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Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Reporter's Notebook: Remembering courage on the 81st anniversary of D-Day
I've covered many anniversaries of D-Day, and they never lose their power to move. We were at the 81st anniversary at the stunning American cemetery in Normandy near Omaha Beach on Friday. American and other allied forces landed on that and other beaches, as well as parachuting from the skies, to go on to defeat Nazi Germany in World War II. World War Ii Veterans Travel To Normandy For Emotional D-day Commemoration Some 75,000 U.S. troops were involved. 2,500 were killed. 5,000 injured. Just on that day itself. One of those who made it across Omaha Beach is the still-very spry 102-year-old Minnesota-born Jake Larson. He declared to us jubilantly, "Not only did I make it through six battles … I made it without a scratch! Somebody 'upstairs' loves me." World War Ii Veterans Travel To Normandy For Emotional D-day Commemoration Read On The Fox News App Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth spoke at the ceremony marking the day and met with the dwindling number of World War II veterans. He told us that alliances were important on D-Day and still could be important in these troubled times. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth Reveals Why Military Recruitment Has Soared Under Trump " America first' hasn't meant and doesn't mean 'America alone,'" he added. "Working with our allies and partners, there's a lot we can accomplish now with gathering threats in the world." Still, some of those who saw action in Normandy and around the globe in World War II are not sure the message has gotten through. Two centenarian combat veterans and native New Yorkers, brought to France by the Greatest Generations Foundation, have their own thoughts. Flushing-born Ray Sweeney asked rhetorically, "What did we learn? I don't think we learned much. We gave up a lot of bodies. We had a lot of bodies." And Brooklyn-born Harold Radish noted, "War is heroic in the movies. But in real life, it's killing. It's not getting along with somebody." Still, the crowds who came Friday to the now-peaceful French beaches were steady and large. A strong sign that sacrifices have been remembered. And maybe some lessons article source: Reporter's Notebook: Remembering courage on the 81st anniversary of D-Day
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth reveals why military recruitment has soared under Trump
Joining "Fox & Friends" live from Normandy, France, where Allied forces once stormed the beaches to turn the tide of World War II, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth honored the 81st anniversary of D-Day with a message that looked not only to the past but to the future. As the nation honors the bravery and sacrifices of World War II veterans, Hegseth emphasized a new wave of patriotism among today's young Americans – one he says is driving an uptick in military recruitment. "It's historic. Of course it's a morale shift. It shifts back to the day President Trump was elected and then inaugurated," he said Friday. World War Ii Veterans Travel To Normandy For Emotional D-day Commemoration The Army alone has posted the best recruiting numbers in years, reaching 61,000 for fiscal year 2025, with four months remaining. That's an increase of more than 6,000 from 55,150 in fiscal year 2024. Hegseth told co-hosts Ainsley Earhardt, Lawrence Jones and Brian Kilmeade that the spirit inside the U.S. armed forces is "incredible" right now, and the morale shift isn't isolated to the Army. Read On The Fox News App "It's also the Air Force, it's also the Navy, it is also the Marine Corps, Coast Guard and, as the president says, law enforcement," he continued. "Across the board, the spirit of our country, [there's a] willingness and desire to serve, because they see leadership that believes in the country that's going to have their back, that says, 'We want you to be warriors. We're not doing this politically correct garbage anymore. We're doing war fighting. We're training, we're preparing, we're focused on [getting] back to basics, and… the young people of America have responded, and they'll continue to respond." Trump Declares May 8 As 'Victory Day' For World War Ii: 'Going To Start Celebrating Our Victories Again!' Hegseth attended this year's ceremony where military officials and veterans commemorated the 81st anniversary of D-Day. He started his morning with a physical training session with rangers from the 75th Ranger Regiment on Omaha Beach at nearly the same time as the first landing craft would have hit in 1944. "These men [World War II soldiers] were willing to charge toward the guns with almost no chance of success, especially in those first waves, and they did it for us," he said. Days ago, the defense secretary honored the sacrifices of U.S. armed forces at Arlington National Cemetery in Washington, D.C., where he greeted a number of World War II veterans whose resolve remains high more than half a century later. "The contrast of those 100-year-old World War II vets and then those 25-year old Army Rangers that I did a workout with this morning – the blood of fighting for freedom still pumps in the veins of Americans, and we still raise those types, and that's what was really cool to see."Original article source: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth reveals why military recruitment has soared under Trump
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
On 81st anniversary of D-Day, one US Navy veteran's son is the first American Pope
On this 81st anniversary of D-Day, the Pentagon has shared a powerful connection between the Vatican and the U.S. military. Pope Leo XIV's father, Louis Marius Prevost, served as a Navy officer during the historic 1944 Normandy landings. Prevost, born in Chicago in 1920, was commissioned into the Navy in November 1943. He served as the executive officer of a tank landing ship during Operation Overlord, the Allied invasion of Nazi-occupied France June 6, 1944. World War Ii Veterans Travel To Normandy For Emotional D-day Commemoration Later, he commanded an infantry landing craft in Operation Dragoon, the August 1944 Allied landing in southern the war, Prevost returned to Illinois, where he became superintendent of Brookwood School District 167 and later principal of Mount Carmel Elementary School in Chicago. He was also a catechist, teaching Christian Sox Installing Pope Leo Xiv Graphic Near His 2005 World Series Seat Prevost married Mildred Agnes Martinez in 1949, and they had three sons, including Robert Francis Prevost, who was elected Pope Leo XIV May 8, 2025, becoming the first American-born this week, Pope Leo XIV signed a baseball at the Vatican, a nod to his Chicago roots and lifelong support for the White Sox. The team has honored him with a commemorative installation at Guaranteed Rate Field. Fox News Digital has reached out to the Vatican for comment but has not yet received a response. Read On The Fox News AppOriginal article source: On 81st anniversary of D-Day, one US Navy veteran's son is the first American Pope
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump declares May 8 as 'Victory Day' for World War II: 'Going to start celebrating our victories again!'
President Donald Trump late Thursday announced plans to designate May 8 as World War II "Victory Day" in the United States, which coincides with the "Victory in Europe Day" that has been celebrated in most of Europe since the Germans surrendered in 1945. Trump acknowledged in a Truth Social that "many of our allies and friends" already celebrate on May 8, but said America should join in because "we did more than any other Country, by far, in producing a victorious result." World War Ii's D-day: Photos Reveal World's Largest Amphibious Invasion On May 7, 1945, the Germans surrendered to the Allied Forces, and agreed to cease all operations the next day. World War II officially ended later in the year on Sept. 2 when the Japanese signed an instrument of surrender, though Japan waved a white flag on Aug. 14 – about a week after the United States dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The U.S. does not have any public holidays commemorating World War II specifically, but there have been remembrance ceremonies in May, August and September across the country for decades. Read On The Fox News App Wwii Veteran Turns 100, Reveals The Secrets Of A Long, Healthy Life Former President Harry Truman, who was in office during the end of WWII, issued a proclamation in August 1946 declaring Aug. 14 as "Victory Over Japan Day." "And I call upon the people of the United States to observe Victory Day as a day of solemn commemoration of the devotion of the men and women by whose sacrifices victory was achieved, and as a day of prayer and of high resolve that the cause of justice, freedom, peace, and international good-will shall be advanced with undiminished and unremitting efforts, inspired by the valor of our heroes of the Armed Services," Truman's proclamation read, in part. In the same post, Trump stated that Nov. 11 will also be recognized as World War I "Victory Day." "We won both Wars, nobody was close to us in terms of strength, bravery, or military brilliance, but we never celebrate anything," the president wrote. "That's because we don't have leaders anymore, that know how to do so! We are going to start celebrating our victories again!"Original article source: Trump declares May 8 as 'Victory Day' for World War II: 'Going to start celebrating our victories again!'
Yahoo
03-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
WWII vet turning 104 invites 'favorite president' Trump to celebration, and discusses his secret for long life
Denver Moore has a big birthday coming up and a big guest in mind. Moore, a World War II veteran who lives in Canal Fulton, Ohio, is turning 104 on May 15, and he hopes President Donald Trump can come to his birthday party. "So far, he's my favorite president," Moore told Fox News Digital. "And Biden was my worst." Moore first shared his birthday wish in a TikTok video posted on March 23 by a family friend. The video quickly took off, amassing over 700,000 views in 10 days. "President Trump… I'm gonna be 104 in May, and I'm inviting you to my birthday party in Canal Fulton," he said in the video. "I got to vote for you again, and I hope I can vote for you some more." World War Ii Veteran Who's Turning 104 Goes Viral With Birthday Request For Trump Read On The Fox News App Since the video was posted, people from all over the country—and even as far away as Africa—have reached out to him. "It's been quite a ride," Moore said. Moore has been a longtime supporter of the president and says he agrees with most of the actions he's taken. "He may make a mistake or two, but he's doing most everything right," he said. Moore lives at Danbury Senior Living facility in Massillon, a town just south of Cleveland. He grew up on a farm in Noble County, Ohio before he entered the service and spent three-and-a-half years in the U.S. Army Air Corps. After serving his country, he worked for the U.S. Postal Service and raised three children with his late wife Thelma Lee, to whom he was married for 75 years before she died in 2022 at age 95. Kelli Beckler, executive director of Danbury, told Fox News Digital that since the video was posted they've been flooded with messages and birthday cards from people all across the country cheering the veteran on. Moore is still sharp-witted and stays physically active, his family and Beckler said. Even at 103, he can still say the alphabet backwards, as he proudly demonstrated to Fox News Digital. "I learned that over 80 years ago," he said with a grin. Wwii Veteran Turns 100, Reveals The Secrets Of A Long Healthy Life The centenarian said the secret to living a long healthy life is staying physically active. "I was always active, doing something. I carried mail for 20 years, walking, and that was good. I grew up on a farm. We did everything. And if we didn't have anything to do, we created something. So it's just this: stay active," he said. Moore had one more nugget of wisdom to pass along: "Marry the right woman and live with her all of her life," he said. Chick-fil-A will be catering the birthday celebration, Moore said, and it will take place at the SAM Center in Canal Fulton. There will also reportedly be a parade in Moore's honor. The White House did not return Fox News Digital's request for comment. Fox News' Gabriel Hays contributed to this article source: WWII vet turning 104 invites 'favorite president' Trump to celebration, and discusses his secret for long life
