On D-Day, from cynicism to hope: Reconnecting with the soul of America  

As wars rage and the 2024 U.S. presidential election rapidly approaches, anxieties and emotions are high. A recent Brookings report found that less than half of Americans hold an optimistic worldview. The majority either actively disagree or are uncertain that “the world is mostly full of good people.”

This cynical and politically divided narrative runs counter to the fundamental values of our nation and is detrimental to the American soul. Today, it is up to us to reverse this alarming trend.

Now more than ever, Americans need to be reminded that our shared values far outweigh our differences. We must seek out opportunities to connect with our history and the principles of freedom and democracy that bind us to emerge from this moment stronger and more unified as a nation. 

Americans need strong physical reminders of the good at the heart of our nation. That is at the core of our mission at the American Battle Monuments Commission. Our sites and educational programs represent the unique and valuable American spirit that has bound our great nation for centuries, through moments of triumph and tragedy. 

No event better encapsulates this triumph and tragedy than D-Day — a turning point in World War II that led the Allied forces toward victory 80 years ago, albeit at a great human cost. On somber anniversaries like this, as we remember the brave service members who fought and died for our American values, today’s infighting and division seems insignificant.  

We are in a difficult moment, but Americans still by and large believe in the principles of our nation. A recent AP-NORC poll found that about nine in 10 U.S. adults believe that fundamental freedoms, such as the right to vote, the right to equal protection under the law and the right to privacy are extremely important or very important to the United States’s identity as a nation. In addition, about 70 percent believe that democracy is a fundamentally good system. But only 30 percent believe that our current democracy is functioning well. 

Cynicism and despair are easy. It takes courage and determination to have faith and rise to the values our country represents. Visiting ABMC’s 26 cemeteries and 31 memorials around the globe allows us to remember what binds us and reminds us of the courage of those who came before us. In so doing, we deepen our own convictions. 

In times of deep division, some may want to give up or believe that America’s best days are behind us. This is when it is especially important that they visit ABMC’s sites, utilize our lesson plans, and seek out new ways to connect with American history. Doing so reminds us why we are American and calls to mind all that we have to be proud of. These sites represent the best of American values — what principles we are willing to fight and die for when we are unified in purpose. 

My hope in encouraging Americans to take an active role in our nation’s history and visit our sites is that Americans leave with a renewed sense of hope and confidence in the American experiment. I hope that, fundamentally, this experiment is grounded in good intentions of working toward liberty and justice for all. These values are not guaranteed, which is why they must be appreciated and defended.  

I recognize that America is not a perfect nation. There have been painful aspects of American history. There have been dark and difficult days. But what we do after those days, and how we choose to memorialize and move forward, defines us. 

The ABMC and the work that we do are examples of America at its finest. These memorials, cemeteries and commemoration ceremonies are physical reflections of the best of our nation. We help define the goodness that America represents in her best moments, like D-Day. These sites set all around the world give that definition in a physical, palpable way, with each marble cross and Star of David. One cannot come away from these sites without being rejuvenated in the American spirit. 

It is easy to forget the cost of these freedoms. We often take them for granted as we become absorbed in scrolling social media, going to our jobs and managing our daily lives. But beneath it all is the unifying spirit and hope that the American experiment continues to represent.

If we lose touch with that spirit, then we risk being defined by the division and cynicism of the moment. Today, all Americans have a choice. Which do you prefer? 

Charles K. Djou, a former member of Congress who represented Hawaii, was appointed as secretary of the American Battle Monuments Commission by President Biden in May 2022. An Afghanistan war veteran, Djou served for over 20 years in the U.S. Army Reserve, achieving the rank of colonel.