One of my favourite speeches from President Reagan has to be the one he gave at the 1984 commemoration of the 40th anniversary.
“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. And 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.””
Chilling and evocative. Still makes me weep
Same here. I've been to Point-du-Hoc, right where the raised platform was built for the 40th anniversary speech. What I didn't realize back in 1984, was that the ground beneath that platform, right in front of the memorial, was some of the only smooth and level ground in that area. Most of Point-du-Hoc is still pockmarked with craters from the naval and aerial bombardment. Of course, now it's all covered in grass and carefully manicured, so it looks like a golf course on the moon.
His son was 5 yrs old at the time.
He took his family over for the events in 84.
Very memorable.