On V-E Day, honor the heroes of World War II by upholding their ideals of freedom

The triumph of the 1944 allied invasion of Europe — secured 80 years ago this week — was no sure thing.World War II was ultimately won by the courage and conviction of young soldiers, sailors and Marines who gave their all in fights far from home because they knew isolation was no way to defeat authoritarianism’s spread.United in that common quest, the Allied nations accepted the unconditional surrender of Germany on V-E Day, May 8, 1945.Last June, inspired by the stories of so many heroes — including my great-uncle, who landed on Utah Beach with the US Army’s Fourth Infantry Division — I visited Normandy to mark the 80th anniversary of D-Day.I walked among the graves in the Allied cemeteries, struck by their beauty and serenity, and recalled that those who fought that day did so not just for their own homelands, but for the ideals of liberty and freedom from oppression, for the hope of a better future.That legacy still calls to us: For the past 80 years, the United States and its allies have helped foster an era of unparalleled peace and prosperity.America’s leadership and global partnerships have been vital in maintaining a rules-based global order safeguarding freedom and lifting billions out of poverty.As we mark the 80th anniversary of Germany’s surrender, we must remember the world still needs American leadership — and this nation must continue to answer that call.The Second World War taught us a critical lesson: Isolationism is not security.President Ronald Reagan made that clear in 1984, when he visited Normandy on the 40th anniversary of D-Day and delivered an immortal speech surrounded by some of the Army Rangers who scaled the cliffs of Pointe du Hoc.“It is better to be here ready to protect the peace, than to take blind shelter across the sea, rushing to respond only after freedom is lost,” Reagan declared.“We’ve learned that isolationism never was and never will be an acceptable response to tyrannical governments with an expan...