In 2019, the American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) released a video to commemorate D-Day titled aptly, “We Remember.”
The video revisits the beaches of Normandy 75 years later, staring at the waves that shoved against the soldiers both dead and alive, recounting the day and those heroes who should be remembered from it.
Watch the two-minute long video below:
The video begins with fragments of the speech delivered by General Dwight D. Eisenhower.
“You are about to embark upon the Great Crusade, toward which we have striven these many months. The eyes of the world are upon you,” Eisenhower said, his words overlaying images of the boats carrying the troops to the Normandy beaches ahead of their landing.
“You will bring about the destruction of the German war machine, the elimination of Nazi tyranny over the oppressed peoples of Europe, and security for ourselves in a free world,” Eisenhower’s speech continued.
“Your task will not be an easy one. Your enemy is well trained, well equipped and battle-hardened,” he said.
“The tide has turned … We will accept nothing less than full Victory!” Eisenhower’s words concluded.
The video then included an account of D-Day veteran, retired U.S. Army Master Sgt. Charles Shay, who served as a combat medic with the 1st Infantry Division and later went on to receive a Silver Star for his efforts.
“On the 6th of June, I landed on Omaha Beach at 6:30 in the morning. The only thought on my mind at that particular time was survival,” Shay said, adding, “You could not help anyone. You were lucky if you made it to shore.”
“The tide was coming in very fast. They were destined to drown if nobody came to their help, so I dropped what I was doing and I went back to the water. I took as many men as I could until I became exhausted,” he said.
Despite his efforts and risking his own life to save others, Shay insists he’s not the hero.
“I am not a hero; I just did my job,” he said.
“The heroes, the real heroes are laying here in the cemeteries. These are our heroes. We should never forget them,” Shay concluded.
The video concluded with a message from the ABMC: “We remember those who never left the beach. We honor those who sacrificed by preserving their stories. We remember.”
