The last notes of Taps had faded and the smoke of a military salute billowed through the Normandy cemetery as the roar of the four F-35s rose to thunder.
When one of the pilots opened the throttle and flew into the sky in the ‘missing man’ formation, President Joe Biden became emotional.
He had spent the day talking to the last remaining veterans of the D-Day landings before giving a speech that linked their exploits to modern wars and dictators, and it all came out in the form of a fist pump.
“Surrendering to bullies, bowing to dictators is simply unthinkable,” he said moments earlier, as thirty D-Day veterans sat behind him.
“If we did that, we would forget what happened here on these sacred beaches.”
Before him lay the sands of Omaha Beach, where about 2,400 American soldiers died on June 6, 1944.
An emotional President Joe Biden clenches his fist at the end of his speech on the 80th anniversary of D-Day during the ‘missing man’ flyover in Normandy
They were part of the largest amphibious landing in history and the beginning of the march to Berlin.
It was the kind of day when Biden is in his element: mourning the dead, celebrating final victory and tying the thread of history to his big message that democracy is fragile and must be defended.
And his performance will undoubtedly live on through November in the form of campaign ads.
Biden flew to Normandy on Thursday morning, along with other world leaders gathering for the anniversary.
In a glass-sided gazebo, with views down to the beach and water, he met thirty men who risked their lives in the attack.
It’s rare for the 81-year-old president to be surrounded by an older generation, but he enjoyed their company, handed out specially commissioned challenge coins and hit the road with them.
“The greatest generation ever, man,” he said to a veteran, who told the president he was 102.
Those who could stand rose to shake hands with the president. Some needed the first lady’s firm grip to stay upright.
The sun shone above him. The English Channel was docile, the skies clear – far better conditions than on D-Day, when the Allies knew they had just hours to launch their invasion and bring 150,000 troops into Nazi-occupied France.
At one point, Biden bent his knees to look a veteran straight in the eye while holding his wrists. “You saved the world,” was his message.
It was the kind of day when Biden is in his element: mourning the dead, celebrating final victory and tying the thread of history to his big message that democracy is fragile and must be defended.
Biden greets World War II veteran Victor Chaney after he was awarded the Chevalier de la Legion d’Honneur (French Legion of Honor) during the ceremony marking the 80th anniversary of D-Day
Another fell heavily in his wheelchair after meeting the president.
“Don’t grow old,” said Army veteran Robert Gibson, 100, of New Jersey. Biden was a toddler when Gibson and his comrades arrived on Utah Beach with the second wave of troops.
Their vulnerability is a reminder that there won’t be many more chances to see the veterans in Normandy, and Biden made the most of that by encouraging everyone to join in a round of “Happy Birthday” when he found out would celebrate his birthday. birthday on Saturday.
Not far away, two titans of World War II filmmaking, Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg, chatted under the shade of a tree.
Until Senator Ted Cruz showed up.
“Tom Hanks managed to stay away, but Spielberg kept talking to him and it seemed like he hated every second of it,” said one bystander.
Biden not only used his big speech to commemorate the sacrifices of so many, but was just one of several world leaders to use the echo of history to deliver a very contemporary message.
In his case, it included a hint that American commitments around the world are at stake in the November election, when he faces Donald Trump and his more isolationist manifesto.
Trump has said he will not defend allies who are “delinquent” in their defense spending.
“Democracy is never guaranteed,” Biden said in his speech. “Every generation must preserve it, defend it and fight for it. That is the test of the ages’
“Don’t grow old,” said Army veteran Robert Gibson, 100, of New Jersey. Biden was a toddler when Gibson and his comrades arrived on Utah Beach with the second wave of troops
It is rare for the 81-year-old president to be surrounded by an older generation
Biden flew to Normandy on Thursday morning, along with other world leaders gathering for the anniversary
“We have to remember that just because they were heroes here that day doesn’t absolve us from what we need to do today. Democracy is never guaranteed,” Biden said.
“Every generation must preserve it, defend it and fight for it. That is the test of the ages.’
That means we stand with Ukraine, whose president, Volodymyr Zelenky, was in Normandy for the commemorations.
“Isolationism was not the answer 80 years ago and it is not the answer today,” Biden said in his speech, which drew his biggest applause.
Biden enjoyed their company, handed out specially commissioned challenge coins and got to work with them
“We will not walk away,” Biden said. “Because if we do that, Ukraine will be subjugated and it won’t stop there.”
A total of 180 veterans of the Normandy campaign were present to hear him speak. They arrived with granddaughters and grandsons, wearing caps identifying their units, with medals on their chests.
As they left, they stopped for selfies with young soldiers, who were clearly impressed by the men who preceded them.
Some ran around with the joy of fans at a Taylor Swift concert.