Secretary of War—not Defense—Pete Hegseth is a man Democrats and TDS-afflicted Republicans love to hate. A combat-tested officer—a Major–he’s a man who has been there and done that. He works out with the troops whenever possible–they like that—and has, in record time, forced our military to return to its “kill the enemy and break their stuff” mission. That alone has not endeared him to the brass that were rewarded for promoting trans and sponsoring drag queens and DEI seminars. His in-person speech to top brass and NCOs, laying down the law early in his tenure, encouraged and empowered warfighters and outraged social justice warriors. Hegseth is relentlessly winnowing them out.
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The result has been restored record recruitment and the restoration of the most lethal fighting force in history.
Graphic: X Post
He spoke again, in Europe, to commemorate the 82nd anniversary of D-Day. Miranda Devine at The New York Post comments:
War Secretary Pete Hegseth gave a great speech on D-Day in Normandy.
He told the Europeans they were committing civilizational suicide by allowing themselves to be “invaded” by unassimilable migrants.
It was the kind of warning you give to a friend who you see is making a terrible mistake.
From the speech:
Sergeant William Ashbrook of the 101st Airborne, Screaming Eagles, looked out of his plane to the site below saying, there were so many boats in the channel, he said, that it seemed as if you could step out of the plane and walk to France on top of them. Speed and scale, scale only the American war machine could produce, and we are producing again today. May we learn from this past.
And we, if not Europe, are learning.
“We forgot that freedom is not free,” Hegseth said. “We forgot that peace is not wished into being. It is bought with purpose, with honor, and with strength. The men who landed on these beaches knew this. The question we ask ourselves is, do we? It’s past time we remember what they knew. Their legacy demands far more than quiet reflection. It requires our active vigilance.”
“Sadly, today, different European beaches are stormed by different dangerous ideologies. Beaches in Spain, in Italy, in Greece, and Bulgaria. Boats and men arrive. When will European capitals do something about that invasion, or is it too late?” Hegseth asked.
Unless Europe awakens, and fast, it may be, at least for them.
An impossible mission, a suicidal mission, the mission of free men, freedom’s only hope, no turning back. Alongside the brave forces of Great Britain, Canada, France, Norway, Poland, and our other other capable and steadfast allies, the United States military spearheaded a great crusade to shatter the Nazi war machine and liberate a continent. Our troops carried with them the inspiring words of General Eisenhower, but more importantly, they carried the hopes and the prayers of a free world.
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Our allies were steadfast because they knew without our arms and support, they were lost. President Trump and SecWar Hegseth are working to convince them America can’t do it all anymore, and not even most of it. They must step up for their own defense or perish.
Today, as we face an increasingly complex threat environment, we apply the lessons from 82 years ago learned on these beaches. Strong allies, each fully committed to doing their part, win wars. The men buried here fought in a warfighting alliance where every partner brought its full measure of industry, courage, and sacrifice.
Not empty slogans, not lavish summits, not communiques. Real allies doing real things, taking real losses for a shared cause worth fighting and dying for. Each nation pulled its weight.
Each nation bled. America will lead, and we must, but capable allies must be right there with us, shoulder to shoulder in the breach when it matters. In the years since these beaches, much of the West, in some places, in some quarters, and in some capitals, grew comfortable.
We forgot that freedom is not free. We forgot that peace is not wished into being. It is bought with purpose, with honor, and with strength.
Will we abandon NATO?
That is D-Day. So let us here resolve the formidable alliance forged in the crucible of World War II. We’ll remain ready.
The question Hegseth, and Trump, left necessarily unanswered is whether our NATO allies are truly dedicated to the alliance and to their own survival. That’s a question their actions rather than their words will answer. Will they dishonor the sacrifice of their own troops who died helping us save the world, or will they restore the sovereignty and order of their nations?
America awaits their answer.
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Mike McDaniel is a USAF veteran, classically trained musician, Japanese and European fencer, lifelong athlete, firearm instructor, retired police officer, and high school and college English teacher. He is a published author and blogger. His home blog is Stately McDaniel Manor.
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