'This great and noble undertaking'

I'll post a few D-Day speeches over the next few days. The first is perhaps the most famous. Dwight Eisenhower's 'Order of the Day' for 6th June 1944.

This is the pre battle rev up speech, broadcast to the soldiers, sailor and airmen who were about to attack the beaches of Normandy. I’m unsure how many of the 2,876,000 military personnel assembled in southern England heard these words. It’s more likely they read the Order of the Day on the page.

Things to note about the speech:

Whatever doubts Eisenhower felt, none are brokered in the words here. He uses predominantly short, sharp sentences in the active voice. ‘You are about to embark’ … 'The eyes of the world are upon you’ … ‘You will bring about the destruction’ … ‘The free men of the world are marching …’

He employs the rule of threes — ‘the destruction of the German war machine, the elimination of Nazi tyranny over oppressed peoples of Europe, and security for ourselves in a free world’ … ‘Your enemy is well trained, well equipped and battle-hardened’

He is unwaveringly positive, with a demanding and forceful undercurrent — ‘I have full confidence in your courage, devotion to duty, and skill in battle. We will accept nothing less than full victory.’

The tone of the voice on the video is, for mine, a little clipped and mechanical to qualify as truly great speechmaking. It’s quite ‘read’. But the structure and word choice in this short and important speech, this marker in world history, is excellent.

You can read the full transcript on Speakola.

Or sign up as a paid subscriber (or take a free trial) and read it below. I’ll post a series of D-Day speeches over these next few days.

Dwight Eisenhowser: 'You are about to embark upon the Great Crusade', Order of the Day - 1944

6 June 1944, D-Day, United Kingdom

Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen of the Allied Expeditionary Forces:

You are about to embark upon the Great Crusade, toward which we have striven these many months.