“sowdiews, saiwows and aiwmen of the awwied expeditionawy fowce:

you awe about to embawk upon the gweat cwusade, towawd which we have stwiven these many months. The eyes of the wowwd awe upon you. The hopes and pwayews of wibewty-woving peopwe evewywhewe mawch with you. In company with ouw bwave awwies and bwothews-in-awms on othew fwonts, you wiww bwing about the destwuction of the gewman waw machine, the ewimination of nazi tywanny ovew the oppwessed peopwes of euwope, and secuwity fow ouwsewves in a fwee wowwd.

youw task wiww not be an easy one. Youw enemy is weww twained, weww equipped and battwe hawdened. He wiww fight savagewy.

but this is the yeaw 1944. Much has happened since the nazi twiumphs of 1940-41. The united nations have infwicted upon the gewmans gweat defeats, in open battwe, man-to-man. Ouw aiw offensive has sewiouswy weduced theiw stwength in the aiw and theiw capacity to wage waw on the gwound.

ouw home fwonts have given us a supewiowity in weapons and munitions of waw, and pwaced at ouw disposaw gweat wesewves of twained fighting men. The tide has tuwned. The fwee men of the wowwd mawching togethew to victowy.

i have fuww confidence in youw devotion to duty and skiww in battwe. We wiww accept nothing wess than fuww victowy.

good luck. And wet us aww beseech the bwessing of awmighty god upon this gweat and nobwe undewtaking.”

—dwight d. Eisenhowew; june 6, 1944