Ronald Reagan's D-Day Speech Rhetorical Devices

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Ronald Reagan, president in 1984, makes this speech to the D-Day veterans, honoring their sacrifice to their country on June 6, 1944 at Pointe Du Hoc, which recognizes the events that took place during D-Day, all the lives lost and cities destroyed, but it also implies that there is hope of reconciliation in the future of the Cold War as there once was after WWII in order to progress through the darkness of war. Reagan begins his speech with the chronological events that led to and happened during D-Day. He does this by using witty anecdotes to connect with his audience on an emotional level, reminding them that real people experienced this anxiety-inducing event. One of the anecdotes he uses is how the Rangers were faced with adversity as …show more content…

These stories support the claim by showcasing the soldiers’ honor of defending their country. After using anecdotes, Reagan induces a sense of patriotism and religion to highlight the United States and Allies’ unity during and after D-Day. Reagan quotes the promise God made to Joshua: “I will not fail thee nor forsake thee,” comparing His promise to the strong union of the Allies. He then follows this statement with how after WWII, many lives and cities were destroyed due to bombings and battles that took place, but President Reagan does not fret over this fact. Instead, he sees through the daunting task of restoring peace and rebuilding Europe, knowing and stating that they will do it together, with faith, belief, loyalty, and love. In spite of the effects that WWII left on affected nations, Reagan makes his closing paragraph about comparing the reconciliation of WWII, it being the Marshall Plan that led to the Atlantic Alliance (now known as NATO), with hopes of having a similar result with the ongoing Cold War during the time the speech was