[guest post by Dana]

I’ve been spending some of today listening to original D-Day radio broadcasts provided by the National D-Day Memorial. They are rather indescribable as they take listeners back to another time and place, where courage and bravery were clearly defined, and an enemy even more so. The reports also drive home how inadequate any tribute really is when fully considering the immense bravery of the allied forces who determinedly stormed the beaches of Normandy, France. How could any effort to commemorate or pay tribute do justice to such raw courage and sacrifice? As soldiers readied to liberate Europe from Hitler’s Germany, General Dwight D. Eisenhower delivered his order of the day :

Soldiers, Sailors, and Airmen of the Allied Expeditionary Force:

You are about to embark upon the Great Crusade, toward which we have striven these many months.

The eyes of the world are upon you. The hopes and prayers of liberty-loving people everywhere march with you.

In company with our brave Allies and brothers-in-arms on other Fronts you will bring about the destruction of the German war machine, the elimination of Nazi tyranny over oppressed peoples of Europe, and security for ourselves in a free world.

Your task will not be an easy one. Your enemy is well trained, well equipped, and battle-hardened. He will fight savagely.

But this is the year 1944. Much has happened since the Nazi triumphs of 1940-41. The United Nations have inflicted upon the Germans great defeats, in open battle, man-to-man. Our air offensive has seriously reduced their strength in the air and their capacity to wage war on the ground. Our Home Fronts have given us an overwhelming superiority in weapons and munitions of war, and placed at our disposal great reserves of trained fighting men. The tide has turned. The free men of the world are marching together to victory.

I have full confidence in your courage, devotion to duty, and skill in battle. We will accept nothing less than full victory.

Good Luck! And let us all beseech the blessing of Almighty God upon this great and noble undertaking.

The History Channel has a wonderful clip of the allies landing on the beaches at Normandy:

The National D-Day Memorial website notes the immense difficulty faced by the soldiers who were determined to breach the stronghold in Europe by following the simple yet harrowing instructions to “jump, swim, run, and crawl to the cliffs”:

It is hard to conceive the epic scope of this decisive battle that foreshadowed the end of Hitlers dream of Nazi domination. Overlord was the largest air, land, and sea operation undertaken before or since June 6, 1944. The landing included over 5,000 ships, 11,000 airplanes, and over 150,000 service men. After years of meticulous planning and seemingly endless training, for the Allied Forces, it all came down to this: The boat ramp goes down, then jump, swim, run, and crawl to the cliffs. Many of the first young men (most not yet 20 years old) entered the surf carrying eighty pounds of equipment. They faced over 200 yards of beach before reaching the first natural feature offering any protection. Blanketed by small-arms fire and bracketed by artillery, they found themselves in hell. When it was over, the Allied Forces had suffered nearly 10,000 casualties; more than 4,000 were dead. Yet somehow, due to planning and preparation, and due to the valor, fidelity, and sacrifice of the Allied Forces, Fortress Europe had been breached.

I’ll leave you with Ronald Reagan’s powerful “Boys of Pointe du Hoc” speech from 1984 when he commemorated the 40th anniversary of the Normandy invasion. It was a magnificent speech made before 62 survivors of the 2nd Ranger Battalion, and paid eloquent tribute, respect and recognition to those brave soldiers who climbed the cliffs that day.

(Cross-posted at The Jury Talks Back.)

–Dana

[guest post by Dana]

Reality truly bites:

A 25-year-old government contractor has been charged with mishandling classified information after authorities say she gave a top-secret National Security Agency document to a news ­organization.

Reality Leigh Winner was accused of gathering, transmitting or losing defense information — the first criminal charge filed in a leak investigation during the Trump administration.

Winner was arrested Saturday and the case was revealed Monday, shortly after the website the Intercept posted a redacted version of a U.S. intelligence document describing Russian government efforts to use hacking techniques against employees of a company that provides technical support to states’ voting agencies.

Documents filed in federal court against Winner in Georgia did not identify the news outlet or the document, although both the Intercept and the court papers say it was dated May 5. A person familiar with the case said the charges stem from the document given to the ­Intercept.

Here is the link to the Intercept.

And there’s this:

This NSA summary judgment is sharply at odds with Russian President Vladimir Putin’s denial last week that Russia had interfered in foreign elections: “We never engaged in that on a state level, and have no intention of doing so.” Putin, who had previously issued blanket denials that any such Russian meddling occurred, for the first time floated the possibility that freelance Russian hackers with “patriotic leanings” may have been responsible. The NSA report, on the contrary, displays no doubt that the cyber assault was carried out by the GRU.

The Washington Examiner notes this from the affidavit:

“The U.S. Government Agency examined the document shared by the News Outlet and determined the pages of the intelligence reporting appeared to be folded and/or creased, suggesting they had been printed and hand-carried out of a secured space,” the affidavit read.

Winner was identified because she was one of six people who printed the document off of their computer. Of those six, she was the only one who had any email contact with a news outlet.

“Winner further acknowledged that she was aware of the contents of the intelligence reporting and that she knew the contents of the reporting could be used to the injury of the United States and to the advantage of a foreign nation,” the affidavit stated.

“During that conversation, Winner admitted intentionally identifying and printing the classified intelligence reporting at issue despite not having a ‘need to know,’ and with knowledge that the intelligence reporting was classified.”

About Reality Winner: Winner held a Top Secret security clearance at her current position to which she was hired in February of this year. She was in the in the military for six years, speaks Farsi, Dari and Pashto. On social media, “she posted disparagingly on Facebook about Donald Trump’s pledge to build a wall along the Mexican border, about his draconian criminal justice plans, and about his assault on the Environmental Protection Agency. In February, she referred to the president as “piece of shit”.”

Winner’s court-appointed lawyer claims that his client has “…just been caught in the middle of something bigger than her”.

Under the Espionage Act, Winner faces a sentence of up to 10 years in prison if convicted.

(Cross-posted at The Jury Talks Back.)

–Dana

There is a new book out from Senator Mike Lee, titled Written Out of History: The Forgotten Founders Who Fought Big Government. I got both the Kindle and audiobook versions, although the combination is more expensive than such combinations usually are. (Usually the audiobook add-on is discounted, but this one is not for some reason.) I have read all of Mike Lee’s other books and am confident this one will be similarly rewarding.

Thanks for using the Amazon link for Amazon purchases. You can use the search box to the right.

I plan to be back to full blogging strength after July 4. Thanks as always to Dana and JVW for keeping the place interesting in my absence.

[Cross-posted at The Jury Talks Back.]