[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 92 (Monday, June 3, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3153-S3154]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                           EXECUTIVE CALENDAR

  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the nomination.
  The bill clerk read the nomination of Andrew M. Saul, of New York, to 
be Commissioner of Social Security for the term expiring January 19, 
2025. (Reappointment)
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Sullivan). The Senator from Arkansas.


                       75th Anniversary of D-day

  Mr. BOOZMAN. Mr. President, in the early morning hours of June 6, 
1944, 75,000 members of the U.S. Armed Forces and 75,000 of their 
counterparts in the Allied Expeditionary Force launched Operation 
Overlord when they stormed ashore five landing areas on the beaches of 
Normandy, France, to break the Nazi stranglehold on Western Europe. 
This courageous fight to seize the beaches of Normandy changed the 
trajectory of history.

[[Page S3154]]

  This week we commemorate the 75th anniversary of this historic 
operation and express our gratitude and appreciation to the members of 
the U.S. Armed Forces, including those from Arkansas who participated 
in this undertaking.
  Let us also reflect on the courage, heroism, and sacrifice that these 
selfless Allied heroes demonstrated in the face of evil. While fully 
aware of the dangers and the perils that were before them, they bravely 
accomplished their mission to defend our country, ideals, and allies.
  During an interview for the Veterans History Project, Wallace 
Cunningham of Little Rock described the scene he saw while in Oxford, 
England, as the Allies were readying the D-Day invasion. ``Aircraft 
from one end of the horizon to the other,'' he said. He was overwhelmed 
by the number of aircraft in the sky, a testament to the power and 
force that the Allies were marshaling for this strategically vital 
endeavor. The sight below was similar, with boats carrying GIs across 
the English Channel bound for France.
  Arkansans like Cecil Blair remember the rigorous training he and his 
fellow soldiers underwent in England in early 1944. They didn't know at 
the time, but they were preparing for D-Day. Blair's boat was hit 
before landing in France, forcing the crew to pull back and make the 
trek again 3 days later.
  The bravery exhibited during this battle will never be forgotten. 
Allied forces were in German crosshairs, and they willingly faced their 
fears head-on. The magnitude of their actions continues to be felt and 
recognized to this day.
  Now, 19-year old Jesse Beazley of Kentucky was on one of the ships 
bound for Normandy in June 1944. In an interview for the Veterans 
History Project nearly 60 years later, he recalled thinking in the 
moments leading up to the operation about how likely he was to survive, 
saying he probably didn't have much of a chance to live because he knew 
what was ahead of him and his fellow soldiers.
  The other troops in his transport boat were his age, and he 
remembered their looks and collective feeling. He said: ``All at once 
it got completely silent, and young men looked like old men.''
  They endured great hardships getting to the beach. Beazley's boat was 
blown up far from shore. He was thrown into the icy water where he was 
forced to dump most of his gear before swimming to safety, all while 
German bullets were piercing the air inches away from him. He described 
the devastation as ``a nightmare.''
  Approximately 10,000 Allied soldiers were wounded or killed during 
the D-Day landings, including 6,000 Americans. Many of these heroic 
individuals are buried in the Normandy American Cemetery. The graves of 
brave Americans dot the landscape where these courageous liberators 
fought and died. The crosses and Stars of David that mark their places 
of rest shine in the sunlight on the cliffs of Normandy, giving hope 
for peace and reminding us of the costs of war.
  The Normandy American Cemetery is the jewel of American Battle 
Monuments Commission sites. Approximately 1 million visitors each year 
pay their respects to those who lost their lives in the D-Day invasion 
and the battles that followed. The cemetery and visitor center 
recognize the sacrifice of members of the Armed Forces who served at 
this turning point of the war, including the story of PFC Harold Eugene 
Sellers of Jonesboro, AR. Sellers was a member of the Army's 101st 
Airborne Division. As a pathfinder, his mission was to lead the 
invasion by parachuting behind enemy lines into Normandy and setting up 
radar lights for C-47s, which had been loaded with additional 
paratroopers the night before the amphibious landing.
  He jumped over France and was targeted by German gunfire. He didn't 
make it to the ground. Sellers landed in a tree not far from Utah 
Beach, where he was killed. He was one of the first American casualties 
of D-Day.
  D-Day was the largest amphibious invasion in history. It remains one 
of our Nation's greatest military achievements. As a cochair of the 
Senate French Caucus, I was honored to introduce a resolution 
recognizing the 75th anniversary of this operation and acknowledging 
the courage and sacrifice of the Allied troops who came to the aid of 
those oppressed by Nazi and Fascist regimes.
  The courage, strength, and determination of members of the Greatest 
Generation who were called to defend freedom at Normandy will always 
serve as an inspiration for future generations of Americans. We must 
honor and continue to defend what they fought for and fulfill our 
obligation to support all of our veterans and their families.
  This solemn occasion, the 75th anniversary of D-Day, deserves our 
utmost respect and admiration. Let us resolve to reflect on the 
sacrifice and heroism displayed on behalf of our Nation and the cause 
of freedom. Let us also commit to let it influence us in ways that 
challenge us to pursue the same devotional service to America as the 
generation that stormed the beaches of Normandy in 1944.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The majority leader is recognized.