WEBVTT

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Today we gather in honor of the brave

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service and noble undertaking here at

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one of the places where the soul of the

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airborne resides . 79 years ago ,

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23,000 paratroopers arrived by both

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parachute and glider in Normandy France .

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They join the occupied French to fight

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against tyranny and aggression . Their

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task was simple jump behind enemy lines ,

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sow confusion and it seized key terrain

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and infrastructure . General Gavin once

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said , show me a man who would jump out

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of an airplane and I will show you a

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man who could fight . What does it mean

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to be a paratrooper ? What makes them

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different than other soldiers ? The

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fact is becoming a paratrooper is a

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calling . It's a mindset and it's a

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desire to do something extraordinary .

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The paratrooper has not changed since

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the first jump in the test tune in 1940 .

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And whether you arrive today by

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parachute or by air land as the gliders

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did from infantry to logistics , the

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airborne soldier is first and always

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will be a paratrooper and a rifleman .

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We will always pay tribute by

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continuing the legacy that they've set

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forth . Our future is bright because of

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their unique courage and the bravery of

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the men and women that volunteer today

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that stand in the breach between light

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and darkness . It's who we are . It's

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the essence of what we do and it's what

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defined us . We are the 82nd airborne

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Division . We are paratroopers and we

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are your paratroopers . God bless you

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guns , the leaders to the front

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airborne all the way .