Gen. Caine Pays Tribute to WWII Heroes at 82nd D-Day Anniversary Ceremony in Normandy | AC1G

追加: 2026-06-07

[00:00:00][applause] [applause] >> General Dan Raisin Cain, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, will now deliver his remarks.

[00:00:26]>> Well, thank you very much and good morning everyone.

[00:00:31]Mr. Secretary, members of Congress, ambassadors, leaders, general officers, but most importantly, our 29 World War II veterans in the crowd today. Let's give THEM ALL >> [applause] >> MR. ROSE, SIR, YOUR letter was awesome.

[00:00:58]I will let you know, sir, that we still check things, check them again, check them again based on the example that you gave us.

[00:01:09]And never in my life have I been so humbled, honored, or nervous to follow somebody than I am following you, sir, in talking. So, so thank you. Commanding a fleet of 36 vessels, you made sure the men on the beach had what they needed, that could move forward, advance, and close with the savage enemy.

[00:01:37]And the landing force would have failed without you and your brothers in those craft.

[00:01:46]Sir, on behalf of 2.8 million men 2.8 billion men and women in our joint force, thank you for the perfect gift of a great example to you and to your teammates here today. Another round of applause for our veterans.

[00:02:03]>> [applause] >> 82 years ago on a morning much like today, and I bet the weather was a lot like today, the fate of the world was decided on the beach just off to our right.

[00:02:26]As we stand here overlooking Omaha Beach and off in the distance, we see 9,387 of our fallen brothers and sisters and 1,557 names on the walls of the missing.

[00:02:48]I'm deeply humbled by the immense immense weight of their sacrifice.

[00:02:56]You can feel them here.

[00:02:59]The men and women buried here and their brothers and sisters are so fortunate to have given us the gift that we have today.

[00:03:10]They were ordinary people from all over the United States of America who answered the call to serve and through their great example showed us what extraordinary looks like.

[00:03:25]They crossed an ocean to fight for their country on a continent that they'd never seen to save a people they did not know.

[00:03:36]They were young men of purpose, resolve, and action.

[00:03:43]And that is what we remember today.

[00:03:46]Absolute unwavering selflessness.

[00:03:50]A beautiful, perfect example for those of us still today in the service of our country, the gift of that example.

[00:04:02]The soldiers, sailors, Marines, airmen, coast guardsmen of the Allied Forces risked everything and thousands gave us the ultimate sacrifice.

[00:04:15]They gave their lives for strangers.

[00:04:17]They did this because they were good and were committed to ridding the world of evil.

[00:04:25]Today, we remember the crew of the USS Corry that delivered covering fire for the landings on Utah Beach.

[00:04:35]She provided fire support 1,000 yd from the beach.

[00:04:40]And after several hits from German guns and striking a mine, she sank in the cold, choppy water.

[00:04:49]Just imagine for a minute 1,000 yd off the beach what it looked like here on this hallowed ground, what it sounded like, the smell, the taste, the chaos.

[00:05:03]24 of her crew were killed that day, including Chief Machinist's Mate Bernard John Peterson from Nebraska, Seaman First Class Robert Thompson from Texas, and Gunner's Mate Second Class Paul Stomba.

[00:05:24]Vania.

[00:05:27]Today, we remember the pilots that gave their lives to protect the ground force.

[00:05:32]Men like First Lieutenant Harold Lacy Ross, Jr., a P-51 Mustang fighter pilot who was flying deep in northern France attacking German forces on the ground that were headed to the beach.

[00:05:48]As he finished his strafing run and came off target, 15 German fighters attacked him.

[00:05:53]He fought for his life.

[00:05:55]He was shot down and killed. And he lies among his soldier brothers he died to protect here today.

[00:06:03]Men he never knew.

[00:06:06]Today we remember the Coast Guard men of LCI 94 that delivered soldiers to the beach over and over and over again.

[00:06:18]As the landing craft came to the beach, they were immediately engaged by artillery and machine gun fire.

[00:06:25]They disembarked safety works at.

[00:06:37]As they moved towards that target, artillery rounds struck the pilot house and three Coast Guardsmen, August Funcke, Fletcher Burton, and Jack De Nusio were instantly killed trying to save men they never knew.

[00:06:54]Just for a minute, imagine that landing craft coming ashore.

[00:06:59]And then the ramp drops.

[00:07:04]And you're a soldier on that landing craft.

[00:07:08]Men like First Lieutenant Jimmy Monteith Jr. of the First Infantry Division.

[00:07:15]Jimmy landed right here on Omaha Beach under heavy fire.

[00:07:21]Refusing to take cover, he moved continuously back and forth up and down the beach rallying his scattered and pinned down soldiers.

[00:07:33]With complete disregard for his own safety, he rallied his forces and led an assault off the beach across an exposed flat, and up the cliffs just off our right side.

[00:07:47]When Allied tanks arrived, Jimmy crossed an open field on foot, walking directly through an active minefield under constant machine-gun fire to guide those Allied tanks towards enemy pillboxes.

[00:08:04]He continued to lead the defense of this hard-won position against overwhelming odds until ultimately he made the ultimate sacrifice.

[00:08:15]For his actions, Jimmy was awarded the Medal of Honor.

[00:08:19]He sacrificed himself for a continent he'd never seen to save a people he did not know.

[00:08:29]82 years have passed since the Allied armada appeared over the horizon on this very morning.

[00:08:38]Today, the guns are silent.

[00:08:40]The sand is swept clean by the tides of history, but the memory of what happened here that day and the days that followed will never wash away.

[00:08:54]We feel it every day within America's joint force.

[00:09:00]The veterans of World War II who are here with us today, and those who did not come home, thank you.

[00:09:08]Thank you for your courage, tenacity, and grit that you showed the world on that day and the days that followed.

[00:09:18]Most of all, thank you for your selflessness, for loving our country, and again, for the gift of the perfect example.

[00:09:28]May God always bless the souls resting in this cemetery. May God bless the United States of America, and may God bless our joint force. Thank you very much.

[00:09:42]>> [applause] >> Honorable Charles Kushner, Ambassador of the United States to the French Republic and the Prince >> Mr. Secretary, honored veterans and distinguished guests, we gather today on the shores of Normandy to remember one of the most consequential days in human history.

[00:10:25]The Allied landings on June 6th, 1944, known to the world as D-Day.

[00:10:33]On that morning, the horizon filled with thousands of ships and aircraft.

[00:10:40]Young men, many barely out of school, crossed the English Channel into a storm of steel and fire.

[00:10:49]They stepped from their landing craft into cold water and chaos, carrying with them not just rifles and packs, but also the hopes of the world longing to be free.

[00:11:03]Those beaches