[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 75 (Monday, May 8, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Page S6236]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                    THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF V-E DAY

  Mr. DOLE. Mr. President, 50 years ago today, the guns were silenced 
in Europe, and that continent was at last freed from the tyrants who 
had plunged it into war.
  And across the world on May 8, 1954, there were moments that are 
remembered today, and will be remembered for generations yet to come.
  Here in Washington, at the White House, President Truman spoke to the 
American people by radio, with these dramatic words:

       This is a solemn and glorious hour. I only wish that 
     Franklin Roosevelt had lived to witness this day. General 
     Eisenhower informs me that the forces of Germany have 
     surrendered to the United Nations. The flags of freedom fly 
     all over Europe.

  In New York City, a half a million people crowded into Times Square, 
and in main streets and town squares across America, smaller crowds 
gathered to celebrate.
  In Paris, the boulevards that Hitler and his armies had once 
controlled were free again, and the French people rallied under the Arc 
de Triomphe.
  And in London, Winston Churchill spoke before a large crowd, telling 
the people of Britain, ``This is your victory.'' And many in the crowd 
shouted back that the victory was his. Later that night, the 
floodlights illuminated Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, and St. Paul's 
Cathedral for the first time in 6 years.
  Anniversary celebrations are a time for remembering the past, but 
they are also a time for looking to the future. And as we celebrate 
this 50th anniversary of the Allied victory, let us remember the 
lessons that World War II taught us--lessons that hold for us still.
  We learned that we cannot turn our backs on what happens in the rest 
of the world.
  We learned that we can never again allow our military to reach low 
levels of readiness and supplies.
  We learned that we cannot appease tyrants and despots, and perhaps 
above all, we learned the critical importance of American leadership.
  Yes, before our involvement, Britain courageously fought on against 
the odds. And, yes, Russia, after initially siding with the Axis 
Powers, helped to turn the tide when the Nazis turned against them.
  But, the war could not have been won and would not have been won 
without the commitment, the manpower, and the leadership of the United 
States. It is that simple.
  It was American leadership that built the arsenal of democracy which 
made victory possible.
  It was American leadership that held the Allies together through the 
darkest days of the war.
  And it was American leadership which conquered the forces of tyranny 
and restored liberty and democracy to Europe.
  And when I talk about leadership, I do not mean just the famous names 
of Roosevelt, Truman, Eisenhower, Marshall, Churchill, and de Gaulle. 
And I do not just mean the soldiers who fought their way across Europe 
and the Pacific. For we must also thank those who served at home--the 
Gold Star moms, the factory workers, and the farmers. Without their 
contribution and their sacrifice, the war effort could not have been 
successful.
  So, today is a day for all of us to celebrate the triumph of 
democracy, and to honor those who served and those who paid the 
ultimate price on behalf of their country.
  And the best way we can do that is to rededicate ourselves to the 
promise that President Reagan made on behalf of America on the beaches 
of Normandy 11 years ago:

       We will always remember. We will always be proud. We will 
     always be prepared, so we may always be free.
     

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