Floor Speech - June 8, 2004

Ronald Wilson Reagan - We Will Always Remember

Mr. Speaker,

Last week as I reflected on the anniversary of D-Day, I recalled President Reagan’s speech on the 40^th anniversary of that first day of the liberation of Europe.

On June 6, 1984, President Reagan spoke of "The men of Normandy” who “had faith that what they were doing was right, faith that they fought for all humanity, faith that a just God would grant them mercy on this beachhead—or on the next."

As he so often did, his conviction and passion, his grace and sincerity connected a distant event to the struggle each and every human being faces every day – fighting to know that what we are doing is right.

Later day, he told a different audience that, “We will always remember.  We will always be proud. We will always be prepared, so we may be always free.”

Newsweek called this freedom, which President Reagan mentioned in 1984, the freedom “from self-doubt, from the Soviet threat, from uneasiness about our national power and capacity to do great things.”

This was Reagan's gift to his country.

He knew that America was great.

And he also knew that our greatness had not come without a price.

Men and women had given their last full measure of devotion so that we, and the entire world, might live in freedom.

Indeed, we will always remember, Mr. President. 

We will always remember, so we may always be free.