afraid. At one point 69 00:04:33,279 --> 00:04:37,520 Speaker 1: felt that he dreamed rivers of blood because he was 70 00:04:37,560 --> 00:04:40,600 Speaker 1: so much afraid of trying to land there. The British 71 00:04:40,640 --> 00:04:44,080 Speaker 1: had run a trial landing and had found that going 72 00:04:44,200 --> 00:04:48,359 Speaker 1: into a fortified port was a disaster and involved a 73 00:04:48,360 --> 00:04:52,839 Speaker 1: Canadian unit which was littly massacred, so they were very skittish. 74 00:04:53,640 --> 00:04:56,960 Speaker 1: On the other hand, we had landed in North Africa, 75 00:04:57,560 --> 00:05:01,200 Speaker 1: we had landed in Sicily. They had some pretty interesting 76 00:05:01,240 --> 00:05:07,440 Speaker 1: experiences proving that you could have a combination of paratroopers 77 00:05:07,480 --> 00:05:11,440 Speaker 1: and people landing from boats and you could force away ashore. 78 00:05:12,640 --> 00:05:17,000 Speaker 1: But Normandy was different. The Germans had built up their defenses, 79 00:05:17,760 --> 00:05:22,360 Speaker 1: They had a substantial number of tanks available, and they 80 00:05:22,360 --> 00:05:25,200 Speaker 1: were prepared to do everything they could to throw us 81 00:05:25,240 --> 00:05:28,279 Speaker 1: back into the sea, because they knew that if it 82 00:05:28,360 --> 00:05:32,480 Speaker 1: succeeded if we were ashore that we would inevitably build 83 00:05:32,520 --> 00:05:35,520 Speaker 1: up our forces and break loose and automately defeat them. 84 00:05:36,320 --> 00:05:41,840 Speaker 1: In order to achieve this extraordinary landing, President Roosevelt and 85 00:05:41,920 --> 00:05:46,240 Speaker 1: Prime Minister Churchill turned to the general who had served 86 00:05:46,240 --> 00:05:49,960 Speaker 1: them so well, and that was General Dwight David Eisenhower, 87 00:05:50,360 --> 00:05:53,200 Speaker 1: or Ike as he was known to his friends. He 88 00:05:53,320 --> 00:05:58,359 Speaker 1: became the Supreme Allied Commander, and his chief deputy was 89 00:05:58,480 --> 00:06:02,479 Speaker 1: the most famous hylerrision inspected British general in the Second 90 00:06:02,520 --> 00:06:07,440 Speaker 1: World War, Bernard Law Montgomery. The two of them arrived 91 00:06:07,760 --> 00:06:11,440 Speaker 1: around Christmas of nineteen forty three, looked at the plans 92 00:06:11,920 --> 00:06:14,760 Speaker 1: that had been developed over the previous year and promptly 93 00:06:14,800 --> 00:06:18,640 Speaker 1: threw them out because the plans were too small, too narrow, 94 00:06:19,279 --> 00:06:22,279 Speaker 1: and too likely to fail. And so they built a 95 00:06:22,360 --> 00:06:28,600 Speaker 1: much bigger operation involving many more people. And they were 96 00:06:28,600 --> 00:06:32,320 Speaker 1: clearly laying it on the line if Normandy had failed, 97 00:06:33,279 --> 00:06:36,839 Speaker 1: If we had tried to land and not succeeded, it's 98 00:06:37,160 --> 00:06:40,160 Speaker 1: very likely that we'd have had a hard time doing 99 00:06:40,240 --> 00:06:44,120 Speaker 1: it a second time. That they'd cost psychologically as well 100 00:06:44,120 --> 00:06:47,320 Speaker 1: as physically, would have been so great that we would 101 00:06:47,440 --> 00:06:51,320 Speaker 1: probably have ended up with Russia eventually defeating Germany and 102 00:06:51,400 --> 00:06:54,760 Speaker 1: occupying all of Western Europe. So this was a key 103 00:06:54,800 --> 00:06:57,880 Speaker 1: moment in history. Now, to be fair to the Russians, 104 00:06:58,400 --> 00:07:01,680 Speaker 1: they were losing millions of peace people fighting the Germans, 105 00:07:02,160 --> 00:07:05,920 Speaker 1: and Stalin as early as early nineteen forty two had 106 00:07:05,920 --> 00:07:09,240 Speaker 1: been pressuring us to get involved in killing Germans. And 107 00:07:09,360 --> 00:07:12,360 Speaker 1: he goes fairly bitter about the fact that we didn't 108 00:07:12,440 --> 00:07:15,000 Speaker 1: land in Europe in forty two. We landed in North Africa. 109 00:07:15,400 --> 00:07:17,800 Speaker 1: We didn't land in Western Europe. In forty three, we 110 00:07:17,920 --> 00:07:21,760 Speaker 1: landed in Sicily and Italy. And he wanted an allied 111 00:07:21,840 --> 00:07:25,400 Speaker 1: force in the west to drain Germans out of Russia 112 00:07:25,440 --> 00:07:28,120 Speaker 1: and out of the Eastern Front, to reduce the pressure 113 00:07:28,160 --> 00:07:30,640 Speaker 1: on his own country, and we kept promising we were 114 00:07:30,640 --> 00:07:33,320 Speaker 1: going to do something. Frankly, we were very worried that 115 00:07:33,360 --> 00:07:36,400 Speaker 1: at some point the two dictators Stalin and Hitler might 116 00:07:36,440 --> 00:07:39,680 Speaker 1: get together, create a truce and allow the Germans to 117 00:07:39,720 --> 00:07:42,800 Speaker 1: reposition their forces in the West, which would cost us 118 00:07:43,080 --> 00:07:47,960 Speaker 1: huge problems. But it didn't happen. Stalin wanted to defeat 119 00:07:47,960 --> 00:07:51,480 Speaker 1: the Germans. He was deeply embittered by the way they 120 00:07:51,520 --> 00:07:53,760 Speaker 1: had attacked the number of people they had killed, the 121 00:07:53,800 --> 00:07:58,040 Speaker 1: brutality they had displayed in occupying parts of Russia. So 122 00:07:58,440 --> 00:08:00,320 Speaker 1: in the end he probably never was going to cut 123 00:08:00,320 --> 00:08:03,000 Speaker 1: a deal with Hitler, but we were afraid that he might, 124 00:08:03,600 --> 00:08:06,880 Speaker 1: and we kept reassuring him. Both Roosevelt and Churchill kept 125 00:08:06,880 --> 00:08:08,200 Speaker 1: telling him, we're going to do it, We're going to 126 00:08:08,240 --> 00:08:09,960 Speaker 1: do it. Then they said we're going to do it 127 00:08:10,000 --> 00:08:13,040 Speaker 1: in May, but in fact we weren't quite ready in May. 128 00:08:13,280 --> 00:08:15,920 Speaker 1: We didn't have all of our forces prepared. So then 129 00:08:15,920 --> 00:08:18,320 Speaker 1: we said we're going to do it in June, and 130 00:08:18,360 --> 00:08:21,480 Speaker 1: that led to I think one of the most amazing 131 00:08:22,320 --> 00:08:25,800 Speaker 1: magic moments of the whole war, and in fact in history. 132 00:08:26,840 --> 00:08:30,400 Speaker 1: What happened was Eisenhower and Montgomery had been practicing with 133 00:08:30,480 --> 00:08:35,320 Speaker 1: the meteorologists how to land and when to land, and 134 00:08:35,360 --> 00:08:38,520 Speaker 1: what did the weather mean. And the meteorologists had an 135 00:08:38,559 --> 00:08:41,440 Speaker 1: advantage over the Germans because we were able to look 136 00:08:41,440 --> 00:08:45,200 Speaker 1: at weather patterns from Greenland and Iceland, and so we 137 00:08:45,320 --> 00:08:48,560 Speaker 1: knew a couple days in advance the weather almost always 138 00:08:48,559 --> 00:08:51,560 Speaker 1: came from the west. The Germans did not have that 139 00:08:51,720 --> 00:08:55,320 Speaker 1: kind of observational capability, and so they were sort of 140 00:08:55,320 --> 00:08:59,080 Speaker 1: blind about what was happening. With the weather well. To 141 00:08:59,240 --> 00:09:03,000 Speaker 1: land at Norman, you had to have the tides just 142 00:09:03,200 --> 00:09:06,160 Speaker 1: right so you could get ashore. You had to have 143 00:09:06,360 --> 00:09:08,960 Speaker 1: the right kind of moon, which also affected the tides. 144 00:09:09,600 --> 00:09:13,199 Speaker 1: You had to have adequate weather to land, because if 145 00:09:13,480 --> 00:09:15,760 Speaker 1: there was big storms, you just couldn't land or you 146 00:09:15,760 --> 00:09:21,960 Speaker 1: couldn't sustain yourself. So on the fourth of June the 147 00:09:22,000 --> 00:09:26,800 Speaker 1: weather was terrible and the troops had all gotten prepared. 148 00:09:26,840 --> 00:09:28,480 Speaker 1: We were going to go in on the fifth of June. 149 00:09:29,160 --> 00:09:31,160 Speaker 1: They were on the ships, they were getting ready to 150 00:09:31,200 --> 00:09:34,000 Speaker 1: get on the airplanes, and suddenly it was postponed for 151 00:09:34,040 --> 00:09:37,920 Speaker 1: twenty four hours, and Eisenhower was faced with probably the 152 00:09:37,960 --> 00:09:41,959 Speaker 1: greatest single decision of the war. On the morning of 153 00:09:42,000 --> 00:09:45,920 Speaker 1: the fifth, the meteorologist called and said, you know, I 154 00:09:45,960 --> 00:09:47,600 Speaker 1: think you're going to have a brief period of good 155 00:09:47,600 --> 00:09:50,280 Speaker 1: weather starting on the sixth, and I think you can 156 00:09:50,360 --> 00:09:56,040 Speaker 1: land now. This is putting over one hundred thousand men's 157 00:09:56,080 --> 00:10:01,760 Speaker 1: lives at stake based on a weather prediction. First, the Germans, 158 00:10:01,760 --> 00:10:05,600 Speaker 1: who did not have weather forecasting from the west, saw 159 00:10:05,640 --> 00:10:09,400 Speaker 1: this terrible weather, assumed it was going to continue, and 160 00:10:09,600 --> 00:10:11,719 Speaker 1: a lot of their senior leaders dispersed and went to 161 00:10:11,800 --> 00:10:14,840 Speaker 1: various meetings, because, after all, the Allies couldn't land in 162 00:10:14,880 --> 00:10:17,520 Speaker 1: this kind of weather, and they had no notion that 163 00:10:17,679 --> 00:10:21,360 Speaker 1: was going to clear up on the sixth. Second, had 164 00:10:21,559 --> 00:10:25,880 Speaker 1: Eisenhower been cautious and had he waited till the next availability, 165 00:10:26,200 --> 00:10:30,079 Speaker 1: which was in July, the fact was those dates in 166 00:10:30,200 --> 00:10:33,640 Speaker 1: July were one of the largest storms in modern history 167 00:10:34,200 --> 00:10:37,040 Speaker 1: in the English Channel and would have been an utter 168 00:10:37,400 --> 00:10:42,320 Speaker 1: total disaster. And so the one moment that worked was 169 00:10:42,360 --> 00:10:46,319 Speaker 1: the moment we landed on D Day, the sixth of June. Now, 170 00:10:47,559 --> 00:10:50,520 Speaker 1: to give you a flavor of why this was so important, 171 00:10:51,080 --> 00:10:56,080 Speaker 1: Roosevelt knew that we were really sending the country to war. 172 00:10:56,800 --> 00:10:59,800 Speaker 1: That all those one hundred and fifty six thousand allied 173 00:10:59,840 --> 00:11:03,520 Speaker 1: for horses, many of whom were American, The paratroopers who 174 00:11:03,520 --> 00:11:06,560 Speaker 1: were going to be landing during the night, the people 175 00:11:06,559 --> 00:11:09,640 Speaker 1: who were flying the bombers overhead, that people were flying 176 00:11:09,679 --> 00:11:13,200 Speaker 1: the transport planes, the people on the ships, all these 177 00:11:13,200 --> 00:11:17,439 Speaker 1: folks were engaged. Every town in America had an interest 178 00:11:17,480 --> 00:11:20,680 Speaker 1: in what was going to happen at Normandy. It's important 179 00:11:20,720 --> 00:11:25,440 Speaker 1: to remember that when we totally mobilized, one out of 180 00:11:25,440 --> 00:11:27,839 Speaker 1: every ten Americans, slightly more than that eleven percent of 181 00:11:27,880 --> 00:11:32,520 Speaker 1: the population was in uniform, and Roosevelt, who knew it 182 00:11:32,559 --> 00:11:35,360 Speaker 1: was coming, had been working on this. In fact, he's 183 00:11:35,400 --> 00:12:04,719 Speaker 1: probably more worried than Eisenhower because he wasn't there. Roosevelt 184 00:12:04,760 --> 00:12:09,199 Speaker 1: actually went off the weekend before and spent some time 185 00:12:09,679 --> 00:12:15,240 Speaker 1: at Paul Watson's estate out near Monticello, Virginia, and they 186 00:12:15,280 --> 00:12:18,079 Speaker 1: talked about what should he do, what should he say 187 00:12:18,640 --> 00:12:21,760 Speaker 1: when he had to brief the American people that Overlord 188 00:12:21,800 --> 00:12:28,439 Speaker 1: had begun. His daughter suggested a prayer. Roosevelt asked Grace Toley, 189 00:12:28,480 --> 00:12:34,320 Speaker 1: his secretary, to start taking dictation, and then he pulled 190 00:12:34,360 --> 00:12:38,040 Speaker 1: out his family's book of Common Prayer to try to 191 00:12:38,040 --> 00:12:42,600 Speaker 1: get inspired. Grace ordnarly taped the final version of the prayer. 192 00:12:43,400 --> 00:12:48,760 Speaker 1: Roosevelt practiced it on Sunday and was ready. Roosevelt on Monday, 193 00:12:48,800 --> 00:12:51,600 Speaker 1: the fifth of June, goes back to the White House. 194 00:12:51,640 --> 00:12:55,520 Speaker 1: That's the day originally scheduled. But it didn't happen, and 195 00:12:55,920 --> 00:13:00,360 Speaker 1: Roosevelt continues to worry about it. General Marshall, who was 196 00:13:00,400 --> 00:13:05,160 Speaker 1: the top American commander for the War Department, was not 197 00:13:05,240 --> 00:13:08,640 Speaker 1: particularly nervous. He knew that Eisenhewer was competent. They knew 198 00:13:08,640 --> 00:13:11,320 Speaker 1: that they'd been working at this thing now for a 199 00:13:11,360 --> 00:13:15,559 Speaker 1: long time, and he was reasonably sure that it would work. Eisenhower, 200 00:13:15,559 --> 00:13:23,280 Speaker 1: I think was concerned, but he wasn't particularly nervous. Eisenhower 201 00:13:23,320 --> 00:13:26,600 Speaker 1: was a guy who believed in deep preparation and then 202 00:13:26,640 --> 00:13:29,480 Speaker 1: in relaxing and assuming that things would work out all right. 203 00:13:30,120 --> 00:13:34,240 Speaker 1: It's a wonderful scene of Eisenhower visiting paratroopers. 204 00:13:34,320 --> 00:13:34,440 Speaker 3: Now. 205 00:13:34,440 --> 00:13:38,319 Speaker 1: Remember he's ordering them to fly into France, jump out 206 00:13:38,320 --> 00:13:42,400 Speaker 1: of the airplane in the dark, and in the process 207 00:13:42,400 --> 00:13:45,280 Speaker 1: he had been warned by the British Royal Air Force 208 00:13:45,320 --> 00:13:49,760 Speaker 1: officers that they should expect seventy percent casualties. That is, 209 00:13:50,200 --> 00:13:52,360 Speaker 1: seven out of every ten young men he was sending 210 00:13:52,360 --> 00:13:55,520 Speaker 1: in would die. And eisnear said that he hoped it 211 00:13:55,559 --> 00:14:00,319 Speaker 1: wasn't true, but that we had to throw every thing 212 00:14:00,400 --> 00:14:04,080 Speaker 1: we could at stopping the Germans. So Eisenhower is visiting 213 00:14:04,080 --> 00:14:08,080 Speaker 1: a unit where his Air Force advisors have told him 214 00:14:08,480 --> 00:14:11,800 Speaker 1: seven out every ten of these young people would probably die. 215 00:14:12,160 --> 00:14:14,599 Speaker 1: And there's a very famous scene of Eisenhower. I was 216 00:14:14,679 --> 00:14:17,600 Speaker 1: talking to a young soldier and he said where are 217 00:14:17,600 --> 00:14:19,880 Speaker 1: you from? And he said, oh, I'm from Michigan. And 218 00:14:19,920 --> 00:14:22,720 Speaker 1: eisner said, oh, I fly fish in Michigan, and the 219 00:14:22,760 --> 00:14:25,080 Speaker 1: young guy said really, he said, I fly fish too, 220 00:14:25,480 --> 00:14:27,880 Speaker 1: so said, no, this is how I cast. How do 221 00:14:27,960 --> 00:14:31,480 Speaker 1: you do it? Eisenhower's literally standing there showing this young 222 00:14:31,520 --> 00:14:35,320 Speaker 1: paratrooper how he would flick his hand to cast during 223 00:14:35,360 --> 00:14:38,120 Speaker 1: fly fishing. And that's what got to be a picture. 224 00:14:38,440 --> 00:14:40,760 Speaker 1: And nobody for years knew what he was talking about 225 00:14:40,920 --> 00:14:43,360 Speaker 1: till somebody finally said, what are you doing? And you 226 00:14:43,360 --> 00:14:45,240 Speaker 1: couldn't quite tell what he was up to. Well, what 227 00:14:45,280 --> 00:14:49,280 Speaker 1: he was up to was getting everybody to relax, just 228 00:14:49,440 --> 00:14:53,040 Speaker 1: be calm, do your job. As we're getting ready to 229 00:14:53,160 --> 00:14:57,640 Speaker 1: land at Normandy. Something very positive happened on the fourth 230 00:14:57,720 --> 00:15:01,600 Speaker 1: of June the Allied forces and at Rome. Now we 231 00:15:01,640 --> 00:15:05,520 Speaker 1: have been fighting our way up the Italian peninsula. Italy 232 00:15:05,800 --> 00:15:09,280 Speaker 1: has lots and lots of mountains, and it's a very 233 00:15:09,320 --> 00:15:12,680 Speaker 1: hard peninsula to wage war in, very easy if you're 234 00:15:12,720 --> 00:15:15,680 Speaker 1: on defense, and so we had slugged our way north 235 00:15:16,200 --> 00:15:20,960 Speaker 1: and had several amphibious landings. Finally, on the fourth of June, 236 00:15:21,200 --> 00:15:24,200 Speaker 1: Rome itself was liberated. We were very fortunate in that 237 00:15:24,280 --> 00:15:27,240 Speaker 1: we had maneuvered around the Germans so that they did 238 00:15:27,240 --> 00:15:30,440 Speaker 1: not destroy the city, but instead withdrew and pulled back 239 00:15:30,960 --> 00:15:35,360 Speaker 1: as we occupied Rome. It gave Roosevelt something good to 240 00:15:35,360 --> 00:15:38,560 Speaker 1: say to the American people. So on the night of 241 00:15:38,640 --> 00:15:43,200 Speaker 1: the fifth of June, Roosevelt goes and has a fireside 242 00:15:43,280 --> 00:15:47,920 Speaker 1: chat and talks about Italy and talks about the importance 243 00:15:47,920 --> 00:15:48,840 Speaker 1: of the city of Rome. 244 00:15:49,800 --> 00:15:56,240 Speaker 4: Ladies and gentlemen, The President of the United States, my friends, 245 00:15:57,520 --> 00:16:03,280 Speaker 4: yesterday on June fourth, nineteen forty four, wrong fell. 246 00:16:03,160 --> 00:16:08,000 Speaker 3: To American and Allied troops. The first of the access 247 00:16:08,200 --> 00:16:14,480 Speaker 3: capitals is now in our hands. One up and two 248 00:16:14,520 --> 00:16:14,680 Speaker 3: to go. 249 00:16:15,760 --> 00:16:18,920 Speaker 1: It's a victory speech. We've now captured the first of 250 00:16:18,960 --> 00:16:22,720 Speaker 1: the fascist capitals. Our forces are on the march. Italy. 251 00:16:22,760 --> 00:16:25,360 Speaker 1: Is a good sign. And of course, in the process 252 00:16:25,400 --> 00:16:28,160 Speaker 1: of working our way up, we had drained a lot 253 00:16:28,200 --> 00:16:31,560 Speaker 1: of German soldiers away from Russia and away from the 254 00:16:31,560 --> 00:16:34,360 Speaker 1: Western Front, and that had been part of our strategy 255 00:16:34,360 --> 00:16:37,760 Speaker 1: all along, was to force them to defend everywhere and 256 00:16:37,840 --> 00:16:39,840 Speaker 1: to not be able to master their forces in any 257 00:16:39,880 --> 00:16:42,600 Speaker 1: one place. The other thing they had been going on 258 00:16:42,680 --> 00:16:51,120 Speaker 1: in preparation for landing was the tremendous air campaign. Eisenhower 259 00:16:51,280 --> 00:16:57,160 Speaker 1: was determined to bomb the French railroad lines to stop 260 00:16:57,240 --> 00:17:00,840 Speaker 1: the Germans from reinforcing the front. Show was against it, 261 00:17:00,960 --> 00:17:03,440 Speaker 1: he said, because our bombers were pretty inaccurate back then. 262 00:17:03,640 --> 00:17:05,320 Speaker 1: He said, we're going to kill a lot of civilians. 263 00:17:05,359 --> 00:17:07,919 Speaker 1: The French will hate us for a generation. But General 264 00:17:07,960 --> 00:17:09,600 Speaker 1: de Gaulle, who was the head of the Free French, 265 00:17:09,600 --> 00:17:11,800 Speaker 1: intervened and said no. He said, I will make a 266 00:17:11,840 --> 00:17:15,520 Speaker 1: speech at the right moment to the French people. If 267 00:17:15,880 --> 00:17:19,080 Speaker 1: bombing the rail lines helps liberate us from the Nazis, 268 00:17:19,480 --> 00:17:21,960 Speaker 1: then I am for doing whatever it takes to get 269 00:17:22,000 --> 00:17:25,639 Speaker 1: the Nazis out of France. So with his support Eisenhower, 270 00:17:25,680 --> 00:17:29,560 Speaker 1: who felt so strongly about this that he threatened to resign, 271 00:17:29,760 --> 00:17:32,199 Speaker 1: and said, if I can't wage the battle I believe in, 272 00:17:32,520 --> 00:17:34,119 Speaker 1: you need to get a new general because I'm not 273 00:17:34,160 --> 00:17:38,399 Speaker 1: going to be responsible for not doing everything possible. I 274 00:17:38,440 --> 00:17:42,800 Speaker 1: want to emphasize this. Everybody at the senior level understood 275 00:17:43,400 --> 00:17:46,760 Speaker 1: this was the great test of the war. If we 276 00:17:46,800 --> 00:17:50,920 Speaker 1: could land, if we could stay ashore, then sooner or 277 00:17:51,000 --> 00:17:54,240 Speaker 1: later our build up from the ocean would be dramatically 278 00:17:54,320 --> 00:17:57,879 Speaker 1: greater than the Germans' ability to build up by land 279 00:17:58,000 --> 00:18:01,840 Speaker 1: using railroads and roads, and therefore eventually we would break 280 00:18:01,880 --> 00:18:04,639 Speaker 1: out and eventually we would liberate all of France and 281 00:18:04,760 --> 00:18:07,920 Speaker 1: ultimately fight our way into Germany. On the other hand, 282 00:18:08,240 --> 00:18:11,000 Speaker 1: because the Germans also knew that they were going to 283 00:18:11,040 --> 00:18:14,359 Speaker 1: do everything they could to throw us back into the 284 00:18:14,400 --> 00:18:17,680 Speaker 1: water and to stop the invasion before it really got started, 285 00:18:18,160 --> 00:18:21,240 Speaker 1: and they had signed Rommel, who had in some ways 286 00:18:21,320 --> 00:18:24,280 Speaker 1: was their most famous general in the West, to really 287 00:18:24,400 --> 00:18:27,919 Speaker 1: do everything he could to create what they called Fortress Europe. 288 00:18:28,480 --> 00:18:32,280 Speaker 1: And they had built in all sorts of bunkers. They'd 289 00:18:32,320 --> 00:18:34,840 Speaker 1: put in lots of concrete, they'd put in a lot 290 00:18:34,840 --> 00:18:38,000 Speaker 1: of barboire, they'd put in obstacles under the water. One 291 00:18:38,040 --> 00:18:39,760 Speaker 1: of the challenges was to be able to go in 292 00:18:39,840 --> 00:18:42,200 Speaker 1: and blow up the obstacles so that the ships could 293 00:18:42,200 --> 00:18:45,040 Speaker 1: actually get to the beach. A lot of what we 294 00:18:45,160 --> 00:18:48,280 Speaker 1: today would probably call seals, but back then were underwater 295 00:18:48,320 --> 00:18:51,399 Speaker 1: demolition teams. We're spending a lot of time on the 296 00:18:51,440 --> 00:18:55,840 Speaker 1: fifth of June preparing to blow up these various obstacles 297 00:18:56,040 --> 00:18:59,280 Speaker 1: so ships could literally get to the sand to begin 298 00:18:59,320 --> 00:19:02,679 Speaker 1: to deliver tank and troops. The Germans also knew what 299 00:19:02,720 --> 00:19:05,640 Speaker 1: were the places you could probably land that and they 300 00:19:05,680 --> 00:19:09,600 Speaker 1: had put forces in those particular places, and the result 301 00:19:09,800 --> 00:19:13,240 Speaker 1: was that at Omaha Beach. Now we ended up in 302 00:19:13,280 --> 00:19:16,000 Speaker 1: a buzzsaw and lost a lot of people very quickly, 303 00:19:16,280 --> 00:19:18,840 Speaker 1: were pinned down on the beach for several hours, and 304 00:19:19,000 --> 00:19:21,960 Speaker 1: just gradually fought our way through. But this is where 305 00:19:22,040 --> 00:19:25,359 Speaker 1: the sheer scale of the operation really mattered, because while 306 00:19:25,480 --> 00:19:28,520 Speaker 1: the Germans were able to slow us down pretty dramatically 307 00:19:28,880 --> 00:19:32,399 Speaker 1: at Omaha, there were four more beaches, and there were French, 308 00:19:32,760 --> 00:19:36,560 Speaker 1: there were Polish, there were Canadian, there were and there 309 00:19:36,600 --> 00:19:41,200 Speaker 1: were American forces who were all coming ashore simultaneously. In addition, 310 00:19:41,720 --> 00:19:45,000 Speaker 1: both we and the British had dropped parachute divisions behind 311 00:19:45,040 --> 00:19:47,800 Speaker 1: the lines, so they were there to cut off German 312 00:19:47,840 --> 00:19:51,480 Speaker 1: reinforcements and to further unnerve the Germans because if you 313 00:19:51,480 --> 00:19:53,760 Speaker 1: have people behind you, it makes it a little harder 314 00:19:53,840 --> 00:19:56,439 Speaker 1: to focus on stopping people in front of you. So 315 00:19:56,600 --> 00:20:00,920 Speaker 1: all of this is going on simultaneously, and to show 316 00:20:00,960 --> 00:20:03,600 Speaker 1: you the scale of it, I'd like you to listen 317 00:20:03,680 --> 00:20:07,800 Speaker 1: just for a minute to General Eisenhower's statement which he 318 00:20:07,880 --> 00:20:10,160 Speaker 1: made on the radio in which they taped for which 319 00:20:10,280 --> 00:20:14,200 Speaker 1: was read on every single ship before the landings began, 320 00:20:14,600 --> 00:20:17,520 Speaker 1: and it gives you a sense of the seriousness with 321 00:20:17,680 --> 00:20:19,680 Speaker 1: which you have to take this entire event. 322 00:20:20,560 --> 00:20:25,800 Speaker 5: Soldiers, sailors and airmen of the Allied Expeditionary Force, You 323 00:20:25,880 --> 00:20:29,440 Speaker 5: are about to embark upon the great crusade toward which 324 00:20:29,440 --> 00:20:32,480 Speaker 5: we have striven these many months. The eyes of the 325 00:20:32,480 --> 00:20:36,280 Speaker 5: world are upon you. The hopes and prayers of liberty 326 00:20:36,280 --> 00:20:40,560 Speaker 5: loving people everywhere march with you. In company with our 327 00:20:40,600 --> 00:20:44,280 Speaker 5: brave allies and brothers in arms on other fronts. You 328 00:20:44,359 --> 00:20:47,080 Speaker 5: will bring about the destruction of the German war machine, 329 00:20:47,520 --> 00:20:50,840 Speaker 5: the elimination of Nazi tyranny over the oppressed peoples of Europe, 330 00:20:51,480 --> 00:20:55,680 Speaker 5: and security for ourselves in a free world. Your task 331 00:20:55,760 --> 00:20:59,120 Speaker 5: will not be an easy one. Your enemy is well trained, 332 00:20:59,400 --> 00:21:03,879 Speaker 5: well equipped, and battle hardened. He will fight savagely. But 333 00:21:04,040 --> 00:21:07,800 Speaker 5: this is the year nineteen forty four. Much has happened 334 00:21:07,840 --> 00:21:11,840 Speaker 5: since the Nazi triumphs of nineteen forty forty one. The 335 00:21:11,960 --> 00:21:16,119 Speaker 5: United Nations have inflicted upon the Germans great defeats in 336 00:21:16,240 --> 00:21:21,000 Speaker 5: open battle. Man de man Our heir offensive has seriously 337 00:21:21,040 --> 00:21:24,359 Speaker 5: reduced their strength in the air and their capacity to 338 00:21:24,400 --> 00:21:27,960 Speaker 5: wage war on the ground. Our home fronts have given 339 00:21:28,040 --> 00:21:31,880 Speaker 5: us an overwhelming superiority in weapons and munitions of war, 340 00:21:32,840 --> 00:21:36,480 Speaker 5: and placed at our disposal great reserves of trained fighting men. 341 00:21:37,520 --> 00:21:40,760 Speaker 5: The tide has turned. The freemen of the world are 342 00:21:40,840 --> 00:21:45,440 Speaker 5: marching together to victory. I have full confidence in your courage, 343 00:21:45,600 --> 00:21:49,440 Speaker 5: devotion to duty, and skill in battle. We will accept 344 00:21:49,480 --> 00:21:54,199 Speaker 5: nothing less than full victory. Good luck, and let us 345 00:21:54,240 --> 00:21:57,560 Speaker 5: all beseech the blessing of Almighty God upon this great 346 00:21:57,720 --> 00:21:59,159 Speaker 5: and noble undertaking. 347 00:22:00,160 --> 00:22:02,680 Speaker 1: To me, this is always one of the most quietly 348 00:22:02,800 --> 00:22:07,720 Speaker 1: heroic events that I've ever studied, because Eisenhower knew that 349 00:22:07,840 --> 00:22:10,920 Speaker 1: even with those great words and even with those great troops, 350 00:22:11,240 --> 00:22:15,840 Speaker 1: it could fail. And so Eisenhower, being a very methodical 351 00:22:15,920 --> 00:22:20,520 Speaker 1: and responsible person, had sat down, written out a statement 352 00:22:21,320 --> 00:22:25,920 Speaker 1: if it failed, and carried that statement in his pocket 353 00:22:26,560 --> 00:22:30,600 Speaker 1: for the entire operation. Now, think about the moral courage 354 00:22:31,480 --> 00:22:34,879 Speaker 1: knowing you're throwing one hundred and fifty six thousand troops 355 00:22:34,920 --> 00:22:40,880 Speaker 1: at the beach, that you have mobilized, the Canadian, British 356 00:22:40,880 --> 00:22:44,520 Speaker 1: and American forces, that your President and the Prime Minister 357 00:22:44,600 --> 00:22:48,280 Speaker 1: have entrusted you with getting the job done, and yet 358 00:22:48,320 --> 00:22:50,280 Speaker 1: you might have to turn to them and say it 359 00:22:50,359 --> 00:22:53,480 Speaker 1: didn't work. And I want you to listen to how 360 00:22:53,520 --> 00:22:57,439 Speaker 1: Eisenhower had written it and realized what moral courage it 361 00:22:57,440 --> 00:23:00,320 Speaker 1: took because he didn't say the troops failed. He only 362 00:23:00,359 --> 00:23:03,119 Speaker 1: said one person failed. He'd written the following, which he 363 00:23:03,200 --> 00:23:07,080 Speaker 1: kept in his pocket for the entire day. Our landings 364 00:23:07,119 --> 00:23:11,400 Speaker 1: in the Cherbourgjavre area have failed to gain a satisfactory foothold, 365 00:23:11,960 --> 00:23:15,600 Speaker 1: and I have withdrawn the troops. My decision to attack 366 00:23:15,640 --> 00:23:17,640 Speaker 1: at this time and place was based upon the best 367 00:23:17,640 --> 00:23:21,000 Speaker 1: information available. The troops, the air, in the Navy did 368 00:23:21,000 --> 00:23:23,639 Speaker 1: all the bravery and devotion to duty could do. If 369 00:23:23,680 --> 00:23:26,480 Speaker 1: any blame or fault attaches to the attempt, it is 370 00:23:26,600 --> 00:23:31,600 Speaker 1: mine alone. Now that's courage. And he was prepared. I 371 00:23:31,640 --> 00:23:36,520 Speaker 1: mean he understood that this could be an enormous success 372 00:23:37,320 --> 00:23:40,520 Speaker 1: or it could be a stunning disaster. All day long, 373 00:23:41,119 --> 00:23:44,159 Speaker 1: he seemed calm, understood what was going on, and he 374 00:23:44,200 --> 00:23:47,280 Speaker 1: understood a key thing for senior leaders, which is, once 375 00:23:47,320 --> 00:23:49,639 Speaker 1: you've done all the planning, once you've done all the training, 376 00:23:50,040 --> 00:23:52,560 Speaker 1: once you've done all the preparation, try not to screw 377 00:23:52,640 --> 00:23:55,960 Speaker 1: up the people who are implementing. They're too busy getting 378 00:23:56,000 --> 00:23:58,719 Speaker 1: things done to talk to you. You have to have 379 00:23:58,760 --> 00:24:03,680 Speaker 1: an enormous sense of scipline, which Eisenhower did. They waited patiently, 380 00:24:03,680 --> 00:24:06,239 Speaker 1: and they began getting reports first that the paratroopers had 381 00:24:06,280 --> 00:24:10,280 Speaker 1: landed and that the losses were dramatically lower than the 382 00:24:10,320 --> 00:24:14,120 Speaker 1: experts had predicted. Instead of losing seventy percent, they were 383 00:24:14,119 --> 00:24:17,760 Speaker 1: losing much more like ten percent. The paratroopers were out 384 00:24:17,800 --> 00:24:19,520 Speaker 1: there actively doing what they had been trying to do. 385 00:24:19,600 --> 00:24:22,040 Speaker 1: Now they were scattered all over the place. We still 386 00:24:22,080 --> 00:24:26,680 Speaker 1: had not perfected nighttime landings in a combat zone. Remember, 387 00:24:27,200 --> 00:24:30,040 Speaker 1: they didn't have GPS, they didn't have any kind of 388 00:24:30,720 --> 00:24:34,960 Speaker 1: capacity to know where they were except using compasses, and 389 00:24:35,280 --> 00:24:37,960 Speaker 1: the planes tended to scatter when anti aircraft guns fired 390 00:24:37,960 --> 00:24:40,919 Speaker 1: at them. So people were being dropped all over the place. 391 00:24:41,080 --> 00:24:45,040 Speaker 1: But they were rallying, they were getting organized, they were 392 00:24:45,080 --> 00:24:47,880 Speaker 1: slowing down the Germans, and they were causing a great 393 00:24:47,920 --> 00:24:50,960 Speaker 1: deal of disruption for the German command system. At the 394 00:24:50,960 --> 00:24:54,360 Speaker 1: same time, Eisenauer was hearing back from the air forces 395 00:24:54,720 --> 00:24:57,840 Speaker 1: who were over the beach. We had absolute air control. 396 00:24:58,160 --> 00:25:02,320 Speaker 1: The once powerful Luftwaffe, the German air Force simply couldn't 397 00:25:02,480 --> 00:25:04,920 Speaker 1: put up anybody that mattered. I think there only one 398 00:25:05,080 --> 00:25:09,120 Speaker 1: or two German airplanes over Normandy Beach for the entire day. 399 00:25:09,560 --> 00:25:12,800 Speaker 1: And we meanwhile have hundreds and hundreds of aircraft both 400 00:25:12,880 --> 00:25:17,600 Speaker 1: strafing the Germans, bombing them, interdicting further inland. The Germans 401 00:25:17,640 --> 00:25:19,960 Speaker 1: are trying to move units up to the front. They 402 00:25:20,000 --> 00:25:23,080 Speaker 1: can't move them, something which Rammel had warned them about. 403 00:25:23,359 --> 00:25:26,520 Speaker 1: Rammel had faced Allied airpower in North Africa, and he 404 00:25:26,640 --> 00:25:30,960 Speaker 1: kept telling the German high command. Once the Americans started 405 00:25:31,000 --> 00:25:32,879 Speaker 1: landing on the British start landing, you're not going to 406 00:25:32,920 --> 00:25:35,679 Speaker 1: move people. They're going to cut you off with air power. 407 00:25:36,119 --> 00:25:40,360 Speaker 1: And nobody in Berlin could quite understand. This was very 408 00:25:40,400 --> 00:25:44,080 Speaker 1: different than the Russian Front. The Russian Front had enormous artillery, 409 00:25:44,160 --> 00:25:47,600 Speaker 1: but the Russians did not have total air superiority. Eisnower 410 00:25:47,640 --> 00:25:52,080 Speaker 1: knew all day that the landings were working, that we 411 00:25:52,119 --> 00:25:54,880 Speaker 1: had problems at Omaha Beach, but that overall we were 412 00:25:55,280 --> 00:25:59,240 Speaker 1: breaking through. We were gradually getting more and more forces ashore, 413 00:25:59,760 --> 00:26:03,320 Speaker 1: and he was able to report that back through General 414 00:26:03,359 --> 00:26:07,439 Speaker 1: Marshall to President Roosevelt, and that set the stage for 415 00:26:07,520 --> 00:26:13,720 Speaker 1: the President, knowing that this great landing was succeeding, to 416 00:26:13,800 --> 00:26:17,280 Speaker 1: go to the nation and to report to them. Now, 417 00:26:17,920 --> 00:26:20,840 Speaker 1: just the day before he'd reported to them on the 418 00:26:20,840 --> 00:26:24,160 Speaker 1: great victory in Rome, but that had been really sort 419 00:26:24,160 --> 00:26:29,400 Speaker 1: of a political governmental report. It was not a sense 420 00:26:29,440 --> 00:26:32,359 Speaker 1: of anxiety, not a sense of commitment. It was the 421 00:26:32,400 --> 00:26:35,359 Speaker 1: President saying, Hey, we're winning, and here's what happened, and 422 00:26:35,400 --> 00:26:38,680 Speaker 1: here's why Rome matters. Now, he had a different situation. 423 00:26:39,600 --> 00:26:44,000 Speaker 1: He had well over one hundred thousand troops in combat. 424 00:26:44,440 --> 00:26:47,960 Speaker 1: He was about to send more troops into combat, first 425 00:26:47,960 --> 00:26:51,080 Speaker 1: at France and then at Germany, and so he wanted 426 00:26:51,119 --> 00:26:54,960 Speaker 1: to speak with the American people in a way that 427 00:26:55,080 --> 00:26:58,480 Speaker 1: would bring them together and would rally them. And that's 428 00:26:58,520 --> 00:27:03,960 Speaker 1: why I've always believed that Roosevelt's radio address on the 429 00:27:04,000 --> 00:27:07,919 Speaker 1: sixth of June should be really heard by people, just 430 00:27:07,960 --> 00:27:12,399 Speaker 1: to remind them both that so much was at stake, 431 00:27:12,640 --> 00:27:16,679 Speaker 1: so many people were at stake, and that we had 432 00:27:16,720 --> 00:27:38,320 Speaker 1: a president who didn't mind praying and having everybody pray. 433 00:27:40,560 --> 00:27:42,679 Speaker 1: So I want you to join me and listening to 434 00:27:43,400 --> 00:27:47,640 Speaker 1: President Roosevelt's addressed to the nation in which he asked 435 00:27:47,680 --> 00:27:50,680 Speaker 1: the whole country to join him in prayer for the 436 00:27:50,720 --> 00:27:52,719 Speaker 1: young men who are risking their lives in France. 437 00:27:53,000 --> 00:27:58,320 Speaker 3: My fellow Americans, last night, when I spoke with you 438 00:27:59,359 --> 00:28:03,919 Speaker 3: about the all of Rome, I knew at that moment 439 00:28:05,280 --> 00:28:08,400 Speaker 3: that troops of the United States and our allies were 440 00:28:08,480 --> 00:28:14,920 Speaker 3: crossing the channel in another and greater operation. It has 441 00:28:15,000 --> 00:28:21,680 Speaker 3: come to pass with success thus far. And so in 442 00:28:21,720 --> 00:28:26,600 Speaker 3: this poignant hour I ask you to join with me 443 00:28:26,960 --> 00:28:37,080 Speaker 3: in prayer, Almighty God, our sons, pride of our nation. 444 00:28:38,600 --> 00:28:43,120 Speaker 3: This day of set upon a mighty endeavor, a struggle 445 00:28:43,200 --> 00:28:50,200 Speaker 3: to preserve our republic, our religion, and our civilization, and 446 00:28:50,320 --> 00:28:57,000 Speaker 3: to set free a suffering humanity. Lead them straight and true, 447 00:28:58,880 --> 00:29:04,840 Speaker 3: Give strength to their arms, stoutness to their hearts, steadfastness 448 00:29:04,880 --> 00:29:10,960 Speaker 3: in their faith. They will need Thy blessings. Their road 449 00:29:11,000 --> 00:29:16,080 Speaker 3: will be long and hard, for the enemy is strong. 450 00:29:16,560 --> 00:29:21,719 Speaker 3: He may hurl back our forces. Success may not come 451 00:29:22,000 --> 00:29:27,640 Speaker 3: with rushing speed, but we shall return again and again. 452 00:29:29,120 --> 00:29:32,760 Speaker 3: And we know that by Thy grace and by the 453 00:29:32,840 --> 00:29:39,720 Speaker 3: righteousness of our cause, our suns will triumph. They will 454 00:29:39,760 --> 00:29:44,240 Speaker 3: be soret cried by night and by day, without rest, 455 00:29:45,680 --> 00:29:50,840 Speaker 3: until the victory is won. The darkness will be rent 456 00:29:50,920 --> 00:29:56,400 Speaker 3: by noise and flame. Men's souls will be shaken with 457 00:29:56,520 --> 00:30:04,320 Speaker 3: the violences of war. For these men are lately drawn 458 00:30:04,600 --> 00:30:08,680 Speaker 3: from the ways of peace. They fight not for the 459 00:30:08,760 --> 00:30:14,960 Speaker 3: lust of conquest. They fight to end the conquest. They 460 00:30:15,000 --> 00:30:21,320 Speaker 3: fight to liberate. They fight to let justice arise, and 461 00:30:21,440 --> 00:30:29,520 Speaker 3: tolerance and good will among all thy people. They yearn 462 00:30:30,240 --> 00:30:34,600 Speaker 3: but for the end of battle, for their return to 463 00:30:34,680 --> 00:30:43,560 Speaker 3: the haven of home, some will never return. Embrace these 464 00:30:43,760 --> 00:30:51,240 Speaker 3: father and receive them thy heroic servants into Thy kingdom. 465 00:30:53,640 --> 00:31:03,320 Speaker 3: And for us at home, fathers, mothers, show wives, sisters, 466 00:31:04,200 --> 00:31:10,440 Speaker 3: and brothers of brave men overseas, whose thoughts and prayers 467 00:31:10,520 --> 00:31:17,680 Speaker 3: are ever with them, Help us, Almighty God, to rededicate 468 00:31:17,760 --> 00:31:24,320 Speaker 3: ourselves in renewed faith in THEE in this hour of 469 00:31:24,440 --> 00:31:31,360 Speaker 3: great sacrifice. Many people have urged that I call the 470 00:31:31,480 --> 00:31:38,600 Speaker 3: nation into a single day of special prayer. But because 471 00:31:38,680 --> 00:31:43,280 Speaker 3: the road is long and the desire is great, I 472 00:31:43,520 --> 00:31:50,000 Speaker 3: ask that our people devote themselves in a continuance of prayer. 473 00:31:51,720 --> 00:31:56,360 Speaker 3: As we rise to each new day, and again when 474 00:31:56,440 --> 00:32:02,480 Speaker 3: each day is spent, words of prayer be on our lips, 475 00:32:03,680 --> 00:32:11,080 Speaker 3: invoking Thy help to our efforts. Give us strength to 476 00:32:11,120 --> 00:32:17,400 Speaker 3: strengthen our daily tasks, to readdouble the contributions we make 477 00:32:17,480 --> 00:32:23,000 Speaker 3: in the physical and the material support of our armed forces. 478 00:32:25,160 --> 00:32:29,960 Speaker 3: And let our hearts be stout to wait out the 479 00:32:30,080 --> 00:32:37,480 Speaker 3: long travel, to bear sorrows that may come to impart 480 00:32:37,720 --> 00:32:46,280 Speaker 3: our courage unto our sons, wheresoever they may be. And 481 00:32:47,200 --> 00:32:53,000 Speaker 3: Oh Lord, give us faith, Give us faith in Thee, 482 00:32:53,400 --> 00:32:59,040 Speaker 3: faith in our sons, faith in each other, faith in 483 00:32:59,120 --> 00:33:05,400 Speaker 3: our united crusade. Let not the keenness of our spirit 484 00:33:05,720 --> 00:33:12,280 Speaker 3: ever be dulled. Let not the impacts of temporary events, 485 00:33:13,080 --> 00:33:18,840 Speaker 3: our temporal matters of but fleeting moment. Let not these 486 00:33:19,160 --> 00:33:28,120 Speaker 3: deter us in our unconquerable purpose. With Thy blessing, we 487 00:33:28,240 --> 00:33:35,080 Speaker 3: shall prevail over the unholy forces of our enemy. Help 488 00:33:35,160 --> 00:33:41,480 Speaker 3: us to conquer the apostles of greed and racial arrogances. 489 00:33:42,680 --> 00:33:46,600 Speaker 3: Lead us to the saving of our country, and with 490 00:33:46,760 --> 00:33:52,120 Speaker 3: our sister nations, into a world unity that will spell 491 00:33:52,760 --> 00:33:59,680 Speaker 3: a sure peace, a peace invulnerable to the schemings of 492 00:33:59,840 --> 00:34:05,160 Speaker 3: our unworthy man, and a peace that will let all 493 00:34:05,320 --> 00:34:11,120 Speaker 3: men live in freedom, reaping the just rewards of their 494 00:34:11,200 --> 00:34:21,560 Speaker 3: honest tile. They will be done, Almighty God. Amen. 495 00:34:23,360 --> 00:34:27,280 Speaker 1: Now imagine that you were a mother or a father, 496 00:34:27,920 --> 00:34:30,919 Speaker 1: a brother or a sister, a husband or a wife, 497 00:34:31,280 --> 00:34:35,600 Speaker 1: and you're listening to that people you love are risking 498 00:34:35,680 --> 00:34:40,480 Speaker 1: their lives doing something so terribly important that we have 499 00:34:40,560 --> 00:34:43,879 Speaker 1: to win. I always thought one of the most fascinating 500 00:34:43,920 --> 00:34:47,640 Speaker 1: points in that prayer was when he said many people 501 00:34:47,640 --> 00:34:49,600 Speaker 1: have urged that I call the nation into a single 502 00:34:49,680 --> 00:34:53,400 Speaker 1: day of special prayer. But because the road is long 503 00:34:53,640 --> 00:34:56,319 Speaker 1: and the desire is great, I asked there are people 504 00:34:56,360 --> 00:35:00,359 Speaker 1: to vote themselves into continuance of prayer. As we rise 505 00:35:00,440 --> 00:35:03,160 Speaker 1: to each new day, and again when each day is spent, 506 00:35:03,840 --> 00:35:06,719 Speaker 1: their words of prayer be on our lips, invoking Thy 507 00:35:06,840 --> 00:35:10,920 Speaker 1: help to our efforts. I think to really get a 508 00:35:11,000 --> 00:35:12,879 Speaker 1: sense of the impact of that, you have to think 509 00:35:12,920 --> 00:35:16,360 Speaker 1: back to a time when almost every family had somebody 510 00:35:16,360 --> 00:35:20,080 Speaker 1: in the military, when we had mobilized fifteen million people. 511 00:35:20,760 --> 00:35:23,759 Speaker 1: You didn't know what was happening, and so you're clinging 512 00:35:23,800 --> 00:35:27,560 Speaker 1: to every piece of news you can get. And what 513 00:35:27,680 --> 00:35:30,920 Speaker 1: President Roosevelt is trying to do is both give you 514 00:35:31,000 --> 00:35:34,560 Speaker 1: an immediacy. This is happening now, and we should pray 515 00:35:34,640 --> 00:35:39,400 Speaker 1: together now. But in addition, he understands that this fight's 516 00:35:39,440 --> 00:35:40,759 Speaker 1: not going to end in a week or two, and 517 00:35:40,840 --> 00:35:43,399 Speaker 1: in fact, of course, it goes on from June sixth, 518 00:35:43,480 --> 00:35:46,759 Speaker 1: nineteen forty four to May the eighth, nineteen forty five, 519 00:35:47,360 --> 00:35:49,680 Speaker 1: and we have a number of very tough fights in 520 00:35:49,680 --> 00:35:53,760 Speaker 1: that period, and so he wants to condition people together 521 00:35:54,440 --> 00:36:06,480 Speaker 1: to be committed to praying for our troops. I wanted 522 00:36:06,520 --> 00:36:09,880 Speaker 1: to share with you both the importance of Normandy Well. 523 00:36:09,880 --> 00:36:11,799 Speaker 1: I also wanted to share with you that here is 524 00:36:11,840 --> 00:36:15,640 Speaker 1: a president who nonetheless felt that at a time of 525 00:36:15,680 --> 00:36:20,319 Speaker 1: great crisis, it was totally authentic and totally legitimate to 526 00:36:20,480 --> 00:36:25,120 Speaker 1: invite every American to pray for their loved ones, recognizing 527 00:36:25,560 --> 00:36:28,240 Speaker 1: that when you have eleven percent of the country in uniform, 528 00:36:28,880 --> 00:36:32,280 Speaker 1: virtually every American had a loved one who was genuinely 529 00:36:32,320 --> 00:36:36,480 Speaker 1: at risk. I think that these kind of historic dates 530 00:36:37,400 --> 00:36:39,520 Speaker 1: D Day the sixth of June is a good example, 531 00:36:40,080 --> 00:36:43,400 Speaker 1: are important lessons for people. What did it take to 532 00:36:43,400 --> 00:36:47,080 Speaker 1: be free? What did it take to defeat tyranny? What 533 00:36:47,239 --> 00:36:49,439 Speaker 1: was the nature of the people who had that kind 534 00:36:49,480 --> 00:36:52,560 Speaker 1: of courage and who then, by the way, quietly came 535 00:36:52,560 --> 00:36:57,240 Speaker 1: back home, took the gi bill, went to school, got married, 536 00:36:57,280 --> 00:37:00,239 Speaker 1: they raised their children, They had a good life. They 537 00:37:00,239 --> 00:37:03,880 Speaker 1: are the greatest generation because they were committed to their 538 00:37:03,920 --> 00:37:07,640 Speaker 1: country and to their fellow Americans for virtually their whole lifetime. 539 00:37:07,760 --> 00:37:11,120 Speaker 1: It survived the Great Depression, that survived the Second World War. 540 00:37:11,520 --> 00:37:13,759 Speaker 1: They're the people who created the framework to win the 541 00:37:13,760 --> 00:37:16,359 Speaker 1: Cold War, and in the process they made America the 542 00:37:16,360 --> 00:37:19,440 Speaker 1: most prosperous nation in history did an immense amount of 543 00:37:19,440 --> 00:37:22,240 Speaker 1: good in a wide range of ways. And my hope 544 00:37:22,320 --> 00:37:24,840 Speaker 1: is that you will take a little time every d 545 00:37:25,000 --> 00:37:27,960 Speaker 1: Day to think about what it's taken to be free, 546 00:37:28,719 --> 00:37:31,279 Speaker 1: the risks that we have to take, the sacrifices we 547 00:37:31,320 --> 00:37:34,719 Speaker 1: have to make, and the power of bringing all of 548 00:37:34,800 --> 00:37:37,840 Speaker 1: us together in prayer for a great cause and what 549 00:37:38,080 --> 00:37:47,040 Speaker 1: was in fact a genuine crusade. Thank you for listening. 550 00:37:47,440 --> 00:37:50,560 Speaker 1: You can read more about D Day and FDR's prayer 551 00:37:50,920 --> 00:37:54,640 Speaker 1: on our show page at newtsworld dot com. Mitch World 552 00:37:54,719 --> 00:37:58,560 Speaker 1: is produced by Gangward three sixty and iHeartMedia. Our executive 553 00:37:58,560 --> 00:38:03,360 Speaker 1: producer is Guarns Sloan and our researcher is Rachel Peterson. 554 00:38:03,920 --> 00:38:07,000 Speaker 1: The artwork for the show was created by Steve Penley. 555 00:38:07,640 --> 00:38:10,879 Speaker 1: Special thanks the team at Gingrich three sixty. If you've 556 00:38:10,880 --> 00:38:14,000 Speaker 1: been enjoying Newsworld, I hope you'll go to Apple Podcasts 557 00:38:14,320 --> 00:38:16,839 Speaker 1: and both rate us with five stars and give us 558 00:38:16,840 --> 00:38:19,480 Speaker 1: a review so others can learn what it's all about. 559 00:38:20,080 --> 00:38:22,880 Speaker 1: Right now, listeners of newts World can sign up for 560 00:38:23,040 --> 00:38:27,480 Speaker 1: my three free weekly columns at gingrichthree sixty dot com. 561 00:38:27,480 --> 00:38:32,200 Speaker 1: Slash newsletter I'm Newt gingrich, This is newtsworld.