[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 90 (Wednesday, June 6, 2007)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7173-S7174]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           D-DAY ANNIVERSARY

  Mr. BIDEN. Mr. President, I would like to take a moment to recognize 
the great sacrifices made by our Nation's veterans on the anniversary 
of D-day and to once again highlight the need for all of us to do more 
for those serving today.
  On this day 63 years ago, 3,393 American troops gave their lives on 
the beaches of Normandy defending the freedom of America and its 
allies. These brave young men sacrificed themselves to stop an empire 
born of hatred from consuming Europe and fought to prove that freedom 
and justice would never bow to terror and intolerance. Their valor and 
service will forever endure in our Nation's memory.
  Today, a new generation faces new challenges. The nearly 170,000 
American troops currently serving in Iraq and Afghanistan exemplify the 
kind of courage and dedication that has defined the American military 
throughout our history. And for the sacrifices they are willing to 
make, we in the Senate, our colleagues in the House, the military 
leadership, the President, and the American people have an absolute 
moral obligation to provide our servicemen and women with the best 
possible protection when we send them to war.
  I know that when President Roosevelt sent his men into battle, he did 
not simply pay lipservice to their courage, he made sure that they had 
the strongest artillery, the best gear, and the most advanced equipment 
available. He did not worry that the landing craft he needed for D-day 
would not be needed when the war ended. He made equipping the force the 
entire Nation's top priority. Calling on the patriotism of American 
businessmen to ensure military needs were met before all else. And so I 
ask why--a half century later--we cannot do the same for our troops 
today.
  Today, improvised explosive devices, IEDs, are the single greatest 
threat to the lives of our troops, causing 70 percent of U.S. 
casualties in Iraq. The military has indicated that mine resistant 
ambush protected, MRAP, vehicles, which provide four to five times more 
protection than up-armored Humvees, will reduce casualties from IEDs by 
two-thirds. These vehicles have already been tested fully at Aberdeen 
Proving Center and our allies have been using similar technologies in 
the field for years.
  So why, then, are these critical vehicles not already in the field?

[[Page S7174]]

  We learned recently that in February of 2005, Marine commanders in 
Iraq realized that they needed vehicles designed specifically to defeat 
the IED threat and asked the Pentagon to build them. Yet 2 years later 
their request remains unfulfilled. Secretary Gates has indicated that 
MRAPs compete with other defense spending, which may make it difficult 
to produce all we need. I just don't get that logic. I can see no 
greater use of our dollars than getting American troops the best 
possible protection that exists today. This Nation can afford to do 
that and whatever else is necessary to do right by our military men and 
women and their families.
  At a later date we will get to the bottom of what happened in 2005, 
but our first order of business today should be making sure that we get 
our troops the technology they need as soon as possible. That will 
require a genuine assessment of how many MRAPs are needed in the field 
and how much it will cost to build that critically needed inventory.
  We also need to provide our troops with all the latest in tested 
technology to defend against the new weapons which insurgents are using 
in Iraq: shaped charges called EFPs, or explosively formed penetrators/
projectiles, those shaped-charges which hit our vehicles from the side 
with devastating effect. We cannot wait another 2 years to field 
technology to protect against these devices when Americans are dying 
today.
  Today I ask of my colleagues, of the President, of our military 
commanders, and of the American people, that we pay respect to American 
servicemembers with more than words. We have the ability and the 
obligation to do more and we must.
  Mr. MARTINEZ. Mr. President, 63 years ago today, many brave Americans 
and other allied forces members were dropped out over the frigid North 
Atlantic coastline of Normandy; numerous others stormed the beaches 
from the sea. Ultimately, well over 100,000 determined Allied troops 
were involved in one of the most remarkable and well orchestrated 
military events in history. D-day was among the greatest victories of 
World War II. June 6, 1944 is a day all lovers of freedom should hold 
on high. We cannot ever forget the sacrifice and meaning of that day.
  Were it not for the supreme leadership--both here and abroad--of 
President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Prime Minister Winston Churchill, 
General Dwight D. Eisenhower, and many other government and military 
leaders--and a patriotic citizenry--we might be living in a starkly 
different world today. D-day does not just signify singular success; it 
symbolizes the power of our fearless democracy and way of life. This 
triumph--not only on D-day, but in the war effort at large--helped to 
further a clear message made by an earlier American President, one who 
was considering the weight of World War I. As Woodrow Wilson remarked a 
generation earlier, ``The world must be made safe for democracy.'' The 
events of June 6, 1944, helped to make the world a safer place. Victory 
would not have come about without the smart and strong dedication of 
our military.
  We must take it upon ourselves as Americans, and as grateful 
citizens, to continue to thank the brave patriots who served in what 
has become a legacy of freedom; we thank them for their service and 
their sacrifice. Every generation faces new challenges and must accept 
the consequences of inaction. We are better off for the actions of the 
Greatest Generation. Across the beaches of Omaha, Utah, Juno, Gold, and 
others, our brave Allied troops sacrificed mightily on June 6, 1944. 
That sacrifice lives on.
  For all those veterans of D-day, and for that matter, any campaign of 
World War II, thank you. You helped to make the world safe for 
democracy. Your victorious struggle of more than 60 years ago makes 
this Nation proud and grateful. Thank you for your dedication and 
sacrifice.

                          ____________________