# Obama to visit Normandy for D-Day anniversary



## OfficerObie59 (Sep 14, 2007)

Obama to visit Normandy for D-Day anniversary
By TOM RAUM - 1 day ago

STRASBOURG, France (AP) - French President Nicolas Sarkozy says he and U.S. President Barack Obama will visit the beaches of Normandy in June to mark the anniversary of D-Day. Sarkozy announced the visit at a news conference after he and Obama spoke privately on the sidelines of a NATO gathering.

The two leaders were effusive in their praise for each other. Obama says he's personally grateful for Sarkozy's friendship, and called the French leader courageous. Sarkozy says France and the United States belong in the same family and says France must never forget what the U.S. has done for it.

On June 6, 1944, a 5,000-vessel armada landed at Normandy and unleashed some 156,000 soldiers, mostly Americans, British and Canadians, in a massive assault known as D-Day.

In a symbolic gesture, Sarkozy told Obama that France would accept a prisoner from Guantanamo Bay if that would facilitate the closing of the controversial detention center where terrorist suspects are held.

Saying that he was determined to "speak the truth," Sarkozy said that Guantanamo "was not in keeping with U.S. values."

Obama, who has pledged to close the facility, said the U.S. would need help in finding a place to send those held at the center.

"I made the decision to close Guantanamo because I don't think it makes America safer," Obama said.

The two leaders met ahead of the NATO summit in France and Germany.
Obama declared that the United States wants to be a partner, not a patron, of Europe as he reaffirmed NATO as a pillar of American foreign policy.

"NATO is the most successful alliance in modern history," Obama said. "And the basic premise of NATO was that Europe's security was the United States' security and vice versa."

Pivoting from one international gathering to another, Obama vaulted into another round of diplomacy Friday. He was meeting with European allies, holding a town hall on foreign land and pitching his strategy for Afghanistan.

On an overcast morning, the president and first lady Michelle Obama landed in France after two days in London. A short time later they were welcomed at the elegant Rohan Palace in central Strasbourg by French President Nicolas Sarkozy and his wife, Carla Bruni.

Well-wishers gathered near the red carpet and shouted for the attention of Obama in his first big splash abroad as president.

Obama had emerged from a 20-nation economic crisis summit on Friday with a declaration that "I think we did OK." Now he was teaming up with the two leaders who gave him the most grief over his failed bid for more recession-fighting stimulus, Sarkozy and German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Obama was visiting both France and Germany on Friday ahead of an annual NATO summit being hosted by both countries.

Meanwhile, the White House was bracing for another gloomy jobs report on Friday.

Obama was first meeting with Sarkozy, then presiding over a town-hall style meeting at a sports arena. Then it's off to nearby Baden-Baden, Germany, for a meeting with Merkel.

"We expect that the discussion will review the outcomes of the G-20 summit, preview the NATO summit and discuss a number of issues of mutual interest," said Mike Hammer, a spokesman for the White House National Security Council.

On Saturday, the president is back in Strasbourg for the NATO event, where the war in Afghanistan will command attention. Obama is pursuing a new strategy in the war and looking to NATO leaders to commit new combat forces and other help.

On the economy, Sarkozy and Merkel resisted Obama's efforts to persuade the Group of 20 industrial and developing nations at the London summit to go along with more stimulus spending to help create jobs and ease the worst economic downturn in a generation.

But Sarkozy didn't get what he wanted, either: tighter international regulation of financial institutions, including a global regulator empowered to swoop across borders to enforce international rules.

At one point, Sarkozy had threatened to walk out if he didn't get his way on international regulation. However, he relented after the summit partners agreed to go part way, bringing lightly regulated hedge funds and tax havens under more international scrutiny.

Sarkozy said he was happy with the outcome. Obama "helped me on tax havens," the French leader told reporters. "He's a very open man. It was completely in line with what we wanted."

Obama, asked at a news conference in London whether he was disappointed that he was unable to persuade other world leaders to go along with more stimulus, said: "I think we did OK."

At the NATO summit Saturday in Strasbourg, France plans to announce formally its reintegration into the military alliance's command structure after leaving it more than four decades ago. Sarkozy has said this would mean a return of France into "the Western family."

Copyright © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. 
The Associated Press: Obama to visit Normandy for D-Day anniversary

Now let's see if he shows up.


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## Guest (Apr 5, 2009)

OfficerObie59 said:


> Now let's see if he shows up.


Do you really think he'd miss a photo-op like that?


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## CJIS (Mar 12, 2005)

Thats nice and all but is stil does not change the fact that he dumped on the vets when it came to healthcare.


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## 7costanza (Aug 29, 2006)

There will be alot of American Heroes rolling over in their graves that day.


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## OfficerObie59 (Sep 14, 2007)

Delta784 said:


> Do you really think he'd miss a photo-op like that?


Yeah, he'd point out to Sarkozy:
"Trust me dude, don't worry, we wanna be just like France, forgetting about these guy's sacifices and stuff...Hell, I was make all their buddies still alive hafta pay for their war injuires they got here!"

Sarkozy: "Ahhhh...Merci! Feeest bump!"


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## BLUE BLOOD (Aug 31, 2008)

You must bleed to know the loss of blood, to feel a blow you must throw one and to understand the terror of battle you must live it.
Author unkown.


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## slainte (Feb 9, 2007)

BLUE BLOOD said:


> You must bleed to know the loss of blood, to feel a blow you must throw one and to understand the terror of battle you must live it.
> Author unkown.


 Something that flea bag and his hag wife have never and will never know. I thought that draft dodging Clinton was bad, now his waste of oxygen wife is sec of state, what the f is our country coming to. Commander and Chief of our military, what a joke.


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## Mad-Dog24 (May 31, 2008)

neither the French nor this piece of shit should ever be allowed to walk that hallowed ground. The only time the Germans had to slow down when going through France was to read a map.


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## Dazy5 (Jan 25, 2008)

I wonder what he'll do to disgrace and embarrass our country this time...


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## justanotherparatrooper (Aug 27, 2006)

He has no Honor.


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## HistoryHound (Aug 30, 2008)

> Sarkozy says France and the United States belong in the same family and says France must never forget what the U.S. has done for it.


It seems to me they forgot a long time ago.



> There will be alot of American Heroes rolling over in their graves that day.


I hope obama realizes he will be walking among men who were brave, strong & patriotic. Qualities he will never posess.


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## kwflatbed (Dec 29, 2004)

That misfit Obama should not be allowed to walk amony the heros
that served this country.


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## rg1283 (Sep 14, 2005)

When Reagen went over there all he talked about was WWII which is the way it should be. I know Obama is going to use it as a segway to talk about something else.

What I have realized about Obama is every positive thing he does turns out to be a negative thing usually in the same sentence. It is hard to believe that I have been political since I have been 10 years old.

No speech or man will ever (Unless he is a Veteran of WW II) will ever make a great speech like this one.

YouTube - President Ronald Reagans Speech at Point-du-Hoc, Normandy


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## Guest (Apr 6, 2009)

rg1283 said:


> YouTube - President Ronald Reagans Speech at Point-du-Hoc, Normandy


What a man....what a leader. We desperately need someone like him now.


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## rg1283 (Sep 14, 2005)

I am hoping that leader arrives soon before its too late.


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## justanotherparatrooper (Aug 27, 2006)

odrama going to Normandy is like Imadinnerjacket from Iran visiting the Holocaust Memorial.


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## BB-59 (Oct 19, 2005)

In all honesty from what I hear from WW2 vets that return to France and let it be known that they helped liberate France from the Nazis in WW2, are treated with respect and even in some cases reverance by the French including the younger generation.

Even there current President has been a supporter of us as opposed to the leadership in the past.


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## LGriffin (Apr 2, 2009)

This idiot should not be allowed to set foot on the grounds, and neither should his new socialist ass buddy.


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## trueblue (Jan 21, 2008)

Dazy5 said:


> I wonder what he'll do to disgrace and embarrass our country this time...


Just showing up should do it....


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## rg1283 (Sep 14, 2005)

Over 16 million men and women served in WW II and are considered Veterans of WW II (number might be higher or lower).

About 1,000 WW II Veterans die ever day in this country. usually of natural causes.

If you know a WW II Veteran (or any veteran for that matter) think him (or her there are female WW II veterans also) for their service to this country.

It won't be too long before there will only be a handful of WW II veterans left. Assuming one went in at 18 years (maybe it was 21) old (A lot of veterans lied about their age to get in and who could blame them) and went in at 18 in 1945, that would make them 82 in 2009.

Assuming that man or women lives to be 102 (2029) will be the last WW II veterans alive.

There is only one U.S. WW I Veteran alive:

Frank Buckles: America's Last Living World War I Veteran


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## kwflatbed (Dec 29, 2004)




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