[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 78 (Monday, June 20, 1994)]
[House]
[Page H]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: June 20, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                     THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF D-DAY

  Mr. HEFLIN. Mr. President, I had the honor of traveling to Europe 
earlier this month as a Member of the Senate delegation participating 
in the 50th anniversary commemoration of the June 6, 1944, invasion of 
Normandy by the Allied Forces. I was also privileged to take part in 
the commemoration of the liberation of Rome, which took place just days 
before the Normandy Invasion.
  As virtually all the veterans, Members of Congress, Government 
officials, and families who traveled to Europe understand, it is 
particularly difficult to express in words the special meaning these 
tributes and events held for us and those who fought there or lost 
friends and loved ones there. To see the thousands of white crosses and 
stars of David in the American cemeteries and to stroll along the 
beaches where the Allied Forces, led by the Americans, landed was to 
appreciate the enormity of the sacrifice that took place so long ago. 
The stark stillness and tranquility of the ocean, sand, and cliffs 
offer their visitors a peacefulness that one cannot get from the 
television screen or photographs. It really must be experienced to be 
felt and appreciated.
  It is as if this place had to undergo the hell and fury of one of the 
great military battles of all time to be transformed into the quiet, 
hallowed ground that it is today. I think it is so fittingly poignant 
that the beaches of Normandy were the setting for the turning point of 
that great war--the place where democracy was literally saved by 
thousands of brave young soldiers, many of whom paid the ultimate price 
for that democracy and freedom that we all enjoy five decades later. 
Their bravery and selflessness in the face of great uncertainty and 
personal danger are difficult to comprehend. But we know it was there, 
and see it as the lasting legacy of their triumph over tyranny.
  Anniversaries like the one we just observed are important to our 
national consciousness in several ways. For those of us who remember 
such events, remembrances like this are cathartic--they allow us to 
look back and compare the world we knew then and the dangers it carried 
with the relatively peaceful one we have now. Naturally, there are 
still dangers that plague us all over the globe, but our fundamental 
ideals and democratic freedoms are intact and secure. When the D-day 
invasion took place, we were not at all sure that we would prevail and 
continue to enjoy those ideals and freedoms.
  Second, these observances prompt the younger generations to look back 
and arrive at some understanding of what took place and what the stakes 
were. One of the greatest tragedies that could come out of D-day and 
World War II in general would be that of forgetfulness. By looking 
back, our sons and daughters remember, and are able to pass on the 
legacy to their children and our grandchildren.

  Finally, these events help bond all generations together in moving 
ways that allow us to remember what it means to be an American and what 
we stand for. When we hear the speeches, witness the emotion, and feel 
the spirit of these events, we come to a new understanding of why 
America--in spite of all its problems--remains the envy of the world in 
so many ways.
  The expression ``D-day'' has become firmly embedded in military 
history as the date on which the Allied Forces invaded Normandy during 
World War II to press the attack on Nazi Germany. Beyond this basic, 
generic definition, what does D-day really mean?
  Of course, there can be no one answer to this question. Everyone who 
participated in the recent anniversary observances came away with his 
or her own unique interpretation of the events that took place on D-
day, what they meant to world freedom, and what they mean to us today. 
The observances that bring so many participants together provide the 
settings that allow us to explore and refine those meanings, and 
ultimately pass them along to those who will gather in the same place 
long after we have moved on.
  I want to applaud all the planners of the anniversary events in both 
France and Italy for making our journey one we will never forget. I 
also salute the President for his warm and inspiring remarks in 
saluting the D-day veterans and capturing--perhaps as well as anyone 
could in words--the essence of what they gave the world on that day 50 
years ago.
  (At the request of Mr. Byrd, the following statement was ordered to 
be printed in the Record.)

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