RUSH            Tomorrow, in Washington, D.C., the World War II Veterans Memorial is going to be dedicated. It's been in the works for, what, 20 years. And tomorrow is the big day. And it's a beautiful, beautiful thing - seen video footage of it all week long. And I'd just like to say a couple things about World War II and this memorial that will be unveiled tomorrow and opened. And I'd like to start in this manner.

            Omaha Beach, Utah Beach, Pointe-Du-Hoc. Did you know what Pointe-Du-Hoc is? That's where the Rangers -- it's the most -- I've seen it, it's the most amazing thing. I was over there in the 50th anniversary year. Pointe-Du-Hoc is the cliff that the Rangers repelled up while the Germans were shooting down on them, and they just kept coming and they just -- the Rangers, the same outfit Pat Tillman joined. Omaha Beach, Pointe-Du-Hoc, Utah Beach, D-Day, the landing at Normandy, one of the darkest days and the brightest days at the same time in our nation's history. The invasion of Europe to liberate Europe. The beginning of the end of World War II. In one day at Normandy and Omaha Beach and all these places we lost 2500 troops, in one day.

            As a reference, in a single day we lost three times as many as we have lost in over a year in Iraq -- in one day. The enemy then was fascism, Nazism. The enemy now is terrorism.

            Then we begat the greatest generation, the World War II generation. Are we now giving birth to another greatest generation, or half a greatest generation? Because our nation is split between the greatest and the not-so-greatest and the not-at-all-great generation.

            Now, I don't want to intrude contemporary politics into a memorial, but as we remember World War II and celebrate the unveiling of the memorial tomorrow, reflect and celebrate and mourn those who gave their lives for their country, not just for the country, actually for the world. 2500 in one day, and that's not even considering what happened at the Battle of the Bulge, or in Iwo Jima or any other places. And I can't help but reflect on the eerie timing.

            We're commemorating the Normandy invasion, while suffering the Al Gore intrusion. The Normandy invasion is coming up, the 60th anniversary in June, early June. Can you imagine a former vice president calling for the firing of General Eisenhower, as Gore has done in the midst of the Iraq war? Can you imagine a former vice president calling for the firing of General Patton, as Al Gore did this week? Can you imagine the former vice president, any former vice president calling for the firing of General MacArthur, and then after all that, throwing in a request, a plea, a demand, to toss out FDR in the next election, because of the loss of the troops at D-Day in one day?

            Can you imagine that? You can't because it was inconceivable then. One planned an invasion that cost 2500 lives in one day, that's FDR, in a single day. Another was a foul-mouthed abuser of his own men, that's Patton, and the third challenged the then president. We've come a long way since 1944, or we had. Maybe we've come too far.

END TRANSCRIPT

Read the Article...

(Boston Globe: WWII Memorial Preview)

~~ Rush 24/7