[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 105 (Wednesday, July 25, 2001)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1432-E1433]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




HONORING FENMORE SETON FOR HIS OUTSTANDING SERVICE TO THE UNITED STATES 
                               OF AMERICA

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. ROSA L. DeLAURO

                             of connecticut

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, July 25, 2001

  Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, earlier this month I had the distinct 
privilege of reading one of the most touching personal memoirs of the 
events of the invasion of Normandy, the turning point of World War II. 
A defining moment in our history, it is important to take a moment to 
reflect on the tremendous undertaking of the Allies and the 
unparalleled courage and bravery of the soldiers who fought, many 
making the ultimate sacrifice, for world freedom. It is my great 
pleasure to rise today to honor both the many servicemen who 
participated in the D-day invasion and my very dear friend, Fenmore 
Seton, by recounting his remarkable story.
  In his memoirs Fen, a First Lieutenant in the Ninth Air Force of the 
United States Army Corps, captured the spirit and atmosphere of those 
first few memorable days. Hundreds of officers and soldiers were 
transported on Liberty Ships, normally equipped for crews of thirty. 
Under other circumstances such conditions would be considered 
intolerable, yet as they embarked from their staging area in Wale, 
there was little or no complaint from these exemplary men. Hour after 
hour the deafening roar of the planes overhead could be heard by the 
troops aboard the Liberty Ships in the Allies' Armada which stretched 
as far as the eye could see. Shortly before they began their mission, 
each man was given a printed letter of inspiration from the Allied 
Commander in Chief of ``Operation Overload,'' Dwight D. Eisenhower. 
Climbing down the side of their Liberty Ships, on rope netting into the 
individual Landing Craft Infantry's, Fen and thousands of

[[Page E1433]]

other soldiers began to make their way ashore.
  Fen disembarked from an invasion landing craft on Omaha Beach on D-
day plus three. Though they were supposed to make their beach landing 
one day earlier, the Ranger Infantrymen who were fighting for a 
foothold on the designated beach landing zone, had met intense 
firepower from the reinforced concrete German Pillboxes which delayed 
their arrival. Under strict blackout instructions, they moved to their 
rendezvous point in a completely unfamiliar place in the pitch dark, 
finding refuge in a nearby shelter only to awaken amid chickens and 
manure and the realization that they had slept in a cattle barn.
  This was the first of seven battle campaigns, including the Battle of 
the Bulge, that Fen participated in as a member of the Ninth Air Force. 
In addition to the six battle stars that decorate his European Theatre 
ribbon, Fen was honored with the ribbon for Meritorious Service and 
Belgium's royal ``Fourragere d'Honneur'' for his service with the 70th 
Fighter Wing. However, it is not the honors, commendations, or medals 
that led Fen to take down his thoughts and memories of his extensive 
World War II experiences. It was, as he wrote, ``because all Officers 
and Soldiers felt that World War II was a `just' war . . . that had to 
be fought in order to defend civilization and to preserve our treasured 
American way of life.''
  As he concluded, Fen wrote: ``Younger people particularly have little 
to no curiosity concerning World War II or the fact that the Normandy 
Invasion marked the turning point for the defeat of the Nazi Empire. I 
sadly suspect that most of the younger generation do not even recognize 
the significance of Pearl Harbor.'' It is my sincere hope that the 
young people of our nation and future generations remember the 
tremendous efforts that were made to preserve the freedoms we hold so 
dear. As the daughter of a veteran and a Member of this great body, I 
take pride in paying tribute to the veterans of World War II for their 
outstanding contributions to our great nation. They changed the course 
of history and for that we owe them a debt of gratitude that can never 
be repaid.
  Today, I stand to extend my sincere thanks and appreciation to 
Fenmore Seton for his outstanding service to our country and for 
bringing this remarkable story to light. It is veterans, like Fen, 
whose stories will never allow future generations to forget one of the 
free world's greatest victories.

                          ____________________