Ronald Reagan's D-Day anniversary speech at Normandy in 1984

Remarks on the 40th Anniversary of D-Day

Forty years after the Allied invasion on the coast of Normandy, a large group of spectators gathered around for an anniversary tribute to those who had sacrificed their lives in order to bring peace and democracy back to Europe. On June 6, 1984, American President Ronald Reagan was one of the speakers who paid tribute to those who had died on that very spot. On that day, Reagan spoke on the beach at Normandy in France.

To commemorate the 40th Anniversary of D-Day, Ronald Reagan's speech was designed to honor the memory of the soldiers who had given their lives during the Allied invasion. His speech was designed with a nostologic tone aimed not only to show remorse for the deat of so many young soldiers but also remember the reason why they had made the ultimate sacrifice. Those who attended this particular event had the staunch memory of the invasion within their mind frame. Both veterans who had fought on those very beaches exactly forty years ago, as well as members of the press and others who wanted to honor so many fallen soldiers made up the audience whom Ronald Reagan spoke to that day.

His speech was designed specifically to fit several very distinct needs. First, he faced major rhetorical barriers in that he was speaking in a different nation, to people many different people whose native language was not English. Also, Reagan spoke about a very sensitive subject; which, even after forty years, still invoked emotional response from many who had been on the same beach the day of the invasion.

Reagan had a very strong authority in his speech due to his active service in the United States military during the years the country was involved within the grips of World War II. Although he only served limit service due to problems with his eyesight, but he was actively involved in training soldiers who later went on to serve on the European front, (the White House, 2008). He had known people who fought on this very beach forty years earlier. He also had been a part of the very organization which had initially produced such brave soldiers. Being part of the army gave him special comradory for those who had served in similar situations, therefore making him especially close to the topic. Everyone in attendance was there to honor and show support for those who had died during the war in order to preserve both life and liberty.

Introduction

Ronald Reagan introduced his speech using the landscape which surrounded himself and the audience. The entire speech is written to invoke a personal feel for the audience who were there that day. By describing the immediate surroundings in contrast as they were during the day of the initial invasion, Regan shows how much has changed due to the sacrifices of those who had lost their lives in order to restore peace. Reagan's introduction caught the audience's attention through his strategic comparison of that day with the day which they all stood on the beach of Normandy in 1986.

Conclusion

The nostalgic, yet honorary tone, Reagan used in this particulair speech was very appropriate for the occasion in which he was speaking. He had to be careful not to place too much distance between him and the event of the invasion at Normandy because he knew that a large portion of his audience had actually been there in the first place. However, he did honor them well without making them seem unreal to those who knew and loved them. He not only honored the dead soldiers who had been brave enough to give their lives for their country, but also the ones who survived and had graced him with their presence that day in 1986. Reagan consistently brought his speech back to the real experience of the invasion, using language and speech patterns which were familiar to those who had lived through it.

Language

This particular speech used relatively simple and plain language. Reagan was able to do so because the message of his speech was so powerful that he did not want to dilute it in anyway with complicated analogies or speech mannerisms. The frankness of his description of June 4, 1946 was much more affective than any figurative story or elaborate and eloquent language could have provided for the Veterans within the audience.

Short-Term Affects

This speech was incredibly affective for the honesty and personal nature which it presented. His tribute to those in the audience was not over bloated, therefore many were more touched by the realness of his words than any other flattery technique would have provided.

Long-Term Affects

This speech was later remembered as one of Ronald Reagan's greatest speeches, (CBS News, 2004). It was politically unbiased and personal, which made this particulair speech stick out from a majority of his other speeches both as president and his other political endeavors during his lifetime.