[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 93 (Tuesday, June 4, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3202-S3203]
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 legislative clerk read the nomination of Heath P. Tarbert, of 
Maryland, to be a Commissioner of the Commodity Futures Trading 
Commission for a term expiring April 13, 2024.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Wyoming.


                       75th Anniversary of D-day

  Mr. BARRASSO. Madam President, tomorrow, a number of us will be 
traveling from Washington to France, to Normandy, for the 75th 
anniversary of D-Day on Thursday. We will commemorate the heroic, 
selfless efforts of a courageous group of Allied forces, and we will 
honor all of our World War II veterans.
  The 156,000 Americans and British and Canadian troops who stormed the 
beaches of Normandy, France, on that fateful day, June 6, 1944, turned 
the tide to win the war in Europe.
  Launched from England, the Allies' landing in France was carefully 
planned and really brilliantly executed. In his D-Day message to the 
troops, General Dwight David Eisenhower instilled confidence. His 
message was this:

       The hopes and prayers of liberty-loving people everywhere 
     march with you.
       In company with our brave Allies and brothers-in-arms on 
     other fronts, you will bring about the destruction of the 
     German war machine, the elimination of Nazi tyranny over the 
     oppressed peoples of Europe, and security for ourselves in a 
     free world.

  That was the message from General Eisenhower.
  Well, because of the tremendous sacrifices of our Allied forces, Nazi 
Germany surrendered unconditionally less than a year later, on May 7, 
1945.
  The price for European peace and security proved high. In all, there 
were 4,414 Allied deaths on D-Day alone, and 2,501 Americans were 
killed that day. Allied deaths in the Battle of Normandy, which lasted 
until August, topped 226,000.
  Now, 75 years later, thousands of veterans and world leaders will 
gather on this hallowed ground to honor the self-sacrificing soldiers 
who fought for our freedom.
  My home State of Wyoming lost five of its finest sons on D-Day. I 
want to recognize these heroes who never made it home: Private Raymond 
Dahlman, PFC Thompson Dicks, Private Thomas Offutt, Jr., PFC Steven 
Serkovich, and Private Jack Simpson.
  I also salute Wyoming's 602 living World War II veterans, including 
my wife Bobbie's father, Bob Brown of Thermopolis, WY, who served not 
only in World War II in Europe and then was sent to the Pacific, but he 
was also called up to serve our Nation once again in the Korean war.
  In all, 16 million Americans fought in World War II; more than 
400,000 U.S. servicemembers were killed in the war; and most of those 
who returned home have now passed away.
  So today I want to highlight one of my home State's D-Day heroes who 
died 5 years ago at the age of 92: SSG Chester ``Chet'' Stephens of 
Glenrock, WY.
  Chet was born in Casper, WY, in 1911 and moved with his family to a 
ranch south of Glenrock.
  At 21, he was called to serve in the Army in World War II, joining 
the 161st Field Artillery Battalion. Chet supplied ammunition to the 
battery throughout the war. The 161st landed in Normandy's Omaha Beach 
in the third wave and fought the Nazis for months.
  Chet was awarded the Bronze Star for his heroism in crossing a 
flooded road to deliver ammunition to his stranded comrades.
  His battalion stopped only 7 miles from Berlin, Germany, before he 
returned home to Glenrock and to his lifelong love of family ranching. 
In fact, he was still ranching at the age of 92 when he died in 2014.
  So I will be thinking of Wyoming's D-Day heroes and all of our 
State's World War II veterans during the tribute at Normandy.
  I will also be thinking of my dad. He was part of the liberation of 
France, fighting in the pivotal Battle of the Bulge.
  I will carry his dog tags with me when I go overseas, the dog tags 
that he wore during World War II in the liberation of France.
  I will also carry with me the medal that was given to the brave 
soldiers who fought in the liberation of France. The medal says 
``1944.'' There is a chain around France with breaks in the chain, and 
on the back, it says ``la France''; it says ``liberateurs''--the 
liberation of France.
  I will also have with me the missal he carried, his prayer book. It 
says: My military missal. There is a crucifix on the front and on the 
back, a rosary, the crucifix, and then the beads that were elevated in 
the printing so that one could, in a foxhole, in a time of war, with 
this in your pocket, pray to your Lord and God.
  You know, from the time I was a little boy, my dad would always say: 
John, you should thank God every day because you live in America. You 
don't know how fortunate you are.
  We are truly blessed to live in this great country, and it is due to 
the selfless actions of our troops--those brave soldiers who risked 
their lives--and many gave their lives for the rest of us.
  As President Franklin Roosevelt said in his D-Day prayer: ``Almighty 
God: Our sons, pride of our Nation, this day have set upon a mighty 
endeavor, a struggle to preserve our Republic, our religion, and our 
civilization.''
  We must never forget those who fought for our freedoms. So many gave 
their lives to protect our way of life.
  We owe an incredible debt of gratitude to our Gold Star families and 
the sacrifices of those families and of their loved ones.
  So on the 75th anniversary of D-Day, it is a time to remember all of 
our brave service men and women, to reflect on their faithful service 
to this country, and to recall the sacrifices that they have made and 
continue to make in defense of this great Nation.
  Let me close by saying God bless our troops who fought and died in 
World

[[Page S3203]]

War II. God bless our servicemembers, veterans, and their families, and 
God bless, yes, the United States of America.
  Thank you.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Wyoming.

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