Kevin Roberts: “75 years ago, the scene across America and Europe was quite different than what we see today--thousands of people waving…”

“75 years ago, the scene across America and Europe was quite different than what we see today--thousands of people waving flags, dancing, hugging, kissing in the streets, all covered in confetti. In the early morning hours of May 7, 1945, in the small town of Reims, France, the Supreme Allied Commander, Dwight David Eisenhower, signed Nazi Germany's surrender and sent a cable to Washington and to London stating that the mission of the Allied forces was fulfilled, thus ending the Nazi pandemic of tyranny and genocide. The surrender took effect on May 8, and for the first time since 1941, the U.S. Capitol was bathed again in light. Most military historians now agree that it was Eisenhower's unique skill and persuasion that enabled the Allied effort to be successful. As Winston Churchill said, ``There is only one thing worse than fighting with allies and that is fighting without them.'' Simply put, Ike led the effort to preserve Western democracy and freedom, and later, as President in 1953, America experienced 8 years of peace and prosperity. Tomorrow, on the 75th anniversary of the victory of Europe--what we call Victory in Europe Day, VE Day--the Eisenhower Memorial Commission was set to dedicate the long-awaited Presidential memorial to Dwight David Eisenhower right on the Mall in our Nation's Capital, just two blocks away. Eisenhower once said: ``Plans may end up as worthless, but planning is everything.'' How right he was.…”