Forty years after former President Ronald Reagan spoke at the Pointe du Hoc memorial, President Joe Biden echoed similar sentiments that praised the troops on their bravery 80 years ago and reiterated the responsibility of the United States to promote and protect democracy around the world. 

The success of D-Day would not have been possible had it not been for the 225 soldiers who scaled the Pointe du Hoc cliffs.

As 160,000 Allied troops stormed the Normandy beaches, they were bombarded with heavy artillery fire. 

The source of the shellings came from the top of Pointe du Hoc which overlooks the beaches. Using ladders and ropes, the soldiers began scaling the cliffs. It was a daunting and dangerous quest and took the men about 30 minutes to get to the top. Once they reached the top of the cliffs they were able to locate the five guns which were pushed back in the trees.

By 9 a.m., the troops were able to destroy the guns using thermite grenades. However, 77 were killed, 152 were wounded and 90 of the men were “still able to bear arms” by the time they were relieved by troops from Omaha Beach on June 8.

Their bravery played a paramount role in ensuring the success of the mission, since nearly 5,000 ships were within range of Germany’s artillery.

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While both Reagan’s and Biden’s speeches are nearly 40 years apart, both highlighted the threat Russia poses to democratic countries. At the time of his speech, Reagan was in the thick of the Cold War, and now Biden is dealing with a two-year war between Russia and Ukraine.

Just before heading to Normandy, Biden met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Paris, where he stressed the U.S.’s commitment to Ukraine.