Submitted by Diane Farsetta on
The 60th anniversary of D-Day was a major production, but most previous anniversaries weren't. "A chronicle of each decade's commemoration of Normandy shows how the passage of time has softened the pain of the experience, and how the modern American presidency has evolved into a giant stage production to promote political goals," reports the New York Times. Boston University history professor Bruce Schulman said recent "American presidents have seized on World War II because it has this resonance of a heroic struggle free of the ambiguities of later wars." Historian David Kennedy said this year's anniversary illustrated "how much Americans long for moral clarity." French President Jacques Chirac's D-Day message was clear - the Allies fought "in defense of ... a certain vision ... that lies at the heart of the United Nations charter."
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