Honor D-Day: Resuscitate American Character

America, and all dedicated to freedom throughout the world, must reverently pause on Friday, June 6, the 70th anniversary of D-Day. On D-Day, good triumphed over evil and the end of World War II began.

D-Day’s anniversary recalls the Western Allies beginning the Invasion of Normandy to free mainland Europe from Nazi occupation. Despite suffering heavy casualties, the United States and Allied Forces were victorious. America and its allies liberated millions of innocent people being oppressed and murdered by Hitler and the Nazis.

Just prior to the D-Day offensive, the immortal words of Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower, Supreme Allied Commander, ignited inspiration:

“Soldiers, Sailors, and Airmen of the Allied Expeditionary Force! … The eyes of the world are upon you. The hopes and prayers of liberty loving people everywhere march with you … you will bring about the destruction of the German war machine, the elimination of Nazi tyranny over the oppressed peoples of Europe, and security for ourselves in a free world. … The tide has turned! The free men of the world are marching together to victory! I have full confidence in your courage, devotion to duty, and skill in battle. We will accept nothing less than full victory!…”

D-Day reminds us of the true meaning of character—individuals who laid down their lives for others and in doing so saved the world.

These heroes must be eternally honored.

D-Day: A Snapshot

•The largest seaborne invasion in history
•13,000 Allied paratroopers flown in from nine British airfields in over 800 planes
•A military armada with over 156,000 troops, 5,000 vessels, and nearly 30,000 vehicles
•More than 11,000 aircraft
•More than 300 planes dropping over 13,000 bombs over coastal Normandy prior to D-Day
•Over 9,000 Allied soldiers dead or wounded by the end of the day of June 6
•The beginning of Europe’s liberation and the end of World War II—the deadliest military conflict in history that resulted in the loss of 60 million–80 million lives

Leadership Lessons for Today

It is not enough to commemorate D-Day by reverently pausing. We must ignite transforming action and rehabilitate the nation.

Here are some timeless leadership lessons of this epic historical event so critical for America today.

Appreciate Industrial Capacity

D-Day gives us appreciation of America’s industrial capacity and can give us the courage to transform it.

According to historian Stephen E. Ambrose, during the D-Day invasion and in the days afterward, American GI’s were better equipped than their foe because our vehicles were superior. Germany could not compete with America’s two-and-a-half-ton truck or the jeep.

American factories were across the ocean from Normandy while German factories were close at hand. Yet, America received more vehicles and better designed ones to the battlefield in less time.

Our nation must again represent the highest standards of manufacturing that proudly proclaims “Made in America.”

World Is a Family

The world is a family with each person of every nation deserving of dignity, respect, and security.

America must forever remain faithful to its legacy of compassion for the vulnerable and oppressed. Whenever there is human suffering at home or abroad, America must respond with moral authority in both word and action.

Character Counters Violence

America must reclaim its communities from the appalling culture of violence.

Headlines of horrific acts of violence continue in schools, campuses, movie theaters, malls, communities, and homes. Violence brings heartbreak nationwide. Even sacred places of worship, once thought to be sanctuaries of peace, are experiencing incidents becoming all too common.

America’s character led to the reclaiming of the tranquility for countless millions on distant shores through the heroic events that began on D-Day.

Our nation can and must also bring security to communities throughout our homeland by rehabilitating the character exemplified on D-Day and, in doing so, reawaken the nation.

Photo's

1. American troops, supporting those already on the coast of Northern France, plunge into the surf and wade shoreward carrying equipment on Utah Beach, Les Dunes de Madeleine, France, on D-Day, June 6, 1944. (STF/AFP/Getty Images)

2. General Dwight D. Eisenhower gives the order of the Day. "Full victory-nothing else" to paratroopers in England, just before they board their airplanes to participate in the first assault in the invasion of the continent of Europe." Eisenhower is meeting with US Co. E, 502nd Parachute Infantry Regiment (Strike), photo taken at Greenham Common Airfield in England about 8:30 p.m. on June 5, 1944. ID: p013227

3. American Cemetery and Monument at Normandy.

4. The Hoboken World War II Memorial on Sinatra Drive in Hoboken commemorates the 159 residents who died in military service during the war. (Vincent J. Bove)

Originally authored by Vincent J. Bove for his weekly column for the Epoch Times, Friday, June 6,2014 edition.

Note Well

Linkedin: Vincent J. Bove Consulting, Speaker Services, Publishing

Twitter: vincentjbove

Facebook: Vincent J. Bove Consulting, Speaker Services, Publishing

Vincent is author of 275 published articles including his newest book Reawakening America.

Principles of American Policing: Reawakening America

This article was first published as Principles of American Policing on Apr. 27, 2015 in The Sentinel, and then in other sources including my newest book Reawakening America (2018), The Chief of Police (Summer 2015 Cover Story), The New Jersey Police Chief Magazine (May 2015), and the Epoch Times, (May 1, 2015).

Due to our current police-community crisis, it is posted again because of its significance to America's police and communities.

Principles of American Policing

Forty-five years ago, the spacecraft Apollo 13 and its crew were on their way to the moon. But, the mission was dramatically derailed with an oxygen tank explosion.

An immortalized distress call was radioed to mission control at the Johnson Space Center in Texas: “Houston, we’ve had a problem here.”

In order to survive, the astronauts had to courageously collaborate, plan, and sacrifice to return 200,000 miles safely to earth.

America, we’ve had a problem here

There are police-community tensions in America due to events in Baltimore, Ferguson, Cleveland, Staten Island, and North Charleston.

We must honestly assess the breakdown of trust and enhance police-community relations.

As learned from Apollo 13, we must collaborate for failure is not an option.

Nine Principles of Policing

The principles of effective policing attributed to Sir Robert Peel for police-community relations are timeless.

The heart of these nine principles is summarized as a unity of effort “that gives reality to the historic tradition that the police are the public and that the public are the police.”

Peel also stresses “public approval of police existence, actions, and behavior and on police ability to secure and maintain public respect.”

Physical force is only necessary “when the exercise of persuasion, advice, and warning is found to be insufficient to obtain public cooperation to an extent necessary to secure observance of law or to restore order, and to use only the minimum degree of force necessary on any particular occasion for achieving a police objective.”

Police: Public Safety Life-Lines

America would quickly decay into chaos, lawlessness, and anarchy without dedicated police protecting and serving our communities.

It is imperative to take a moment to highlight recent, inspiring, and commendable police actions including the following:

•New Jersey police save elderly woman from burning home
•Police in Cincinnati save woman who overdosed
•Oklahoma City police officer saves woman from drowning
•Pennsylvania police save life of suicidal man welding box cutter
•Florida police save man from jumping off Skyway
•Charleston police officer saves baby’s life
•Thousands mourn slain San Jose officer as hero

Contemporary Policing Principles

Although Sir Robert Peel’s Nine Policing Principles are timeless, contemporary issues demand principles complementing tradition while respecting current realities.

Therefore, I have developed Nine Principles of American Policing to enhance dialogue, communication, and trust between police and communities:

1. Being pro-police and pro-community is inseparable, indefatigable, and preeminent. Police must at all times remain fully committed to protecting and serving the public through character, ethics, and leadership that is total and whole-hearted. Police must be guided by a moral compass that honors the community, Constitution, and Bill of Rights.

2. Respect must be the heart of the police and it must be unwavering for the profession, colleagues, and community. Respect can only be earned through integrity, accountability, and transparency. These qualities build trust, legitimacy, and collaboration.

3. Police deserve that every level of government provide the resources necessary for proper police staffing, training, and community service.

4. Initiatives enhancing police-community relations must continually be implemented and include citizen appreciation events, National Night Out, neighborhood block watches, and citizen police academies. Programs for youth, the future of the nation, are vital. These include school resource officers, youth police academies, character education, and mentoring initiatives.

5. Police deserve the latest and most effective technology to protect themselves and the public.

6. Moral courage must be encouraged, as police must be empowered to make decisions that are legal, ethical, and moral.

7. Patriotism is mission-critical. Honoring America, our flag, and our military personnel must be part and parcel of the police officer’s creed and take place at every event.

8. Police interventions must always be proportional, constitutional, and uphold quality of life issues deserved by all communities.

9. Police require a discerning recruitment process, education credentials, and ongoing training/certifications on issues including constitutional policing, diversity, civil rights, race-relations, violence prevention, community policing, crisis management, ethics, leadership, gangs, private security, and use of force.

Note Well

Linkedin: Vincent J. Bove Consulting, Speaker Services, Publishing

Twitter: vincentjbove

Facebook: Vincent J. Bove Consulting, Speaker Services, Publishing

Vincent is author of 275 published articles including his newest book Reawakening America.

Photos

1. NYPD Motorcycle Unit at Times Square, April 25, 2015. (Vincent J. Bove)
2. NYPD briefing at Columbus Circle, Feb. 27, 2015. (Vincent J. Bove)
3. NYPD horses at Times Square, March 25, 2015. (Vincent J. Bove)
4. NYPD Honor Guard during National Anthem at National Law Enforcement Associates Holiday event, Dec. 12. 2014. (Vincent J. Bove)
5. The Chief of Police, Vincent J. Bove Cover Story, Principles of American Policing, Summer 2015