D-Day 40th anniversary speech moved veterans

In one of the most memorable speeches of his presidency, Ronald Reagan stood at the beaches of Normandy 20 years ago today and described how Army Rangers on D-Day had scaled cliffs and defeated enemy troops who were firing down on them.

“In seizing the firm land at the top of these cliffs, they began to seize back the continent of Europe,” Reagan said on June 6, 1984, to a crowd that included some of the old soldiers who wept as the president described their heroism.

The impact of Reagan’s speech came from the details, hammered home by a longtime Hollywood actor giving one of the great performances of his life on a world stage.

“The air was dense with smoke and the cries of men, and the air was filled with the crack of rifle fire and the roar of cannon,” Reagan said. “The Rangers looked up and saw the enemy soldiers on the edge of the cliffs shooting down at them with machine guns and throwing grenades” and “the American Rangers began to climb.”

“Two hundred and twenty-five came here,” said Reagan. “After two days of fighting, only 90 could still bear arms.”

Paying tribute to the Rangers who climbed the cliffs, Reagan said, “These are the boys of Pointe du Hoc. . . . These are the champions who helped free a continent. These are the heroes who helped end a war.”