Earlier this month was the 82nd anniversary of D-Day, the largest liberating amphibious invasion in history and the beginning of the end of World War II in Europe.

Many speeches have been delivered to mark that anniversary, but most have been largely forgotten … with one notable exception. That exception occurred on the 40th anniversary of D-Day, when former President Ronald Reagan delivered his “Boys of Pointe du Hoc” speech. The speech setting was the U.S. Ranger Monument at Pointe du Hoc, France, overlooking the landing beaches of Normandy,

Joining Reagan at the event were 62 Army Ranger D-Day veterans, the Queen of Britain, the Queen of the Netherlands, the King of Norway, the King of Belgium, the Grand Duke of Luxembourg, and the Prime Minister of Canada.

Presidential Historian Douglas Brinkley told The Washington Post: “For sheer oratorical eloquence, it would become one of the most inspirational presidential speeches ever delivered.” Longtime CBS News anchor Walter Cronkite, who covered World War II as a correspondent (and was never a Reagan fan), was reportedly deeply moved by the speech.

As memorable as Reagan’s remarks are, I remember D-Day remarks at a different time, in a different place. They occurred when I was a student at Penn State’s Altoona campus.

One of our professors — Lou Leopold — told us we would have a special guest at our next class. That was not unusual, as Lou was well-connected in the community and frequently secured prominent people to meet with us. He did not elaborate further so we had no idea who the guest speaker would be, why they were invited, or what they might talk about.

When former Altoona Police Chief and lifelong Altoona resident Jack Kuhn arrived, we learned that he was not only a D-Day survivor, but also one of the surviving Boys of Pointe du Hoc.

Kuhn spent over an hour sharing his D-Day experiences. Occasionally, he paused as though the memories were too difficult to discuss.

He never mentioned he was the recipient of two Silver Stars and one Bronze Star from America, a Croix De Guerre from France, and a Medal of Valor from Britain.

His presentation was not a carefully crafted or rehearsed speech. There was no media coverage of it. His remarks were not recorded or distributed. There were no political dignitaries there, just a group of young college students. Many of them were disdainful of older people (anyone over the age of 30) and disillusioned with the ongoing American military involvement in Vietnam.

In his closing comments, Jack said what so many of the greatest generation often said after serving in World War II — “I didn’t do anything special. I was not a hero.”

What happened next was totally unexpected.

Every one of us stood up spontaneously, shook his hand, and thanked him for what he and his Army Ranger colleagues did. We told him what he did was very special and that he was a hero.

That was a special moment during my time at Penn State Altoona that I will always remember and cherish.

David Reel, born and raised in central Pennsylvania, received a BA and an MPA from Penn State.