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"For these men are lately drawn from the ways of peace. They fight not for the lust of conquest. They fight to end conquest. They fight to liberate. They fight to let justice arise, and tolerance and goodwill among all Thy people. They yearn but for the end of battle, for their return to the haven of home."

These were some of the words spoken by President Roosevelt during his D-Day Prayer 75 years ago... an inspiration that echoes through time reminding us that the boys who went ashore at Normandy were different and that the country which sent them was exceptional.

For many Americans, the anniversary of D-Day means something personal: For a precious few, there are firsthand memories of that momentous invasion.  For countless others, there are memories of a father or grandfather who participated in the War but is no longer with us.

For me, any commemoration of the Second World War invariably evokes pride in the role my great-grandfather played in the British Army, his distinguished service in Italy, and the Military Cross he was awarded by Field Marshal Alan Brooke.

The English officers called him “Tiger of Italy" and his service to the Allied Cause initiated a family tradition of public service.

As the nation commemorates the 75th Anniversary of D-Day today -- and as President Trump proudly represents us abroad -- I extend my thanks to every veteran of the Allied Forces for their courage in facing the enemy and liberating Western Europe.