[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 69 (Tuesday, June 7, 1994)]
[House]
[Page H]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: June 7, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
   INVASION AT NORMANDY: HONORING THE DEFENDERS OF PEACE AND FREEDOM

  Mr. DASCHLE. It is easy today for Americans to take for granted our 
role as a world power. Our close alliances with Germany, Italy, and 
Japan are considered natural, beneficial. Yet only 50 years ago, these 
nations were the enemy, and the very future of the world itself was 
uncertain.
  Yesterday, we celebrated the 50th anniversary of the D-day invasion, 
when Allied soldiers stormed the beaches at Normandy and went on to 
help liberate France and the rest of Europe. And although the German 
Army would fight on against the Allies for another year, D-day would 
mark the beginning of the fall of the Third Reich.
  Never again will the world witness a naval invasion like the one that 
occurred on June 6, 1944. Having convinced German intelligence that 
they would attempt a major landing at Calais, the Allied forces sent 
ashore more than 150,000 soldiers at the beaches of Normandy. Heavy 
casualties resulted--more than 10,000 men dead or wounded--and yet, 
when the invasion was complete, the Allies had gained a foothold on the 
European continent.
  Many American soldiers never made it to shore that day, having been 
shot down by the heavy firepower from German strongpoints high upon the 
cliffs or drowned by the weight of the gear they carried. Those who did 
make it to the beach faced continued enemy fire, mortar shells, land 
mines, and treacherous trips over the cliffs and into territory held by 
the Germans.
  We honor all these soldiers--those who lived to see the liberation of 
Europe and those who died for that cause. Their supreme sacrifice for 
freedom and democracy has not been, and never must be, forgotten.
  Although the official D-day celebrations are over, our memories of 
the 50th anniversary of this historic event will not soon fade. For 
those who fought to liberate Europe during World War II, this has been 
a time to remember fallen comrades and to take pride in having risked 
their lives for their country. For those who remained on the homefront 
on that fateful day 50 years ago, this has been a time to remember how 
they waited for news of the deadly contest between fascism and 
democracy. For those who had not yet been born when our men stormed the 
beaches at Normandy, this has been a time to learn about the sacrifices 
that an earlier generation had made for our Nation. And for everyone, 
it has been a time to express our gratitude to these defenders of peace 
and freedom, for America and for all the world.

                          ____________________