[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 87 (Thursday, June 5, 2014)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3447-S3449]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
D-DAY
Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, as all of us know, tomorrow, June 6, marks
the 70th anniversary of the Normandy landings, which we have come to
know as D-day. D-day, of course, was the greatest military operation in
history--one that brought together 150,000 troops, 5,000 ships, and
13,000 aircraft in a sweeping attack on Nazi-occupied France and marked
the beginning of the end for Adolf Hitler and the Third Reich. The
Allied Powers, of course, united as one and changed the course of
history. It was our troops and our allies who freed a continent from
the clutches of tyranny and our troops who helped win a war.
As a country, it is important that we recall occasions such as the
70th anniversary of the Normandy invasion and D-day because the
greatest danger is that we forget--we forget about the face of evil and
what it means to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness--but it
also means we need to remind ourselves on a regular basis about the
heroism and courage and sacrifice of the people who gave all they had,
including their lives, in order to preserve for us what we now have and
what we too often take for granted.
We often hear that freedom is not free, and, of course, we all agree
with that, but it almost has become a cliche, and it should not be.
When we think about our freedom, we ought to think about those men who
stormed the beaches at Normandy, many of whom lost their lives. We must
always remember those who fought in places such as Iwo Jima and ran
into a buzz saw of enemy fire, many of whom never came back. We need to
remember those important events on a day such as this, and we need to
tell the story not only to remind ourselves, but we also need to tell
the story to our children and grandchildren because they will, before
long, have a responsibility for preserving this great experiment we
have had in America for over 230 years--a self-governing democracy that
has been purchased by the blood and the treasure of those who have gone
on before. The free world as we know it owes its existence to the
courage, grit, and sacrifice of those who fought in places like
Normandy, and, of course, they will not be forgotten.
For me personally, I can't help but think about Normandy--which my
wife and I had an opportunity to visit a few years ago--without
thinking of my father-in-law, who landed on Utah Beach on the second
day of the Normandy invasion. He said that after the first day it was
much easier to get on the beach, but the effort to clear out the German
Army and the hedgerows was murderous work and very dangerous.
Thankfully, he came home, like so many, as part of the ``greatest
generation'' that helped to build America into the powerhouse we are
today.
My father-in-law passed away recently at the age of 96 and lived a
long and rewarding life. But I can't let the occasion pass without
remembering him as one of those brave men who stormed the beaches at
Normandy 70 years ago.
Of course, there is another chilling number when we think about World
War II. Fifty million people lost their lives during World War II. It
was the bloodiest conflict in the history of the world--50 million
people.
During World War II, of course, we recall that brutal dictators and
totalitarian ideologies threatened the very existence of the civilized
world, and we are reminded of people like Adolf Hitler and what he did
and what other countries did in response either by way of appeasement
or by way of challenging his aggression. And then we know about the
war, of course, following the Pearl Harbor attack in Hawaii. America
had to fight wars on two fronts--one in Asia and the other in Europe.
When the United States crossed the Atlantic and joined its allies on
the beach of Normandy, the rescue of Europe had begun. History tells us
that the weather and conditions that day were harsh. In fact, one
soldier described the battle as everything going wrong from the
beginning. Without a doubt, they knew what awaited them there, and they
were not deterred.
You might wonder, as I have from time to time, what it took for our
men and women in uniform to charge a beach occupied by the German
military
[[Page S3448]]
in France. What could have inspired the kind of courage we have seen?
Well, I had occasion to read a book a few years ago, as perhaps other
colleagues have, written by James McPherson. It is called ``For Cause
and Comrades: Why Men Fought in the Civil War.'' When you learn about
the brutality of the Civil War and how many people lost their lives
and, indeed, the likelihood of losing your life--being tragically
injured, acquiring an infection, and then losing your life in some of
the most painful and horrendous ways you can imagine--it was
instructive for me to realize not only did they fight for our country,
but they fought for each other as well, which, of course, is the lesson
of all wars--fighting for a cause and fighting for each other.
Undeniably, much of the success on D-day was the result of a great
strategy and plan by American war planners, including a man born in
Denison, TX, by the name of Dwight David Eisenhower, who served as the
Supreme Allied Commander.
I see my colleague from Kansas on the floor, and I know Kansas lays
claim to Dwight D. Eisenhower, but I want to state here on the floor of
the Senate that he was born in Denison, TX, and not in Kansas, although
we are proud to share his legacy between both of our States and as a
country.
General Eisenhower's address to the troops on the eve of the landing
stands as one of the most memorable exhortations to bravery in the face
of evil in the annals of world history. I would like to take a moment
to read some of those words.
Here is what General Eisenhower wrote:
Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen of the Allied Expeditionary
Force! You are about to embark on a great crusade, toward
which we have striven these many months. The eyes of the
world are upon you. The hopes and prayers of liberty loving
people everywhere march with you.
He continued:
The free men of the world are marching together to victory!
I have full confidence in your courage, devotion to duty and
skill in battle. We will accept nothing less than full
victory!
At a different time, Eisenhower once said: ``Morale is the single
most important factor in successful wars.'' Morale was what united the
Allied Powers--not the desire to conquer real estate but the desire to
defeat the tyrants of Europe, to liberate the prisoners of war and
those in concentration camps, and to forever defeat the evil ideology
that motivated Adolf Hitler and his ilk.
We know the world we live in is always filled with great uncertainty
and, unfortunately, with evil men and those who would smash democracy
and self-government under the boot heel of dictators and tyrants. So
while we always pray fervently for peace, we must also be ready to
defeat tyrants, dictators, and those who would crush democracy under
their boot heel. D-day reminds us that the United States can and should
always stand with our friends against terror and tyranny.
Back home in Texas, we have another reminder of this day. For the
first time since the war, the battle flag that was raised above the USS
Texas as it entered the waters off Point du Hoc on June 6, 1944, is now
on public display at the Houston Museum of Natural Science in honor of
D-day's 70th anniversary. Crewman Emil Saul, who was aboard the USS
Texas, preserved the flag for 48 years and gave it to the museum in
1992. Now possessing the space and conditions to properly exhibit the
flag, the museum has made this flag public for the first time in honor
of the 70th anniversary of D-day. This flag, of course, symbolizes the
valor our troops demonstrated that day and makes sure future
generations will never, ever forget their sacrifices.
I yield the floor.
The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator from Kansas.
Mr. MORAN. Mr. President, thank you.
I certainly appreciate the remarks of my colleague, the Senator from
Texas, in regard to honoring those who served our country so nobly and
so courageously 70 years ago, as we recognize this weekend the
anniversary of that invasion of Europe, called D-day.
We have many veterans in our country, many military men and women who
continue to serve and many who now are veterans and have served in the
past, and I am here today to pay tribute not only to those D-day
military men and women and those who served our country on such a
special occasion in which the course of history was changed, but also
to pay tribute to all of those who served our country in all
circumstances.
I am not a veteran. I have great regard for those who are. My life is
shaped by the fact that the Vietnam war was ongoing during my days as a
high school student, and much of my time was spent talking to those a
few years older than I who were volunteering or who were drafted, and
those who were a little bit older than that who returned home after
service in Vietnam. I clearly remember as a 16- or 17-year-old watching
the evening news, ``CBS Evening News with Walter Cronkite,'' and every
day the news was consumed with reports from Vietnam, the consequences
we found ourselves in, and the sacrifice men and women were making on
that battlefield every day.
Again, I didn't serve in Vietnam, but I learned a couple of things
from my time observing our country and seeing the sacrifice and service
of those who were willing to serve in that war. One of the things I
take from that experience is we will always honor, care for, respect
those who serve our country in the military in whatever circumstance
they have been called to do that.
It was a month ago that I was on the floor on this spot, concerned
about the Department of Veterans Affairs and the way our veterans are
currently being treated. I asked for a dramatic step of the Secretary
of the Department of Veterans Affairs to submit his resignation and for
President Obama to accept it. As I indicated a month ago, that was the
first and only time as a Senator that I ever asked a Cabinet Secretary
to depart his or her position--and I didn't do it lightly--but what had
transpired, and what has transpired over a period of time, is a
Department of Veterans Affairs that many veterans no longer believe is
capable of caring for them. In fact, what was so discouraging and
disappointing to me was the number of veterans, men and women who
served our country, who had lost faith, who had lost hope in the
Department of Veterans Affairs.
That Department was created in 1930 for purposes of providing the
benefits and health care supporting those who were called to duty,
those who responded to their country's call. I certainly know that
throughout the course of history the Department of Veterans Affairs has
had its challenges, but what seems so compelling to me over the last
several years is the sense that no longer was there a plan, no longer
was there the effort to make certain that Department lived up to its
commitment to those who previously served our country.
A lot has transpired in the last month, and there is now an Acting
Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs. And of course we have
reports from across the country of secret lists, concerns about waiting
times, and the potential of service men and women, veterans, who have
suffered as a result of those lists, as a result of having to wait. I
guess we will know more about that over the course of time.
I am surprised and disappointed to learn that Kansas hospitals,
Kansas facilities, the VA hospital in Wichita is on that list where
investigations are now ongoing and where the Department of Veterans
Affairs has admitted to a list that delayed access to health care. I
would not have expected that in our State. I think we are different. We
are special. But the reality is this challenge and the problems we face
are systemwide and across the country. What we want is a Department of
Veterans Affairs that is worthy of the sacrifice and service of the men
and women who served in our military. We don't want damage control from
the Department of Veterans Affairs. What we want is the end of damage
to those who served our country.
The purpose of my conversation on the floor today is to make certain
we don't lose sight. The news cycle comes and goes, and while there are
serious issues our country faces in many facets, I don't want this
Senate to lose sight of its responsibility to make certain the
Department of Veterans Affairs is caring for those who need our care
and treatment.
I am worried, and I hope my worries are unfounded. I have only served
in
[[Page S3449]]
the Senate for 4 years. I have been frustrated by being a Member of the
Senate. I came here to work on behalf of Americans, on behalf of
Kansans. My plea is--my plea is to the Democratic leaders, to
Republican leaders, to individual Senators, whatever party they are:
Let's not follow the path we have followed so many times in the short
period of time I have been here in which there is a Republican plan to
fix a problem and there is a Democratic plan to fix a problem. Surely
our veterans deserve something more than each of us being able to say
we cast a vote for their benefit. Surely they deserve the opportunity
to actually have legislation that will address the challenges and
problems the Department of Veterans Affairs has. My plea and my request
of all in this body is, for these veterans, to make certain we conduct
ourselves in a different way than unfortunately I have seen in most
instances as a Senator.
We have this phrase around here, ``Well, we will get a side-by-
side,'' meaning there is a Democratic plan and a Republican plan; and
when you talk about that. What that means is we never expect either one
of those plans to pass. So to the chairman and ranking member of the
Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee, to Senator Reid, the majority
leader of the Senate: Please take us down a path that demonstrates once
again the Senate can rise to the occasion and do something worthy of
the veterans who have served our country.
Every once in a while in this frustration about the way this place
doesn't work, I will put on my running shoes and I will walk down to
the Lincoln Memorial. It certainly is an inspiring visit to the Lincoln
Memorial, but perhaps more importantly on that walk you now go by the
World War II Memorial that memorializes those the Senator from Texas
was talking about. You then walk by the Vietnam Wall, the war that was
ongoing in my teenage years. On your way back you come by the Korean
War Memorial, the forgotten war. What I am reminded of and what I would
call to the attention of my colleagues is not a person recognized in
any of those memorials volunteered or was drafted for purposes of
advancing the cause of the Republican Party or the Democratic Party.
There was no interest in partisan politics by those who served our
country. They served their country because they believed in a higher
calling. They believed they could make a difference. They believed it
mattered to their kids and grandkids. It was about freedom and liberty.
It wasn't about who scores points in the next election.
Please, leaders of the Senate, all of my colleagues, make certain we
rise to the occasion, that we have the same standard, the same
motivation, the same reason that we come here every day to be the same
as theirs: to make America a better place, to make sure our kids and
grandkids live with freedom and liberty, to make sure the American
dream is alive and well. If there is an issue that we ought to be able
to do that, an issue perhaps different than anything else we deal with,
surely we have the ability as a Senate to deal with the issues
necessary legislatively to resolve and address the problems of the
Department of Veterans Affairs and to make certain that every veteran
who has served our country has the ability to access quality health
care provided in a timely fashion, and that once again the Senate
doesn't do what it has done too many times, and that is we all cast a
vote and we can claim we have done something, we supported something,
but the end result is that nothing happened. Let's avoid nothing
happening.
Finally, let me conclude by saying that World War II Memorial is
special to me. I have a 98-year-old father home in Plainville, KS, a
World War II veteran. I walked up to the World War II Memorial 10 years
ago, just a few days before it was being dedicated, and I wanted to see
what it was going to look like. It was an inspiring moment. I happened
to have my cell phone with me and I walked over to the Kansas pillar
and thought about those who served our country in that war, including
my dad back home. I walked away from the memorial and used my cell
phone to call my dad at home. The message I delivered to my dad that
day was: ``Dad, I am at the World War II Memorial. It is a memorial
built for you. Dad, I want you to know that I thank you for your
service. I respect you and I love you.''
That conversation, fortunately, took place on an answering machine
and not in person, and was easier to deliver, although a few minutes
later my cell phone rang and it was my dad, who said, ``Gerald, you
left me a message, but I couldn't understand it. Could you tell me
again?''
The point I want to make is, we are called upon as American citizens
and certainly as members of the Senate to do all that is possible to
demonstrate that we thank our veterans for their service, we respect
them, and we love them. The Senate needs to rise to the occasion and
not let the partisan politics of this place and this country divide us
in a way in which we only symbolically respond but the end result is
that we fail those who served, and we fail our veterans who depend upon
us just as we have depended upon them for their service to our country.
Mr. President, I yield the floor.
The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator from Florida.
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