Today President Donald Trump will delivers remarks on designating Wilmington, NC as an American World War II Heritage City – on board Battleship, North Carolina in Wilmington, NC. [Anticipated Start time 2:30pm ET]
UPDATE – Video and Transcript Added:
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[Transcript] – THE PRESIDENT: Well, thank you very much. And that was some greeting we had in North Carolina. I’ll tell you, I don’t know if you saw the crowd outside, but it’s pretty amazing. But we’ve had it in Texas, in Ohio, South Carolina, Florida. It’s just incredible what’s happening. Please, sit down. Please.
And I’m honored to be in North Carolina, in the presence of true American heroes, as we commemorate the 75th anniversary of the American victory in World War Two. And a victory it was.
On September 2nd, 1945, the great General Douglas MacArthur accepted Japan’s unconditional surrender aboard the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay. V-J Day marked the end of the deadliest conflict in human history and the ultimate triumph of American freedom. That was a big day. That was a great triumph of great country. And our country is greater than ever before. That’s what’s happening, and that’s what it is. Greater — with a greater military — (applause) — with a greater military than we’ve ever had before.
We are deeply moved to be joined this afternoon by World War Two veterans, all of whom I met, all of whom are tough — I don’t want to mess around with any of them, I’ll tell you right now — whose blood, sweat, grit, courage, and unfailing devotion made that epic victory possible.
These brave Americans raced into the fires of hell to vanquish tyranny, dethrone fascism, and defend the American way of life. You’ve earned the eternal and undying gratitude of all Americans, and that’s why I’m here today. I wanted to be with you. You know what I’m talking about, don’t you? And we had a good time, a little while ago — right? — over at the Oval Office. Congressional Medal of Honor.
We’re privileged to be joined as well by veterans from every generation, including a number of wounded warriors. We stand in awe of your service. I can say that: so respected, so loved. We are in awe.
Joining us for this commemoration are Secretary David Bernhardt. Secretary? Where is David? Thank you, David, very much for being here. (Applause.)
A great senator, a real friend of mine — a tremendous senator, actually, and he works very, very hard and he loves the people of North Carolina — Senator Thom Tillis. Thom, thank you very much. (Applause.)
And some warriors, they’re in Congress. And they’re tough, and they’re smart. Representatives David Rouzer, Ted Budd, and Dan Bishop. Thank you, fellas. (Applause.) They are tough, but you’re not as tough as these guys, I’ll tell you right now. Right? (Laughs.) You’re not as tough as them.
There is no better place to mark this profound World War Two anniversary than right here in Wilmington, North Carolina. The people of this city and this state — and it’s an incredible state, and I want to thank you for being so nice to me. You’ve been very nice — very, very nice — every time we’ve asked for something. But I’ve been nice to you also; I have to say that.
But you made the extraordinary contributions to the war effort. That’s North Carolina made this extraordinary contribution, and so many.
Nearly 2 million American servicemen trained for combat in North Carolina, more than any other state. Wow, that’s pretty good, isn’t it? Huh? Who would know that? (Applause.) Two million trained; more than any state.
Over 360,000 service members from your state fought in the Second World War. They battled on the cliffs of Normandy, over the skies of Africa, and in the deep waters of the Pacific. Over 11,000 North Carolina patriots fought the enemy until their very last breath. You know what that means, right? Think of that: Eleven thousand died in the war. We want to thank you. Boy. And we have family members here, by the way. That’s them saying hello. (Laughter.)
In Wilmington, more than 20,000 workers of the North Carolina Shipbuilding Company poured out every ounce of their strength to build an astonishing 243 ships for the U.S. Navy. And it was the citizens of Wilmington who came together to save a priceless artifact of American history: the glorious battleship behind me, the USS North Carolina. And that is some powerful and beautiful ship.
Coming in on — coming in, we’re just — we got plenty of televisions on Air Force One, and they showed it in primetime, in the ’40s, and they showed that ship. And I’ll tell you, they don’t make — I shouldn’t say this — they don’t make them that way anymore. They really don’t. What a beautiful ship.
During World War Two, this magnificent ship participated in many major naval offensives and — in the Pacific theater itself, including the Marshall Islands, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa, earning more battle stars than any other battleship. We’re learning a lot today, right? That’s pretty good.
Why are you clapping? You come from West Virginia. Huh? He loves West Virginia; so do I. Right? But we’re clapping anyway. Right? (Laughs.) You better believe it. Thank you.
After the war, the people of Wilmington organized a massive campaign to save this beautiful ship from the scrapyard. They preserved it as a memorial to the gallant deeds of American sailors, a monument to the American workers that built it, and an enduring symbol of American greatness. Now more than 200,000 people visit this site each year to learn the history and the heroism that defines our nation.
This afternoon, my administration is formally recognizing the city’s exceptional contributions to victory in the Second World War.
It is my tremendous honor to officially designate Wilmington, North Carolina, as our nation’s very first World War Two Heritage City. That’s a big deal: our nation’s very first, Wilmington. Congratulations to you all. (Applause.)
And God is saluting you up there, I tell you. We may have to go a little quicker than I thought, right?
With this designation, we proudly declare that, in America, we don’t tear down the past, we celebrate our heroes, we cherish our heritage, we preserve our history, and we build a future.
This mighty vessel in this magnificent town will forever tell that story with this designation. So I want to just congratulate North Carolina and Wilmington. That’s a fantastic — a fantastic thing. (Applause.)
I want to thank Senator Tillis and Congressman Rouzer. Stand up, please — (applause) — in between the lightning bolts — for their work to make this day possible. Thank you, Thom. Thank you, fellas. Great job.
And let me also thank retired Navy Captain Wilbur Jones, who has championed the cause of World War Two Heritage Cities. (Applause.) Wilbur, thank you. Thank you, Wilbur. Great job. Great job. So, Wilbur, you know a lot of people wanted this, right? So you are just a tough cookie. You got it. Number one. Number one in the nation. I want to thank Wilbur. That’s great.
I also want to recognize several of the heroes who saved American freedom. And I’ve known some of them since I’ve been in office; I’ve seen them, and there they are. Here today is my good friend, who I just left, and he was in the Oval Office with me at the White House, Woody Williams. Seventy-five years ago, Woody showed fearless courage as a Marine in the Battle of Iwo Jima. You are amazing. (Applause.)
I promised him I would not tell that he’s 97 years old. I promised. (Applause.) And I’ll tell you, he’s 100 percent sharp. He’s 100 percent sharp. I know a 78-year-old that’s not so sharp, and he’s 97, and he’s 100 percent, because it has nothing to do with that. Seventy-eight is young. Depends who’s 78, that’s all. He’s 97. I said, “Man, you are something.” And physically in great shape.
He braved a torrent of hostile fire while destroying one enemy machine gun position after another; knocked them out, one after one. For his daring actions, President Truman — think of that — awarded Woody the Congressional Medal of Honor, the highest in our land. Woody, congratulations. You inspire us all. It was great to have you on Air Force One. (Applause.)
I had promised him, you know, maybe two years ago — I said, “I’ll take you on Air Force.” He came up. He’s very aggressive. He said, “I’d like to fly on Air Force One.” I said I’ll do it, and today we did it. Right? We got it done. Thanks, Woody. Great job. (Applause.)
Also joining us today is Paul Phillips, a veteran of World War Two, Korea, and Vietnam. During the Second World War, Paul proudly served on the USS North Carolina in the Pacific theater. At 93 years old, he has returned today to visit the ship upon which he so nobly served. He’s a tremendous man. Paul, it’s our honor to have you with us. Please, Paul, stand up. Thank you, Paul. Thank you. (Applause.) Perfect. Thank you, Paul. Great job, Paul. I appreciate it.
Here as well is Army veteran, Greg Melikian. When Greg was 20 years old, he served as a radio operator in the headquarters of Supreme Allied Commander General Dwight D. Eisenhower. Oh, I’d loved to have heard some of those conversations. Much more interesting than today, right?
Seventy-five years ago, General Eisenhower directed Greg to broadcast around the world the long-awaited news that Germany had surrendered. Greg, your being here is very, very much appreciated. Thank you very much. It was a great honor meeting you before. Thank you very much. (Applause.) Very, very great honor.
Our task today is to pass on to the next generation the blessings of liberty that you fought for and that you bled for — all for security. You wanted to secure our future, you wanted to praise and raise our flag, and you did that. You raise our flag, and you stand proud and you stand tall, and we’re doing it in our nation too — almost everyone. Every once in a while, you see somebody not do it. We don’t like it when they don’t do it, do we? We don’t like it. I want to just thank you. A fantastic job.
American warriors did not defeat fascism and oppression overseas only to watch our freedoms be trampled by violent mobs here at home. We stopped those violent mobs very easily. All they have to do is say, “Please, come in, Mr. President.” We’ll have it done in one hour. (Applause.) “Please, come in.”
It’s one of the great — to me, just incredible that they don’t immediately. They just — as you know, Portland, the mayor last night, he was raided — his home was raided. He was thrown out of his home. And then he’ll stand up and he’ll fight for these people. These people only know one thing, and that’s strength. That’s all they know. Strength. And we have strength.
For the sake of all Americans, we must uphold the rule of law and defend the American Dream for every child in our land. We must teach our children that America is a land of heroes like you, you’re heroes. You know that, right, Woody? You’re heroes. You’re great, great men. (Applause.) Great men. Better believe it.
We’re not ashamed in America. We’re not ashamed of anything. I signed a very important edict recently. Three months ago, they were ripping down statues. I said, “You can rip them down, but you’re going to serve 10 years in jail, if you do.” And as soon as I did that, incredibly, you haven’t heard about statues coming down, have you? Statues or monuments. (Applause.)
But we’re not ashamed of our country; we’re proud of our country. Prouder than we are of anything else. Our country is great, and we’re going to keep it that way. We’re going to keep our country great.
Together, we will remember America’s towering victories, we will recognize America’s outstanding virtues, and we will pay tribute to the heroes who keep us safe, strong, proud, and free. And I also, in addition to our wonderful, brilliant military, I want to thank law enforcement, because the law enforcement — (applause) — without them, we’re not here today very well. They’ve done an incredible job. Really, an incredible job.
And thank you again to the World War Two veterans in attendance today. This is such a great tribute to North Carolina. We will never forget what you did for us. Your legacy is etched forever into the heart and soul of a grateful nation. And this spot is right now one of the most important military spots anywhere in the world. Congratulations to everybody, and thank you for making it come true. (Applause.)
Thank you all very much. God bless you. God bless North Carolina. And God bless America. Thank you all very much. Thank you. (Applause.)
White House Livestream Link – RSBN Livestream – Fox Business Livestream
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Beijing Biden will declare Portland Oregon to be an official “Antifa Heritage City”….
Wilmington has a battleship, Portland will have blown-out store fronts!
Huge happy crowd greets him at landing.
https://twitter.com/TeamTrump/status/1301224095682621440?s=20
Thank you for this, FOX never shows this, the wild love we have for President Trump!!!!
Folks that are Stone Cold Crazy
Ain’t that the truth..
Love our President Donald J Trump, Where it is not age (97) being mentally there, and 78 where nobody is home. PDJT has such a way of placing word pictures into the minds of the listening public. That stay a long time.??
Holy Cow, DOW went thru the roof at 29,000+.
Highest ever closing was 29551
I think it’s the presidential betting line.
Yes?
Good point. Money talks, polls walk
My boss who is an investment advisor and a huge democrat President Trump hater has been shorting the market since June 2020. He has lost 45% of his money! Luckily our firm doesn’t invest that way for our clients!
What a stupid MF’r……There is no way would I invest money with a Libtard. However, if his clients are Libtards they deserve one another.
Navarro called 32,000 for Dow by end of year BEFORE the Wuhan virus pandemic. It would be over 32K sans CCV.
The contrast between civilized Trump supporters and trash Democrats could not be more stark.
NC is doing me proud ! My son and granddaughter live in Wilmington !
Me too! We certainly do not look like a state that is turning purple. I live 75 miles from Wilmington where the tremendously large President Trump boat parade took place.
I LIVE HERE,, It’s TRUMP COUNTRY!
(silent Majority)..
So cool. So great. So patriotically American.
God Bless All Americans and especially President Trump.
Look how our local news covered the story…4 people down at the river walk.
Demontrations (sic) pop up in downtown Wilmington ahead of President Trump’s visit
https://www.wect.com/2020/09/02/demontrations-pop-up-downtown-wilmington-ahead-president-trumps-visit/
“Patrick says she wanted to have a rally during Trump’s visit in hopes he’ll hear they’re collective calls for change in the system.
“A divided house will fall,” said Patrick. “We have to stand together as a nation because there’s only one race: the human race.”
Demonstrations gathering on the Riverwalk in downtown Wilmington with signs reading “Black Lives Matter” and “Dump Trump.” Demonstrators showed up with hopes of getting out various messages.
“I want to make sure people know that I love the country,” said Kevin Chandler “You can protest. You can be against what the president stands for, but still up the country very much so that’s why I’m decked out like this.”
Anyone see the absolute hypocrisy in this story? House divided, stand together, black lives matter, dump Trump? Yep, these people want to blame President Trump for the division that Obama started (incidentally, the only thing that Obama really did was to divide the country, whether by the claim of racism constantly or by the spying and false accusations against OUR President)!
Twisting themselves into Pretzels, yet once again..
Notice at 0:24 the Man in biege saluting
>Respect
oops
Comment is for fanbeav’s Dan Scavino video below
Patience, Nice catch! I went back to look b/c I missed it first time. It was well worth watching again and seeing what a true Patriot looks like.
Thanks for that moment. It reaffirms the commitment we have for our President and Our Country!
Great scenes…I’m misty eyed, love our President
Rolling thunder happened while Trump was remarking about WWII battles on the USSNorth Carolina.
Gave me chills.
Unbelievable! He looks like a brand new penny, every morning! …like fresh air laundry, starched and pressed! Women got’a love it…
He is the handsomest!
JG3, The President of the United States or as the Damnocrats call him (SOB) sure does know how to connect with US, the heart of America!
I guess this is how America felt when John F. Kennedy was President.
We the People will not allow OUR PRESIDENT to be removed by force, by illegal legislation or by THE LEFT!
WE WILL WIN! WE WILL BE THE ONES WHO SAVE OUR COUNTRY! WE WILL BE POLL WATCHERS. WE WILL BE WATCHING AND WE WILL CONFRONT THE EVIL BASTARDS WHO WILL TRY TO STEAL THIS ELECTION!
Anyone know who the guy is that Our Great President snubbed at the end of the greeting line getting off the plane?
Sen Tom Tillis (never Trumper)
So glad he did! Haha. Tillis is unfortunately the senator of my state.
President Trump is reading my mind today!
Tillis was not at the end of the greeting line…he was up near the front.
OK, I had to watch that video again (posted in Sundance’s previous article). President Trump did not snub anyone. The President stopped in front of the woman standing second to last in that line, and spoke to *both* her and to the last (older) gentleman while standing in that spot.
You can see the gentlemen (IDK his identity) replying and nodding several times toward the President and the President’s head turned slightly towards that gentleman. The extreme zoom on the video lens exaggerates the social distancing they were following, but the zoom actually de-emphasizes the head angles. However you can see them clearly if you zoom the video to full screen.
The woman standing next to last is Holly Grange, she is a member of the North Carolina House of Representatives for District 20.
Her husband is General David L. Grange (ret) who worked with Sidney Blumenthal to get Hillary to award him contracts in Libya. Osprey Global Solutions. She’s scum.
“E-mails leaked by the hacker Guccifer and published by Gawker reveal Blumenthal’s pecuniary interest in the hiring of foreign-security contractors. They show Blumenthal helping advise and facilitate the work of Osprey Global Solutions, an American private-security firm that was in the process of being hired by the transitional Libyan government when the memo was sent in April.”
“A May 2011 e-mail shows Blumenthal working to secure $60,000 from longtime Clinton operative Cody Shearer in order to send four Osprey security contractors into Libya. By August, Osprey had signed a contract with the Libyan National Council, which took over the country following the Gaddafi regime’s collapse.”
https://www.nationalreview.com/2015/05/did-sid-blumenthal-break-law-his-e-mails-hillary-brendan-bordelon/
Well that doesn’t sound like they’re any other than typical Swampian Military-Industrial Complex profiteers… Buit the President stopped and spoike with them; being the magnanimous person that he is…
I agree, GB. But I prefer the snub theory anyhow, if its Tillis.
He hated the wall in April loved it a few months later.
Last week he apologized to MSM for NOT wearing a mask.
I got his form letter re:Covid and masks in reply to a well written question: it says “we’re all in this together, wear a mask, call the Dem Governor with questions…etc…” this was today…see his mask today in Wilmington? Me neither.
I cannot tolerate lies. But I will hold my nose and vote straight RED, because a DEMONcrat that ADMITS he is one is worse than a Tillis.
I am voting RED Remove Every Democrat.
Cause I am madder at them than at him.
“But I prefer the snub theory anyhow, if its Tillis.”
???
I can’t argue with your disgust toward Tillis; it’s certainly justified…
Laura Trump’s parents I think. She was the first in line.
FEARLESS
if I have to choose one word to exemplify our Great Lion
Not just MAGA, but…recognizing the greatness of America as it presently exists.
I love the greater contrast everyday being drawn between real Americans and unfits. Fun to watch the faces when I ask old time democrats if they are still democrats? Their faces go in to an instant visual distort reminiscent of a prune. Lol
Spent many a Summer vaction in the Wilmington area as a child.
The Battleship North Carolina visit was to my ten year old mind amazing.
Two interesting things I learned. The first the deck of the battleship is wood. Likely a steel subsurface with wood overlaid.
The second was my grandmother point blank telling of the family a connection to the Battleship North Carolina, that even my mother didn’t know about. Dumb founded is all I can say in that reveal.
She told the story of how she was dating a man that died in combat on the ship in 1943.
This initiated a series of questions from my mother about her brother who had died as a toddler in early 1944 and the fact that my grandmother married a man(my grandfather) 17 years her senior in 1943.
It did not take my mother long to ask if this man(I can not remember his name)(she only spoke it once in front of me)that if this man had survived the war he would have been my mothers father. My grandmother’s answer was a simple, “Yes”.
To recap the intrigue. A view point is my grandmother was married to this man. My grandmother was deeply Catholic(she passed away 2009), so an out of wedlock pregnancy with a child is highly unlikely for the norms of the time.
My mother tried to nail down more to the story, to no avail.
But very likely believes her Father was the older brother of this man and that even if giving a celebrated GoldStar status of a WWII death in the family would have had long ranging implications to this deeply Catholic women, such that my Grandmother and Grandfather chose to live this lie if only, “Not to have to live this pain in the everyday. I can only imagine the private understanding they both shared was by design.”
Reflecting back on this family history. First, “How times have changed”, and Second, in the moment of the Great Struggle of the World War of how, “Real life realities intersected with the everyday at a time people made in the now choices they have to live with”
I can only say, ” My Grandmother actively choose to place all her love into her marriage without having to explain or acknowledge the depths of her personal lost on an ongoing basis to a young family she ultimately embarked apon.
As a recap, everyone should just remember the real life losses inflicted on the this in the 1940’s contemporary mindset.
A mindset totally outside of having a crystal ball to the future that revisionists are so apt to play with.
Thank you Preaident Trump, for enshrining the Battleship North Carolina to the National memory of the bygone times past.
This is not the only shared pain of my family, so long ago experienced. I also lost a beloved Uncle of my father who died in Alaska in 1942.
Everyone just stop and think about this, “On our soil!!!
It seems so disconnected from our future, until you, if you stop and think about, “What cousins I missed out on.”
These are People that may have well shaped my life different.”
If history is repeat to ask WHY questions about WAR and the encompassing revistitionalist that follow, “I say absolutely they need to address the here and a now of the choices made contemporary by everyday Americans seeking to make sense of the their personal LOSSES.
I would go so far as to suggest revistionalist do not have the right to transgress this National memory.
Right or Wrong, is not the point when it comes to the focus of the times lived by those in the immediate unfolding of history. Who, the heck are we to question what our past had to grapple with. If revisionalism is a luxury afforded the future, then there is absolute need for honestly.
Sadly, this is lacking in our times. Everything that can be shaped to meet a narrative, is being shaped. And, if personal histories have to be run asunder, so be it.
It seems to the call world of the day.
The implication being once that Rubicon is crossed, all sorts of reversion are possible, up and including the denial of contemporary historical facts that played a huge part to shaping the future and in end are designed to follow a path of INVALIDATING us.
My point being is in disavowing the past for political expediancy in the name of the here and now, gives too much power too those that will turn the memories of the past into fictions.
So absolutely, President Trump by defining a current moment in our history by declaring Wilmington a National Treasure is him saying the past WILL NOT BE FORGOTTEN.
If you can not vote for that, you are robbing yourself of a lagecy of a future devoid of the Truth.
mtk, We’ve got a lot of family history that means a lot to us and yours is a valid composition.
I appreciate your point that we will NOT forget our family history and that it will NOT BE FORGOTTEN!
I sense that our VSGPDJT got to you today and that’s a great thing.
#MAGA #KAG #BLEXIT
To All Those of The Greatest Generation, for your Patriotism, Steadfast Dedication and Determination, and most of all, Your Sacrifice—- Thank You. Forever and Ever. Thank You.
And God Bless All of You.