[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]

 
       ON THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE ALLIED LANDING AT NORMANDY

  Mrs. HUTCHISON. Mr. President, I rise to recognize the role of the 
battleship U.S.S. Texas (BB-35) and all of the brave men from my State 
and from around our Nation who went into harm's way--for freedom's 
sake--half a century ago.
  Fifty years ago yesterday, on June 6, 1944, Gen. Dwight David 
Eisenhower, Commander in Chief of Allied Forces in Western Europe, sent 
more than 100,000 men toward the beaches of Normandy, ferried and 
supported by more than 5,000 Allied ships, more than 1,000 heavy 
bombers, and 2,000 fighter planes. British and American paratroopers, 
dropped far from their targeted battle zones due to inclement weather, 
suffered horrifying casualties but accomplished their vital mission of 
throwing German expectations and logistics awry. What occurred in the 
ensuing hours testified to the courage and determination of Allied 
forces, and to General Eisenhower's brilliant coordination of the air, 
land, and sea offensive.
  The Battleship Texas, engaged for several years before Operation 
Overlord in convoy missions to England, played a crucial role in 
securing the bitterly contested beachhead at Omaha Beach during the 
Normandy invasion. At about 4:40 on the morning of the 6th, the 
battleship arrived some 12,000 yards offshore near Pointe du Hoc. A 
little more than an hour later, she made her way up the coast, turning 
her heavy guns inland to stop enemy reinforcements. By midday, the 
Texas had closed in on the beach at about 3,000 yards and had 
challenged enemy sniper fire and machinegun nests established on the 
shore. As evening neared, the battleship fired on an enemy anti-
aircraft battery west of Vierville.
  In the difficult days that followed, the battleship continued to fire 
on the enemy-held towns of Surrain, Trevieres, and Insigny, 
withstanding attacks by low-flying German planes. All the while, she 
succeeded in bombing an enemy mortar battery which had been shelling 
the beach. In perhaps one of the most heroic of her efforts, the Texas, 
along with the Arkansas (BB-33), advanced on the port of Cherbourg. On 
the morning of June 25, both ships came under fire, and the Texas found 
herself under siege. Relentless enemy gunners killed her helmsman, 
damaged her fire control tower, and wounded many sailors posted on the 
navigation bridge. Her commanding officer, Captain Baker, escaped 
uninjured and cleared the deck. With remarkable tenacity, despite being 
struck more than 65 times, the battleship's crew continued to deliver 
fire.
  Mr. President, I think all Senators will agree that the officers and 
crew of the U.S.S. Texas displayed great courage in both theaters of 
the Second World War and their service was consistent with the highest 
tradition of the U.S. Navy.
  Bill Lewis, who now lives in San Antonio, was a 23-year-old squad 
leader aboard the Texas. For him and others, the battleship's prowess 
at Omaha Beach was commemorated at a ceremony this past weekend at the 
San Jacinto Battleground State Historical Park in La Porte where the 
battleship Texas is moored today. Navy veteran Beuron Boyd is proud of 
the Texas because it was the first battleship to launch aircraft, and 
the only surviving battleship to have served in both world wars. He 
remembers with pride his objective when he boarded the Texas in 1943: 
``The first thing a Texas wants to do is find another Texan.''
  Texans served with distinction on the ground as well. Fort Worth 
resident Dwayne Burns was a 19-year-old paratrooper in the 82nd ``All 
American Airborne Division'' who made his first combat jump near St. 
Mere-Eglise. Mr. Burns remembers watching a C-47 crash and turning to 
prayer for strength. He was among the 28 survivors of his 130-man 
company. Texan Ernest Raxter of the 101st Airborne Division received a 
Purple Heart with two Oak Leaf clusters for his participation in the 
war. At age 72, Mr. Raxter joined a number of veterans who parachuted 
yesterday into Normanday in commemoration of the anniversary. Also 
returning to Normandy was Capt. Joe Dawson, who left his hometown of 
Waco to see combat at Omaha Beach. Captain Dawson has been called by 
military historians ``a symbol of what democracy can do.'' With 
initiative, pride, and determination he hit the beaches and led his men 
through the carnage to begin the momentum that liberated Europe from 
the clutches of Adolf Hitler.
  Lt. Col. James Earl Rudder left Eden, TX, to lead the 2nd Ranger 
Battalion up the sheer 100-foot cliff to Pointe du Hoc for the first 
battle of D-day. From the summit, they defeated the Germans who had 
shelled them from the cliff. Many of the Rangers now remember Rudder's 
courage and compassion, which made him an admirable leader both in 
battle and in his later responsibilities as Mayor of Brady, TX, Texas 
land commissioner, and finally as the President of Texas A&M 
University. Gen. Omar Bradley, commander of U.S. forces in Europe, 
wrote in his biography, ``A Soldier's Story,'' ``No soldier in my 
command has ever been wished a more difficult task than that which 
befell the 34-year-old commander of this Ranger force, James Earl 
Rudder.'' The memory of his inspiration and his leadership survives in 
the hearts of those who followed him up that cliff on that fateful 
morning.
  All of those who fought in World War II made incredible sacrifices 
for democracy. They liberated Europe and ensured it would not fall 
under the fascist yoke.
  The beach-heads at Normandy might be considered the capstone of what 
is referred to as the American Century--the acknowledgement of the 
United States of America as the greatest and most powerful Nation on 
Earth. But this is not why we were in Europe. What our troops fought 
and died for, the precious thing they won with their lives on June 6, 
1944, at Omaha Beach and in the ensuing months until Hitler's Germany 
was broken, was liberty and freedom for the world.
  Mr. President, it is that legacy, won by the sacrifice of our 
soldiers, that has been passed down from one generation of Americans to 
the next since Bunker Hill. We will be judged harshly if we fail to 
preserve and protect that legacy, or if we fail to pass onto the next 
generation a full appreciation of ``life, liberty and the pursuit of 
happiness,'' and the sacrifices that must be made in order to maintain 
these precious rights for our and future generations.
  Thank you, Mr. President.
  I yield the floor and suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Lieberman). The absence of a quorum has 
been noted. The clerk will call the roll.
  The bill clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that I be 
recognized in morning business for 5 minutes.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  (The remarks of Mrs. Feinstein pertaining to the introduction of S. 
2162 are located in today's Record under ``Statements on Introduced 
Bills and Joint Resolutions.'')

                          ____________________