Mr.President(FrancoisMitterrandofFrance),distinguishedguests,westandtodayataplaceofbattle,onethat40yearsagosawandfelttheworstofwar.Menbledanddiedhereforafewfeetof-orinchesofsand,asbulletsandshellfirecutthroughtheirranks.Aboutthem,GeneralOmarBradleylatersaid,"EverymanwhosetfootonOmahaBeachthatdaywasahero."
Nospeechcanadequatelyportraytheirsuffering,theirsacrifice,theirheroism.PresidentLincolnonceremindedusthatthroughtheirdeeds,thedeadofbattlehavespokenmoreeloquentlyforthemselvesthananyofthelivingevercould.Butwecanonlyhonorthembyrededicatingourselvestothecauseforwhichtheygavealastfullmeasureofdevotion.
Todaywedorededicateourselvestothatcause.Andatthisplaceofhonor,we'rehumbledbytherealizationofhowmuchsomanygavetothecauseoffreedomandtotheirfellowman.
SomewhosurvivedthebattleofJune6,1944,areheretoday.Otherswhohopedtoreturnneverdid.
"Someday,Lis,I'llgoback,"saidPrivateFirstClassPeterRobertZanatta,ofthe37thEngineerCombatBattalion,andfirstassaultwavetohitOmahaBeach."I'llgoback,andI'llseeitallagain.I'llseethebeach,thebarricades,andthegraves."
ThosewordsofPrivateZanattacometousfromhisdaughter,LisaZanattaHenn,inaheartrendingstoryabouttheeventherfatherspokeofsooften."Inhiswords,theNormandyinvasionwouldchangehislifeforever,"shesaid.ShetellssomeofhisstoriesofWorldWarIIbutsaysofherfather,"thestorytoendallstorieswasD-Day."
"Hemademefeelthefearofbeingonthatboatwaitingtoland.Icansmelltheoceanandfeeltheseasickness.Icanseethelooksonhisfellowsoldiers'faces-thefear,theanguish,theuncertaintyofwhatlayahead.Andwhentheylanded,Icanfeelthestrengthandcourageofthemenwhotookthosefirststepsthroughthetidetowhatmusthavesurelylookedlikeinstantdeath."
PrivateZanatta'sdaughterwrotetome:"Idon'tknowhoworwhyIcanfeelthisemptiness,thisfear,orthisdetermination,butIdo.Maybeit'sthebondIhadwithmyfather.AllIknowisthatitbringstearstomyeyestothinkaboutmyfatherasa20-year-oldboyhavingtofacethatbeach."
TheanniversaryofD-Daywasalwaysspecialforherfamily.Andlikeallthefamiliesofthosewhowenttowar,shedescribeshowshecametorealizeherownfather'ssurvivalwasamiracle:"Somanymendied.Iknowthatmyfatherwatchedmanyofhisfriendsbekilled.Iknowthathemusthavediedinsidealittleeachtime.Buthisexplanationtomewas,'Youdidwhatyouhadtodo,andyoukeptongoing.'"
WhenmenlikePrivateZanattaandallourAlliedforcesstormedthebeachesofNormandy40yearsagotheycamenotasconquerors,butasliberators.WhenthesetroopssweptacrosstheFrenchcountrysideandintotheforestsofBelgiumandLuxembourgtheycamenottotake,buttoreturnwhathadbeenwronglyseized.WhenourforcesmarchedintoGermanytheycamenottopreyonabraveanddefeatedpeople,buttonurturetheseedsofdemocracyamongthosewhoyearnedtobefreeagain.
Today,intheirmemory,andforallwhofoughthere,wecelebratethetriumphofdemocracy.Wereaffirmtheunityofdemocraticpeopleswhofoughtawarandthenjoinedwiththevanquishedinafirmresolvetokeepthepeace.
Fromaterriblewarwelearnedthatunitymadeusinvincible;now,inpeace,thatsameunitymakesussecure.Wesoughttobringallfreedom-lovingnationstogetherinacommunitydedicatedtothedefenseandpreservationofoursacredvalues.Ouralliance,forgedinthecrucibleofwar,temperedandshapedbytherealitiesofthepostwarworld,hassucceeded.InEurope,thethreathasbeencontained,thepeacehasbeenkept.
LisaZanattaHennbeganherstorybyquotingherfather,whopromisedthathewouldreturntoNormandy.Sheendedwithapromisetoherfather,whodiedeightyearsagoofcancer:"I'mgoingthere,Dad,andI'llseethebeachesandthebarricadesandthemonuments.I'llseethegraves,andI'llputflowerstherejustlikeyouwantedtodo.I'llfeelallthethingsyoumademefeelthroughyourstoriesandyoureyes.I'llneverforgetwhatyouwentthrough,Dad,norwillIletanyoneelseforget.And,Dad,I'llalwaysbeproud."
Throughthewordsofhislovingdaughter,whoisherewithustoday,aD-DayveteranhasshownusthemeaningofthisdayfarbetterthananyPresidentcan.ItisenoughforustosayaboutPrivateZanattaandallthemenofhonorandcouragewhofoughtbesidehimfourdecadesago:Wewillalwaysremember.Wewillalwaysbeproud.Wewillalwaysbeprepared,sowemayalwaysbefree.Thankyou.
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作者為美國第四十任總統,本文摘錄自一九八四年六月六日「登陸諾曼第」四十周年紀念日,在法國奧馬哈海灘的發言