Dear President-Elect Trump:
Seventy-five years ago yesterday, the United States was drawn into WWII when Japanese planes bombed Pearl Harbor. Seventy-three years ago, this coming June 6, American forces landed on Omaha Beach in a coordinated Allied attack on the European mainland that began the effort to liberate Europe from Nazi occupation.
Omaha Beach, along with the Normandy coast of France, was heavily guarded and secured by German forces situated in the hills above Omaha Beach. The Germans had placed mines, barbed wire, and other deadly obstacles on the beach, anticipating the Allied attack.
American forces left their amphibious craft, entering water that at points was neck deep. Many American sons never made it from the water to the beach–near immediate casualties in our effort to free Europe. Others made it to the beach, only to inherit a sandy grave, rather than a watery grave. Two thousand men died on Omaha Beach that day. They never saw France liberated, let alone Berlin0.
Eventually, Allied forces fought their way to Berlin. Berlin was liberated by Spring 1945, some nine months after the invasion at Normandy. The world celebrated as Allied forces succeeded in Germany.
But, what is success?
Were our troops who lived to return home the only successful soldiers? Were our boys whose destiny ended face down in bloody water any less successful than those who marched on Berlin? Or what about the 418,500 other Americans whose lives were robbed of children, grandchildren, spouses, 4th of July celebrations? Of course not.
We cannot accurately measure success by deliverable results. Those who never made land on Omaha Beach were no less successful than those who lived beyond Omaha Beach and liberated Europe and lived to return home.
Success merely is giving what we have to offer.
Michael Mclean and John Batdorf capture the truth of this in their song Who will be the real hero? I’ve included it in this letter and hope you’ll listen to it. You can access the song at the top of this letter.
Your success as president and mine as an American citizen will only come when we give what we have been asked to provide to our country. Giving your best self, effort, and desire to America’s altar is your path to success.
Will you succeed as President? I hope so. But, know how to measure it. It won’t be measured in the number of jobs you create nor in any other visible means. It will be measured by the giving of your complete self, to the job and us.
Sincerely,
David O. Leavitt
