The touching exchange was played on a big screen to applause from thousands of people gathered at Omaha Beach in Normandy, France, on Thursday to mark the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings, and quickly gained momentum on the internet.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau introduced an American World War II veteran wearing a blue cap, sitting in a wheelchair and with a blue blanket on his knees to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
“You are the savior of the people,” said Melvin Hurwitz, a 99-year-old veteran from Frederick, Maryland. Tell Mr. Zelensky After hugging the Ukrainian leader, he said: “You brought tears to my eyes.”
“No, no, no, you saved Europe,” Zelensky responded.
Moments later, Hurwitz said, “You are our hero,” as Zelensky knelt beside him for a photo. Hurwitz's great-niece, Sarah Hurwitz Robey, confirmed Hurwitz's identity.
“No, you’re our hero,” the president responded.
The moment captured the eyes of the world, whose eyes were fixed on the beaches of Normandy and the Americans who landed on its shores on June 6, 1944, helping to turn the tide of World War II after five years of conflict. Some of those still alive are now in their 90s and some are over 100 years old.
As the spotlight shines on these soldiers, it’s worth noting that one veteran expressed similar admiration for the Ukrainian leader who led the resistance to a modern-day invasion.
Their embrace reflects President Biden In his speech, he made it clear At the ceremony, he described the Allied campaign to repel a Russian invasion of Ukraine as a continuation of the European war for freedom that began on the beaches of Normandy eight decades ago.
“We know the forces of darkness that these heroes fought 80 years ago,” Biden said, speaking to a crowd of thousands beside the graves of 9,388 U.S. service members, including 180 surviving veterans of the Normandy landings.
“They never go away,” Biden added. “Aggression and greed, the desire to dominate and control, to change borders by force — these are timeless. The struggle between dictatorship and freedom is never-ending.”
Ms. Hurwitz-Roby said she first learned about her great uncle’s meeting with Mr. Zelensky from a video a friend sent her on Thursday. She said Mr. Hurwitz represented Best Defense Foundationa nonprofit that organizes battlefield reunions for World War II veterans.
According to the foundation, Mr. Hurwitz was assigned to the United States Eighth Air Force as a radio gunner on the B-17, a large bomber known as the “Flying Fortress.”
