If you spend any time on the conservative side of X today, you will see countless accounts honoring the sacrifice of the brave young men who, 81 years ago on this day, ignored incomprehensible fear and poured out of Higgins boats and C-47 Skytrains to face down Nazi Germany and liberate France on D-Day.
I could spend (and have spent) hours reading through all of the posts, looking through all of the images, and hearing all of the stories from the sadly dwindling number of men who are still able to provide first-hand accounts of that fateful and historic June 6 morning.
But instead, I decided to just focus on one account: United States Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth.
I've written often about Hegseth and all of the good he is doing in rebuilding our military and Defense Department under the warrior ethos, but the simplest way to put it is this:
Pete Hegseth gets it.
Early this morning, Hegseth posted the video below to show how he chose to honor the courage of the young men who Ronald Reagan once famously called 'The Boys of Pointe du Hoc.'
I had the privilege of doing PT at Omaha Beach. Where so many made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedoms.
— Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth (@SecDef) June 6, 2025
We will never forget D-DAY. pic.twitter.com/a9GHG687A7
I'm sorry, but how perfect, how amazing, how absolutely on point is that?
The utmost measure of respect, joining the men of our military today for some training on the very beach where men just like them gave their lives almost a century ago.
I'm a little speechless, if I'm being honest.
Thankfully, Hegseth let me off the hook by also delivering remarks in Normandy today commemorating the D-Day anniversary.
. @SecDef “Eighty-one years ago, Hitler thought his Atlantic wall was impenetrable.
— DOD Rapid Response (@DODResponse) June 6, 2025
He clearly had not met enough Americans.” pic.twitter.com/pmf4WQK0G7
'That's a mission statement if I've ever heard one.'
Later, Hegseth also met with surviving members of the American invasion force with more words of respect and admiration.
May we live worthy of their sacrifice. https://t.co/678ZQDsY8K
— Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth (@SecDef) June 6, 2025
Of course, anyone who has ever watched Saving Private Ryan will remember that this is the film's final, piercing message, not just to the titular character in the movie, but to all of us.
And to top it all off, Hegseth did all of this on his birthday.
Happy 45th birthday @PeteHegseth @SecDef - from FLHS to The Pentagon! Born on D-Day sure fits... pic.twitter.com/E78MplDz7F
— Brian Hegseth (@BrianHegseth) June 6, 2025
OK, seriously now? He was born on D-Day? This is so on the nose, I can't believe it's not another Hollywood movie.
(If Hollywood still made patriotic movies, that is.)
Hegseth is the Secretary of Defense with a huge mission in front of him. Maybe not as monumental as the one that faced all of those boys who served in Operation Overlord, granted, but a pretty big mission nevertheless.
He is trying to restore America's military to greatness after years of destructive people and ideologies have undermined it at every turn.
But I am confident that Hegseth can deliver, and the reason for that is also simplicity itself.
He is a warfighter.
Yes, he is a politician now. He is also an author, former TV host, father, husband, son, and brother.
But at his core, he is not just a brother to his biological family, he is a brother to all who put boots on the ground, as he demonstrated this morning on Omaha Beach.
And nothing will come between him and his mission to serve his fellow brothers and fellow warfighters.
I did not serve in the military, so there are times I am reluctant to write about such men, wondering if I will do them justice or give them the proper respect they have earned and deserve. I have definitely made some mistakes in my previous articles on the topic, but I try to avoid them as best I can. (It's the least I can do, after all.)
But when I see Hegseth and -- most importantly -- when I watch how other soldiers, sailors, airmen, and other servicemembers react to his leadership, it overwhelms me with humility, gratitude, and the confidence that our current Secretary of Defense will accomplish his mission and make us all proud, soldier and civilian alike.
Another Trump administration official, Richard Grenell, also thanked Hegesth for his Normandy visit and added a tragic, but inevitable and essential reminder for everyone:
Thank you, @PeteHegseth for going to Normandy to honor our bravest.
— Richard Grenell (@RichardGrenell) June 6, 2025
We are losing them one by one. Soon, we will no longer have first-hand accounts.
Listening now is very important. pic.twitter.com/xAWJAQMOMz
Listening has never been more important.
When I listen to these men, and when I listen to Hegseth and how perfectly he honors the service of his brothers, past and present, it makes me want to embody his words:
May I live worthy of their sacrifice.
