Address by Her Excellency Adrienne Clarkson
Governor General of Canada
60th Anniversary of the Normandy Landings – Official Speeches
Speech delivered on Saturday, June 5, 2004, as part of the Franco-Canadian Ceremony at the Beny-Reviers Canadian War Cemetery
“Ladies and Gentlemen,
Sixty years ago, soldiers from three great nations—Canada, Great Britain, and the United States—carrying the hopes of a world dreaming of freedom, landed here in Normandy. In a few short months, the vagaries of war and the fate of millions of people have moved toward that peace. As Commander-in-Chief of the Canadian Forces, I have the privilege of also remembering those who fell, paying tribute to them, and expressing our gratitude to all the veterans of the Battle of Normandy.
It is deeply moving to see so many of you here today. We remember those who are absent, including those who died here in Normandy, and who “with courage and a sense of duty… laid at the feet of their country the most glorious contribution they could make… they met danger face to face and, after a short while, when they were at the pinnacle of their destiny, they left behind not their fear, but rather their glory.” This is how the warriors of Athens who died in battle were described 2,500 years ago. In a no less noble manner, our fallen Canadians have boldly inscribed themselves in the annals of our history. They have engraved their names in our hearts.
Dear veterans, you are their comrades. Just like my husband’s father, Captain Bill Saul, who landed on D-Day with the Royal Winnipeg Rifles on the beach in front of you, you knew them, you shared with them times of fun and times of battle, and you unfailingly remember them. Like them, you were members of a volunteer army.
Your Majesty, we are very pleased that you have joined us and all Canadians for this commemoration. All the veterans present here feel the greatest respect and deepest affection for your family and for you, whom they remember as Princess Elizabeth.
For Canada and Canadians, the fires of World War II were the crucible in which our national character was tested once again, in a fierce challenge that transformed our country into a determined international force in the service of stability and freedom, a force whose tradition I have seen continued today in Kosovo, Bosnia, the Persian Gulf, and Afghanistan.
Our nation’s robust response to the needs of war, and the respect we earned on those beaches, whether in northern or southern Europe, were milestones in our maturity and self-confidence.
The Canada that welcomed its returning soldiers was not only joyful and relieved, but also optimistic, energetic, and esteemed by other like-minded nations.
You who are here are living witnesses to a horror from which we wish to draw a line. But you are also custodians of our memory. The quiet witness of your lives has been a lesson and a warning to us.
Along with your fallen comrades, you have cleared the rocky fields of war to sow a harvest of peace. In the words of the prophet Isaiah, you have given “a crown for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, and songs of praise for despair.”
We honor you with all our hearts, and this is what our nation wants. It is said that one does not honor someone for what they have received. Honor is the reward given to the person who gave. Honor is the reward for what you have given.
You enjoy Canada’s enduring gratitude.”
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