WEBVTT 00:00.009 --> 00:02.130 Maurice Orlando Barnett , brigadier 00:02.140 --> 00:04.196 general , I'm the commanding general 00:04.196 --> 00:06.084 for 10th Army Air Missile Defense 00:06.084 --> 00:08.029 command in Europe . Well , today's 00:08.029 --> 00:10.409 ceremony was incredible . It was uh 00:10.420 --> 00:12.869 absolutely breathtaking . I have had 00:12.880 --> 00:15.047 the opportunity to come to Normandy on 00:15.047 --> 00:18.510 several occasions , but never under the 00:18.520 --> 00:21.229 circumstances as the 80th anniversary 00:21.239 --> 00:24.489 of the D day . Uh So it , it was great . 00:24.500 --> 00:27.450 It was very impactful to see the number 00:27.459 --> 00:30.149 of veterans from D DAY who were able to 00:30.159 --> 00:32.939 participate this year and just witness 00:32.950 --> 00:35.880 their selflessness , their sacrifice 00:35.889 --> 00:38.919 for not just our nation but for uh the 00:38.930 --> 00:41.152 nations of the world during that time . 00:41.180 --> 00:44.159 Uh So it was incredibly valuable for me 00:44.169 --> 00:46.970 and just a life changing event . So my 00:46.979 --> 00:48.923 grandfather , my mother's father , 00:48.923 --> 00:51.299 Ernest Carpenter served in uh World War 00:51.310 --> 00:54.250 Two during D Day . Uh So also 00:54.259 --> 00:56.370 incredibly proud of that , you know , 00:56.370 --> 00:58.426 to , to really experience this and , 00:58.426 --> 01:00.592 and be here first hand makes that more 01:00.592 --> 01:02.759 meaningful for me . And absolutely for 01:02.759 --> 01:05.459 my family , General Eisenhower's impact 01:05.470 --> 01:08.029 on D DAY is somewhat immeasurable . So , 01:08.040 --> 01:10.207 uh someone posted on social media , uh 01:10.207 --> 01:12.819 this week , his words that he wrote to 01:12.830 --> 01:15.989 the troops before they went out to do 01:16.000 --> 01:18.309 the D DAY landing . And I , so I read 01:18.319 --> 01:20.263 through that , you know , the last 01:20.263 --> 01:22.470 couple of days and just are inspiring 01:22.480 --> 01:25.750 uh his vision , his patience to wait 01:25.760 --> 01:27.704 until the conditions were right to 01:27.704 --> 01:30.279 execute the mission . Uh What we'd 01:30.290 --> 01:32.610 expect in a senior leader , not just in 01:32.620 --> 01:35.029 our armed forces , but someone really 01:35.040 --> 01:38.339 leading the world to do what they 01:38.349 --> 01:40.970 needed to do on D day . Uh So very 01:40.980 --> 01:44.040 incredible his legacy . Uh We get to 01:44.050 --> 01:45.994 wear this nice jacket as well . So 01:45.994 --> 01:47.939 that's a contribution that General 01:47.939 --> 01:50.106 Eisenhower has left for us that we get 01:50.106 --> 01:52.328 to enjoy today . But more importantly , 01:52.328 --> 01:54.370 uh to count ourselves as service 01:54.379 --> 01:56.601 members in the army with someone of his 01:56.601 --> 01:59.230 stature who led not just our army , but 01:59.239 --> 02:01.406 the world to do what needed to be done 02:01.406 --> 02:03.529 at that time . Just incredible . I 02:03.540 --> 02:05.569 would say just the experience to be 02:05.580 --> 02:08.830 here , the 80th anniversary uh when you 02:08.839 --> 02:11.229 think about it , um a lot of the folks 02:11.240 --> 02:13.351 that we had an opportunity to see and 02:13.351 --> 02:15.462 meet today , those veterans from that 02:15.462 --> 02:17.240 day , this is probably the last 02:17.240 --> 02:19.407 opportunity for them to , to come here 02:19.407 --> 02:21.462 to Normandy and to really experience 02:21.462 --> 02:23.684 this and take this all in . And I think 02:23.684 --> 02:25.851 it was good that both the president of 02:25.851 --> 02:28.018 France and the president of the United 02:28.018 --> 02:27.589 States were here to help them 02:27.600 --> 02:30.210 commemorate this 80th celebration . And 02:30.220 --> 02:32.770 for me and my staff , it's an absolute 02:32.779 --> 02:35.001 privilege to just be a part of that and 02:35.001 --> 02:36.070 to be here . And witness history .