Unlike Bowe Bergdahl, the Greatest Generation served with “real honor and distinction.” And former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin said Americans are justified in their anger after seeing the federal government disrespecting them — and other veterans — by withholding health care from them in the Veterans Administration’s wait-list scandal.
“They served with real honor and distinction,” Palin said in a Facebook post on the 70th Anniversary of D-Day. “That is why it is justified outrage felt by Americans today, knowing our government is so wrong to withhold anything our finest in uniform earned and so richly deserve, including their promised health care. Also included is the respect they deserve. They should be at the front of the line.”
Palin quoted Reagan’s famous Pointe de Hoc speech 30 years ago in which Reagan “honored those heroic Americans who courageously captured the cliffs on D-Day” and, “pointing to these extraordinary members of the Greatest Generation who were by then elderly men,” said, “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. These are the heroes who helped end a war.”
“For four long years, much of Europe had been under a terrible shadow,” Reagan said in opening his speech. “Free nations had fallen, Jews cried out in the camps, millions cried out for liberation. Europe was enslaved, and the world prayed for its rescue. Here in Normandy the rescue began. Here the Allies stood and fought against tyranny in a giant undertaking unparalleled in human history.”
Palin mentioned that on the 70th Anniversary of D-Day, “fewer of these brave Americans are still with us.” And she emphasized that “we call them the Greatest Generation because we remain in awe of the sacrifices they willingly and selflessly made to liberate the world from evil.”
She reminded Americans that freedom isn’t free, and America’s bravest paid the price for freedom on D-Day.
“Their efforts in war and later in peacetime made America the strongest and most prosperous nation in the history of mankind. What we have today we owe to them because they carried the fate of civilization on their shoulders. If our men had been defeated, what corner of the world would have been safe from the unspeakable horror of Nazism?” she said. “It’s the honor of a lifetime to meet World War II veterans. I do stand in awe of them and will never forget those blessed meetings because these humble men embody true courage and valor.”
Palin, echoing Reagan in his Farewell Address, urged parents to teach their children about America’s shared history and reiterated that Americans commit to never letting the “angry faithless kick God out of our public square”:
Our country is faced with so many challenges, but the Greatest Generation has shown us that nothing is impossible with faith and courage and commitment to fight for what is right! They are inspiration for today! My fellow Americans, never forget that we are the sons and daughters of the heroes who stormed the beaches of Normandy and freed the world from tyranny. Though our challenges today may seem daunting, they are nothing compared to what they faced on June 6, 1944. So, stand proud and remember the words of General Eisenhower to the Allied Forces on the eve of the battle: “We will accept nothing less than full victory!”
This is our heritage; be proud of it! Parents, please take time to teach your children true history and the story of what these men accomplished on D-Day. Perhaps simple things like watching “The Longest Day” or “Saving Private Ryan,” and as a family making preparations to understand and celebrate our upcoming Independence Day, can remind our kids of sacrifices made for their freedom. Teach them to never take freedom for granted. Heaven forbid ever allowing our vet’s sacrifices to be in vain.
God bless the Greatest Generation. A grateful nation owes you everything.
Please read this moving account of D-Day: http://tinyurl.com/lb8de2d. It confirms our commitment to never letting the angry faithless kick God out of our public square. Further, it should empower you to support new leaders who don’t pretend to have all the answers, but instead humbly call out to God for wisdom, strength, and His hand of protection over America, especially in perilous times.
She also posted a video of WWII veterans speaking about D-Day:
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