We few, we happy few, we band of brothers; For he to-day that sheds his blood with me Shall be my brother …
—William Shakespeare (King Henry V, Act IV, Sc. 3)
It was a “golden age” of speeches when carefully crafted words had the power to lift people’s hearts and make the difference between success and failure.
Who among us is not stirred by Churchill’s words after the Battle of Britain?—a real turning point in World War II.
Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few.
—Winston Churchill.
—Winston Churchill.
Or his speech after the fall of France to Nazi Germany:
We shall go on to the end. We shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and oceans, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall defend our island, whatever the cost may be. We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender …
—Winston Churchill.
—Winston Churchill.
Once more, a supreme test has to be faced. This time, the challenge is not to fight to survive but to fight to win the final victory for the good cause. Once again, what is demanded from us all is something more than courage, more than endurance. We need a revival of spirit – a new, unconquerable resolve.
—King George VI.
—King George VI.
Good luck, and let us all beseech the blessings of Almighty God upon this great and noble undertaking.
—Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces, General Dwight D. Eisenhower
—Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces, General Dwight D. Eisenhower
The battle has begun and France will fight it with fury. For the sons of France, whoever they may be, wherever they may be, the simple and sacred duty is to fight the enemy with every means in their power.”
—General de Gaulle.
—General de Gaulle.
This vast operation is undoubtedly the most complicated and difficult that has ever taken place. It involves tides, wind, waves, visibility, both from the air and the sea standpoint, and the combined employment of land, air and sea forces in the highest degree of intimacy and in contact with conditions which could not and cannot be fully foreseen.
—Winston S. Churchill (wiki) (in announcing the Normandy invasion to the House of Commons, 6 June 1944).
—Winston S. Churchill (wiki) (in announcing the Normandy invasion to the House of Commons, 6 June 1944).
People of Western Europe: a landing was made this morning on the coast of France by troops of the Allied Expeditionary Force. This landing is part of the concerted United Nations plan for the liberation of Europe, made in conjunction with our great Russian allies. I have this message for all of you. Although the initial assault may not have been made in your own country, the hour of your liberation is approaching. All patriots, men and women, young and old, have a part to play in the achievement of final victory. To members of resistance movements, I say, ‘Follow the instructions you have received.’ To patriots who are not members of organized resistance groups, I say, ‘Continue your passive resistance, but do not needlessly endanger your lives until I give you the signal to rise and strike the enemy. The day will come when I shall need your united strength.’ Until that day, I call on you for the hard task of discipline and restraint.
—Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces, General Dwight D. Eisenhower
—Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces, General Dwight D. Eisenhower
Today, on this day, D-Day, we remember and give thanks to the Greatest Generation.
