“When we talk about democracy  – American democracy – we often talk big ideas like life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. What we don’t talk about enough is how hard it is.”

“American democracy asks the hardest of things: to believe that we’re a part of something bigger than ourselves. So democracy begins with each of us.”

—

“I’ve long said that history has shown that ordinary Americans can do the most extraordinary things. And there’s no better example of that in the entire world than right here at Pointe du Hoc. Rangers from farms, from cities, from every part of America.”

—

As we gather here today, it’s not just to honor those who showed such remarkable bravery that day June 6, 1944. It’s to listen to the echo of their voices. To hear them. Because they are summoning us. They’re asking us what will we do. They’re not asking us to scale these cliffs. They’re asking us to stay true to what America stands for.

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