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CNN Live Event/Special
D-Day Memorials Held in Virginia and Normandy
Aired June 06, 2001 - 11:42 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: We want to take you now live to Bedford, Virginia where the dedication to a D-Day memorial is under way. This is a town that suffered perhaps more than any other town in the U.S. during D-Day. This town, in fact, suffered the biggest per capita loss of men from this town that actually went to D-Day to fight.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: ... four elements made up the material world: air, water, fire, and earth. Fifty-seven years ago on this day, the allied forces of Operation Overlord discovered first-hand how right the ancients had been. Air, water and fire they had in abundance and early on, but not so earth.
The currency of partisan, defender and invader alike, earth came slowly and at a terrible cost. Thousands of miles away from the battleground, this memorial has risen up on a consecrated mixture of Bedford soil and Norman sand to memorialize the valor, fidelity and sacrifice of the allied forces on D-Day.
Today's dedication is a necessary step in preserving their legacy and the lessons of D-Day for present and future generations. Though not a memorial service in the strictest sense, this program is solemn nonetheless. It has two distinct components, the first of which establishes the historical context for the second.
Most of the speakers are D-Day veterans. By design, the stories they relate are not their own. In stepping in willingly for an unknown or absent buddy, in subordinating themselves to give you a broad view of the watershed event of the last century, each continues in a familiar pattern. If after hearing what is said, you find yourself wanting to hear more, to learn more, good.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ladies and gentlemen, today was the longest day, and in France 57 years ago at this moment, that longest day was beginning to draw to a close. But at a terrible price. Many centuries ago, Shakespeare, in writing in "Henry V" about the battle of Agincourt, where the English army was surrounded, it appeared that it was facing inevitable defeat. Henry V made famous St. Crispens Day speech, and he remarked: "He that outlives this day and comes safe home will stand at tiptoe when this day is named."
And there are those in this audience who deserve to stand and tiptoe.
HARRIS: We will continue to monitor this D-Day memorial celebration or this observance that is under way in Bedford, Virginia; a town, as we said, that suffered the largest per capita loss of soldiers in that town, more than any other by comparison. Let's go now to Linda because there's other observations going on today.
LINDA STOUFFER, CNN ANCHOR: That's right. D-Day was 57 years ago and while all of that is going on in Virginia, there were solemn ceremonies on this D-Day anniversary in Normandy, France, and our CNN's Jim Bittermann has been there as the veterans and people there mark the day.
Hello there, Jim.
JIM BITTERMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi. Yes, in fact, it kind of a different kind of D-Day ceremony here. There's one every year, but this year had a different kind of twist to it with some Hollywood emotion drawn in here. This is the -- they're using this ceremony this year to promote an HBO series that has been done about a company called Easy company, the 506 Regiment of the 101st Airborne, who parachuted in here early in the morning of D-Day, June 6, 1944.
They parachuted in all over Normandy, this part of Normandy and gathered together, than fought from Normandy all the way to Berchtesgaden in Germany at the end of the war. And so, the series, the HBO series of their life is coming out in September, and they decided to promote with these D-Day ceremonies the series. And so, Tom Hanks and number of other people involved in the production were here.
But also, 47 members of Easy company, the men who were actually involved, were brought back to the beaches, along with some of their wives and also some widows of those who were involved, brought back here for the ceremonies. And so, they took on a tone of realism. There may have been the Hollywood emotion involved, but also there was an awful lot of very real emotion expressed here by some of those who were involved in the ceremony who have long memories of what happened on this beach just 57 years ago -- Linda.
STOUFFER: I'm sure this will be a memorable day for them. Jim Bittermann in Normandy, thank you.
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