[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 71 (Monday, April 26, 2021)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E450-E451]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        IN RECOGNITION OF THE 77TH ANNIVERSARY OF EXERCISE TIGER

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. EMANUEL CLEAVER

                              of missouri

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, April 26, 2021

  Mr. CLEAVER. Madam Speaker, it is with a deep and poignant gratitude 
that I rise today to celebrate the American heroes who lost their lives 
seventy-seven years ago during Exercise Tiger. Paving the way for the 
D-Day invasion that would take place on June 6, 1944, Exercise Tiger, 
while once kept secret, is now regarded as having been both a tragedy 
and a critically instructive component of the Allies' mission to end 
World War II. The lives lost on that fateful day were honored by the 
soldiers who learned from Exercise Tiger and carried their memory into 
battle during the liberation of France. It is a story we must never 
allow ourselves to forget.
  Before the assembled British, Canadian, and American forces could 
carry out the D-Day invasion, 4,000 soldiers conducted a massive 
simulated landing to rehearse and prepare for that immeasurably vital 
military act. However, what started as a military exercise ended as one 
of the greatest military tragedies of World War II. The calm, dark 
night of April 28, 1944, burst into chaos and combat when German U-
boats ambushed the Tank Landing Ships (LSTs) transporting American 
soldiers. Almost 750 American servicemen, including over 200 
Missourians, would give their last full measure of devotion when their 
vessels were either destroyed or severely damaged. But Allied forces 
would not be deterred, as the brave soldiers on those vessels banded 
together to repel enemy attacks and move forward with their mission. 
Even in the face of immense loss, a well-equipped enemy force, and 
little help from nearby Allied forces, the tenacity and determination 
of the soldiers and sailors involved ensured that the landing 
operations would continue mere hours after the initial attack. Allied 
Commanders planning the eventual D-Day invasion learned from Exercise 
Tiger and incorporated new strategies to ensure soldiers would be 
protected from barrage before landing on the beach. Without the bravery 
of the forces that fought that day, it is possible that even more 
American, Canadian, and British lives would have been lost on D-Day, 
and that the invasion of France, which hinged on secrecy, speed, and 
synchronicity, would have failed. It is not hyperbole to say that the 
soldiers and sailors of Exercise Tiger changed the course of world 
history and that we are forever indebted to their sacrifice.
  It is a time-honored tradition in the United States for us to gather 
and celebrate the heroism and sacrifices of the countless fathers, 
mothers, brothers, sisters, and children who have died to protect our 
nation from foreign and domestic threats. On the last Monday of May, 
thousands congregate to quietly observe and remember the names found on 
marble

[[Page E451]]

headstones cascading across Arlington National Cemetery. On the fourth 
day of July, we join friends and family for a celebration of our 
nation's independence. On each November 11th, we reach out to the 
veterans in our lives, thank them for their service, and if we are 
lucky, listen to their stories of service. Scattered between these 
national celebrations are memorials hosted in small towns and big 
cities across America that pay tribute to the local legends who fought 
to protect the freedoms we hold dear. Every year since 1989, the 
Exercise Tiger Commemorative Foundation, alongside the Coast Guard 
Station Barnegat Light, have celebrated the heroes of Exercise Tiger 
with a wreath-laying ceremony at stations across the United States. It 
is now the longest-running wreath tribute in Coast Guard history.
  Moreover, this year, the Exercise Tiger Commemorative Foundation has 
worked with the Audrain County Commissioners to memorialize and 
celebrate the oft-overlooked heroism of our nation's Black soldiers and 
sailors. We must never lose sight of the fact that while Black soldiers 
were fighting for the freedom of France, they themselves were not free 
in America. As they parachuted in Normandy and stormed Omaha and Utah 
Beaches, our nation was upholding the horrors of segregation and Jim 
Crow. They did so because they believed in the promise of America. We 
are all eternally indebted to that faith and their sacrifices, and I 
want to thank the Foundation and the Audrain County Commissioners for 
working to ensure that all our veterans receive the praise, glory, and 
honor they have earned.
  A 5,000-pound anchor, located in Audrain County, serves as the 
memorial for the heroes of Exercise Tiger. However, it is more than 
just a relic of the past. Rather, it is a constant reminder that our 
freedom was paid for by the sacrifices of those who came before us. At 
the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, a blue ribbon was wrapped 
around that anchor, and it was only to be cut down when a vaccine was 
developed. On April 28, 2021, as our scientists, healthcare workers, 
and soldiers engage in a noble crusade against COVID-19 at vaccination 
sites across the country, that ribbon will be removed. While its 
removal does not signal the end of the pandemic, it does celebrate the 
fact that we are accomplishing what seemed impossible just months ago. 
We have demonstrated, like the Greatest Generation before us, that 
America can overcome any threat when we are united, be it a fleet of 
enemy submarines or an elusive virus. That capacity will always be 
worth celebrating.
  Madam Speaker, please join me and my colleagues in honoring the 
nearly 750 Americans, including 201 Missourians, who gave their lives 
during Exercise Tiger. Additionally, please join me in extending a 
heartfelt ``thank you'' to the Audrain County Commissioners, the 
Exercise Tiger Commemorative Foundation, and the Coast Guard Station 
Barnegat Light, for organizing these memorial events each year since 
1989. On April 28th, it is my fervent hope that we all take a moment to 
remember the victims and veterans of Exercise Tiger and to re-affirm 
our commitment to honoring their legacy each day through selfless 
service to others in our community.

                          ____________________