NYC Letter: On The Fail Trail -- D-Day

Day 1,229 of CHOPE
D-minus 227 Days

Today is the 68th anniversary of the Allied invasion of Normandy, the largest amphibious assault in history. Over 5,000 ships delivered over 160,00 troops for an assault on over 50 miles of the French coast. There were over 12,000 Allied casualties. It remains perhaps the single most important military operation of modern times. So the CINC will want to take a minute or two today to commemorate this historic and astonishing accomplishment and honor the dwindling number of surviving veterans while they're still surviving.

"FULL VICTORY -- NOTHING ELSE"
The Order Of The Day, June 6, 1944
General Dwight D Eisenhower gives the OOTD
to paratroopers of the 101st Airborne Division
[Picture source: U.S. Center of Military History/Moore]

Or maybe not.

OBAMA NOT SCHEDULED
TO COMMEMORATE D-DAY
Keith Koffler

June 6, 2012 (WHD) - It’s D-Day and President Obama is hitting the beaches – of sunny California!

Instead of scheduling a brief event to mark the 68th anniversary of America’s brutal landing on the shores of Normandy, Obama is already on his way to San Francisco, where he will hold two fundraisers before moving on to Beverly Hills to stage two more.

Obama failed to mark D-Day with either a speech or a written proclamation both last year or the year before. He did give a speech in 2009, the 65th anniversary of the event.

First Lady Michelle Obama, who has made much of her “Joining Forces” campaign to support military families, also has nothing planned for D-Day. She’ll be in New York City for a fundraiser and then in Philadelphia to meet with campaign volunteers.

Obama’s failure to mark D-Day in any significant way is both a shame and a political mistake.

According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, two critical swing states – Florida and Pennsylvania, are among the top five states in terms of veterans’ population. Within the top twelve are four others – Michigan, Ohio, Virginia and North Carolina – all states Obama desperately needs to carry.

[Hat tip: Jana]

Disappointing even by the low bar of expectations Mr. Obama enjoys. We wish Mr. Obama had put politics aside for this one day, his last opportunity to commemorate D-Day as the CINC.

CHOPE.

CINC goes missing three years running.