[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 123 (Tuesday, September 14, 2010)]
[House]
[Pages H6637-H6639]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
HONORING AMERICAN TROOPS WHO DIED ON D-DAY
Mr. TAYLOR. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to
the resolution (H. Res. 1251) recognizing and honoring the United
States troops who gave their lives on D-day at the Battle of Normandy,
as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
The text of the resolution is as follows:
H. Res. 1251
Whereas June 6, 2010, marks the 66th anniversary of the D-
Day landings at Normandy, France;
Whereas more than 150,000 Allied troops participated in the
Normandy landings;
Whereas approximately 70,500 Americans stormed the beaches
of Normandy on D-Day and more than 1,400 of them gave their
lives fighting for the cause of freedom;
Whereas the U.S. Army Air Forces alone flew 8,000 planes on
more than 14,000 sorties during D-Day;
Whereas more than 4,000 ships carrying soldiers and
supplies crossed the English Channel;
Whereas 800 Allied planes dropped more than 13,000 men in
parachutes;
Whereas more than 100,000 Allied soldiers made it ashore
while 9,000 of their comrades were wounded or killed;
Whereas there are 9,387 graves in Colleville-sur-Mer,
America's cemetery in Northern France where all graves face
west, toward America;
Whereas there are 307 graves containing the remains of
unknown soldiers;
Whereas within the Garden of the Missing there are 1,557
names of soldiers who were never found;
Whereas captured Germans were sent to American prisoner-of-
war camps at the rate of 30,000 POWs per month from D-Day
until Christmas, 1944; and
Whereas the Allied landings on D-Day led to the liberation
of France and culminated in the ultimate annihilation of the
Nazi empire: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) honors the American troops who gave their lives in the
Battle of Normandy;
(2) recognizes the 66th anniversary of the D-Day landings
at Normandy, France; and
(3) expresses gratitude to the ``greatest generation'' of
Americans who fearlessly fought for freedom.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Mississippi (Mr. Taylor) and the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Akin)
each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Mississippi.
General Leave
Mr. TAYLOR. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their
remarks on the resolution under consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Mississippi?
There was no objection.
Mr. TAYLOR. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
I rise today in support of House Resolution 1251, to recognize and
honor the United States troops who gave their lives on June 6, 1944, D-
day, at the battle of Normandy on the coast of France.
I would like to thank my colleague from Texas (Mr. Poe) for bringing
this measure before the House.
In June of 1944, Nazi Germany still controlled all of Europe, save
those portions of Italy which had already been liberated. Operation
Overlord, the code name for the main landing of Allied Forces in
France, was to be the deciding battle of the war in Europe, opening up
a major second front which would lead to the ultimate defeat of the
Nazi regime.
Supreme Allied Commander General Dwight Eisenhower proclaimed that it
was a battle that he would accept nothing but complete victory. Shortly
after midnight on the 6th of June, 24,000 Allied Forces consisting of
American, British, Canadian, and Free French parachuted behind enemy
lines in Normandy. Their mission was to disrupt the German ability to
successfully repel the upcoming invasion.
During the night, the largest flotilla of vessels ever assembled
before or since began its trip across the English Channel to disembark
some 150,000 Allied troops across a 50-mile stretch of the Normandy
beach. The initial beach assault began at 6:30 that morning. The code
names of those beaches are seared in our memories: Utah and Omaha, the
American objectives; and Sword, Gold and Juno, the British and Canadian
objectives.
Approximately 70,500 American soldiers went ashore as part of a
larger operation to secure beachhead from which to continue the
offloading of troops, supplies and equipment necessary for the push
across France into the German homeland.
This undertaking was one of the largest single amphibious operations
ever conducted in the history of warfare. On that one day, American
Armed Forces suffered an estimated 5,400 casualties with 1,400 killed
in action. The immeasurable sacrifices of those men should never be
forgotten.
House Resolution 1251 is our way of commending the United States
Armed Forces who participated in Operation Overlord for their
leadership and valor in a mission that helped bring an end to World War
II. This resolution commemorates the actions of heroism and military
achievement by those soldiers.
So I now call upon the Members of the House to join me in supporting
this resolution, thereby expressing our common appreciation and
gratitude for the members of the United States Armed Forces involved in
the D-day operations and honoring the sacrifices made by our fellow
countrymen so that others around the world may continue to know the
gift of freedom.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. AKIN. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
I rise in strong support of House Resolution 1251, as amended, which
honors the members of the United States military who died on D-day,
June 1944, during the Battle of Normandy.
I want to commend Representative Ted Poe of Texas for sponsoring the
legislation.
The facts of the opening day of Operation Overlord, the start of what
General Eisenhower called the ``crusade in Europe,'' are clearly set
forth in the text of the resolution. This was the largest amphibious
operation in history.
{time} 1450
The 1st U.S. Army Group, responsible for the landings on Omaha and
Utah beaches was commanded by Omar Bradley, known as ``the soldiers'
general,'' and, I might add, a native of Missouri.
In breaching German defenses, the Allied Forces suffered more than
10,000 casualties on the first day of the invasion. More than 1,400
Americans died.
Beyond the facts of the invasion, however, is the heroism and
unselfish sacrifice of the men who carried out this most magnificent
operation. Because of that heroism and sacrifice, the door to Hitler's
Fortress Europe was cracked open.
So it's entirely fitting that today, 66 years after that historic
day, we take the time to honor and commemorate the men who made the
ultimate sacrifice on June 6, 1944.
Moreover, I would also urge my colleagues to take the time to
individually thank every previous and current member of the Armed
Forces they encounter for their service.
I heartily recommend that all my colleagues vote ``yes'' on this
resolution.
I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of
my time, Madam Speaker.
Mr. TAYLOR. Again, Madam Speaker, I want to thank Congressman Poe for
bringing this to our attention. At the end of what was possibly the
greatest movie ever made, ``Saving Private Ryan,'' the central
character played by Tom Hanks is a Captain Miller, and, as he is dying,
he says in a voice barely more than a whisper to the character that is
playing Private Ryan, ``Earn this.'' It is a phenomenal message for
every American, and it is great that Congressman Poe brought this
message to the floor for those of us who are here and the descendants
of those who survived that battle to say ``Thank you'' to those who
didn't.
Mr. GINGREY of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support
of H. Res. 1251, a resolution to recognize and thank the men
[[Page H6638]]
and women of our Armed Forces that participated in the D-day invasion
on June 6, 1944 at Normandy, France during World War II.
June 6, 2010, marked the 66th Anniversary of Operation Overlord, the
D-day invasion at Normandy. On that fateful day, 160,000 Allied
troops--31,000 Americans--landed on a heavily fortified 50-mile stretch
of beach at Normandy. General Dwight D. Eisenhower called the operation
a crusade in which ``we will accept nothing less than full victory,''
and he was certainly correct in that statement. More than 5,000 ships
and 13,000 aircraft supported the D-day invasion, and by day's end on
June 6, the Allies gained a foot-hold in Normandy. However, this
success bore a heavy cost--more than 9,000 Allied Soldiers were killed
or wounded--but more than 100,000 soldiers began the march across
Europe to defeat Adolf Hitler.
With a deep sense of appreciation, I would like to express my
gratitude as well as the gratitude of the people of Georgia's Eleventh
Congressional District to the brave individuals who acted heroically on
D-day when they landed at Normandy and took control of the Axis
opposition, inevitably leading to the end of World War II. I commend
the members of our Armed Forces for their leadership and valor in this
operation that led to Allied victory and an end to Nazi oppression in
Europe.
Madam Speaker, let us not forget the brave men and women who made the
ultimate sacrifice on D-day and gave their lives for the freedom that
we, as Americans, enjoy every single day. The nearly 10,000 graves in
Colleville-sur-Mer, the largest United States cemetery in Northern
France, appropriately all face west toward the United States,
symbolizing our deep appreciation and eternal memory of the heroes that
gave their lives for liberty. Indeed, the democracy on display here
today in this chamber is a testament to the courage and dedication of
the United States Armed Forces. The sacrifice of lives for the cause of
American liberty will never be forgotten and should never be taken for
granted.
Let us also make certain that we remember those individuals who are
in harm's way today in Iraq and Afghanistan. Members of our Armed
Forces are giving their best effort--day in and day out--to keep
America safe at home and abroad through the Global War on Terror. They
have also sacrificed to secure liberty and democracy for other nations
and people who desire to be freed from political oppression and given
an opportunity for self-determination.
I believe that the brave men and women who sacrifice for our present
freedoms deserve our fullest support. Our nation's service men and
women represent the best our country has to offer, and they must be
treated with the respect and honor they deserve. As we ask these
courageous soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines--and their families--
to do more and more, it's only right we continue doing all we can for
them. Recognizing the success of our members of the United States Armed
Forces who participated in the invasion of Normandy on D-day is just
one small reminder of the superior job our troops do at home and
abroad, and it is my hope that we will continue to do all we can for
the members of our Armed Forces.
Mr. POE of Texas. Madam Speaker, today, we honor the brave men who
stormed the beaches of Normandy 66 years ago. I hope H. Res. 1251
causes Members of this body and our Nation to pause, even if for just a
moment, and remember what 70,000 brave Americans did on June 6, 1944.
June 6, 2010 marked the 66th anniversary of the invasion of Normandy.
It was an invasion whose timing depended on Mother Nature as much as
anything. Only a full moon would provide enough light. The tide had to
be low enough to allow those manning the landing crafts to see German
obstacles on the French shore but high enough for our troops to avoid
too much unprotected beach.
Code-named ``Operation Overlord,'' the invasion would give Allied
Forces a chance to break the Nazi's hold on Western Europe, but was
expected to come at an extremely high cost. For paratroopers, including
members of the 101st Airborne and the 82nd Airborne Divisions, the
likelihood of death was seventy percent.
On the day it launched, even the Supreme Allied Commander, General
Dwight Eisenhower, was uncertain the invasion would succeed. He penned
a note, to be released in the event of failure, stating that all blame
was entirely his.
At 0630, on the morning of June 6, Americans landed on two of five
Normandy beaches earmarked for the invasion: Utah and Omaha. Bombers
did their best to pave the way. The B-17 Flying Fortresses, B-24
Liberators, and B-26 Marauders filled the sky. Their task was to drop
their 500 pound bombs right at the water's edge, to stun or kill the
Germans in their pillboxes, forts, and trenches. Lt. William Moriarity,
a B-26 pilot, said, ``As we approached the coast, we could see ships
shelling the beach. One destroyer, half sunk, was still firing from the
floating end. The beach was a bedlam of exploding bombs and shells.''
Gen. Theodore Roosevelt, Jr., former President Teddy Roosevelt's son,
was in the first boat to hit the shore at Utah beach. Maj. Gen. Ray
Barton had initially refused Roosevelt's request to go in with the 8th
Infantry, but Roosevelt had argued that having a general land in the
first wave would boost morale for the troops. ``They'll figure that if
a general is going in, it can't be that rough.'' Almost all the
objectives were accomplished. In the span of 15 hours. the Americans
put ashore at Utah more than 20,000 troops and 1,700 motorized
vehicles. By nightfall, the division was ready to move out at first
light on June 7 for its next mission.
If the Germans were going to stop the invasion anywhere, it would be
at Omaha Beach. It was an obvious landing site with the only sand beach
within 25 miles. There was no way to outflank it, with cliffs on each
side. Fortifications and trenches could be easily built on the slope of
the bluff, giving the Germans the high ground looking down on a wide,
open killing field. Although Eisenhower hated the idea of assaulting
it, it had to be done. The gap between Utah and the British beaches was
too big.
When the ramps went down, the Germans opened fire. ``We hit the
sandbar,'' one coast guardsman recalled, ``dropped the ramp, and then
all hell poured loose on us. The soldiers in the boat received a hail
of machine-gun bullets.'' The bluffs were too steep for a vehicle or
even a man to get up them. So the plan was to go up the ravines
instead. But the Germans knew this and zeroed in on the ravines,
raining artillery fire down on them.
Junior officers and noncoms who had been college students two years
before were pinned down at the sea wall and couldn't retreat. It was
absolute chaos behind them. But they couldn't go up the ravines or stay
where they were. They were getting butchered because the Germans had
fixed their mortars on them and were coming down on top of them.
So junior officers across the beach looked at the situation and said,
``The hell with this. If I'm going to get killed, I'm going to take
some Germans with me.'' And he would call out, ``Follow me,'' and up he
would start. Sgt. John Ellery of the 16th Regiment, was one of those
leaders said, ``we sometimes forget, I think, that you can manufacture
weapons, and you can purchase ammunition, but you can't buy valor and
you can't pull heroes off an assembly line.''
In 1964, Walter Cronkite interviewed General Eisenhower on Omaha
Beach. Looking out at the Channel, Eisenhower said, ``It's a wonderful
thing to remember what those fellows 20 years ago were fighting for and
sacrificing for, what they did to preserve our way of life. Not to
conquer any territory, not for any ambitions of our own. But to make
sure that Hitler could not destroy freedom in the world . . . To think
of the lives that were given for that principle . . . it just shows
what free men will do rather than slaves.''
Hitler didn't believe this was ever possible. Hitler was certain that
the soft, effeminate children of democracy could never become soldiers.
Hitler was certain that the Nazi youth would always outfight the Boy
Scouts, and Hitler was wrong. The Boy Scouts took them on D-day.
In the end, it was no easy fight. More than 1,400 Americans lost
their lives that day in a land they had never seen to free a people
they had never met. For those who survived, the horrific sights and
sounds of that day were singed on their memories. Many would return
home, unable to ever speak of that fateful day again. The memories were
too overwhelming to recall.
Pvt. Felix Branham was a member of K Company, 116th Infantry, the
regiment that took the heaviest casualties of all the Allied regiments
on D-day. ``I have gone through lots of tragedies since D-day,'' he
said. ``But to me, D-day will live with me till the day I die, and I'll
take it to heaven with me. It was the longest, most miserable, horrible
day that I or anyone else went through. I would not take a million
dollars for my experiences, but I surely wouldn't want to go through
that again for a million dollars.''
For others, only a visit back to Normandy would break the chains off
their lips and allow them to once again speak of that day. For us,
today, 66 years later, we honor them and recognize their enormous
accomplishment.
It is impossible to exaggerate what they did that day. As renowned
historian Stephen Ambrose put it, ``It was the pivot point of the 20th
century.'' They won freedom for the world that day, but at tremendous
cost. In all, 9,387 GIs lie in rest at Normandy.
Today we say to them and the thousands of others who gave their lives
that we will not forget your sacrifice. And that's just the way it is.
Mr. QUIGLEY. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of House
Resolution 1251, and in honor of the United States soldiers who lost
their lives on the beaches of Normandy, France on June 6, 1944. Their
heroic efforts
[[Page H6639]]
on what we remember as D-day marked the turning point in the Allies
defeat of the Nazi army during World War II.
On June 6, 1944, more than 31,000 American troops and a total of
100,000 Allied soldiers were carried by more than 5,000 ships across
the English Channel. At Normandy, in what has become one of the great
symbols of American bravery, they stormed the beaches. The efforts of
these ground troops were supported by 31,000 Allied airmen, which made
it the largest amphibious invasion in history.
Of these courageous men, more than 6,000 United States soldiers died
in battle and close to 9,000 Allied soldiers were injured or killed. It
is because of their dedication to the cause of freedom that the Allied
forces prevailed. These fallen soldiers were laid to rest in the
Colleville-sur-Mer United States cemetery in Northern France. The 9,386
graves face west toward the United States, and serve as a much deserved
honor and remembrance of the sacrifice made by our Nation's heroes.
Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring the lives
lost in Normandy. We owe these soldiers our deepest gratitude and
reverence for playing such a crucial role in ending the tyranny of
Nazi-controlled Germany and helping to shape the world we live in
today.
Mr. TAYLOR. Madam Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I
yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Taylor) that the House suspend the
rules and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 1251, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the resolution, as amended, was agreed to.
The title of the resolution was amended so as to read: ``Recognizing
and honoring the American troops who gave their lives on D-day at the
Battle of Normandy.''
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
____________________