[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 96 (Wednesday, June 5, 2024)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3983-S3984]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       80TH ANNIVERSARY OF D-DAY

  Mr. CARDIN. Madam President, I rise today in recognition of the 80th 
anniversary of D-Day. The size and scale of the amphibious landing at 
Normandy 80 years ago was simply amazing. The Allied forces, consisting 
of soldiers and sailors from 12 countries, numbered 156,115, nearly 
half of which were American servicemembers. Over 11,500 aircraft and 
almost 7,000 naval vessels supported the largest amphibious assault in 
history. There were an estimated 10,000 casualties that day as the 
allies fought to liberate Europe from Nazi Germany. The amphibious 
landing and subsequent victory at Normandy was a testament of the 
Allies' logistical and industrial power. D-Day opened another major 
front where the bulk of America's Army could at last be brought to 
bear. D-Day also led to the liberation of France and denied the Nazis 
of key U-boat ports and V-weapons sites. By the end of June 1944, over 
850,000 soldiers had arrived on the beaches of Normandy and were on the 
march across Europe. The Allied victory on those beaches not only meant 
the eventual defeat of the Nazis, but also kept the Soviet Iron Curtain 
at the German border instead of the English Channel.
  Beyond all the facts and figures involved with the landing are the 
individual stories of heroism and bravery. One such story is that of 
Leonard Schroeder, the first American to land on the beaches of 
Normandy at Utah Beach. Leonard Schroeder, then a 25-year-old Army 
captain, was in the first wave of 20 Higgins boats. In his boat were 32 
men, and they arrived at Utah Beach at 6:28 a.m. that morning, 2 
minutes ahead of the scheduled H-Hour and thus ahead of their air 
support. Captain Schroeder led his men ashore wading the final 100 
yards from their landing craft to the beach through barbed wire while 
under machinegun fire from the Nazis. Half of the men on Captain 
Schroeder's boat suffered casualties, including five fatalities. 
Captain Schroeder himself was shot twice, but carried on leading his 
men into harm's way. For his actions on D-Day, he earned the Silver 
Star and the Purple Heart. After the Normandy invasion, a Pentagon 
press release hailed him as ``the first GI to invade Europe'', and the 
Baltimore Sun wrote, ``When his boot touched French soil, it was a 
great moment in history.'' Captain Schroeder's story is one of 
thousands of examples of selfless bravery on the beaches of Normandy 
that day, but I chose to highlight his story as he is a native of 
Maryland. Leonard Schroeder was born in Linthicum Heights and attended 
the University of Maryland on a full athletic scholarship. While at 
UMD, he joined the Reserve Officer's Training Corps--ROTC--and was 
commissioned as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army in June 1941, 
months before the attack at Pearl Harbor which led the U.S. to into 
World War II. After World War II, Leonard Schroeder continued to serve 
his country ultimately serving 30 years on Active Duty and retiring as 
a colonel in 1971. On the 50th anniversary of D-Day, Leonard reflected 
upon that historic day, stating, ``Today, I realize that to be the 
first man ashore is an immense honor, yet I do not merit it more than 
anyone else. Five of my men died down there at Normandy. They alone are 
the heroes.''
  There are innumerable lessons to be learned from World War II and 
countless stories to be told, but maybe the most relevant to us today 
is the power of allies and partners working together to defeat 
authoritarian regimes. Much like the years preceding World War II, 
there are countries challenging democratic institutions in order to 
expand their regimes and suppress freedom. I urge every American to not 
take our democracy for granted. Millions across the globe do not have 
the freedoms we enjoy in the United States, which have been hard earned 
across generations.
  The United States is the longest standing democracy in the world, but

[[Page S3984]]

our freedom has, does, and will come with a cost. Today is a day to 
remember what our American heroes accomplished on the beaches of 
Normandy 80 years ago; tomorrow is a day to write the next great 
chapter of American history, for when we come together for a common 
cause, we are unstoppable.

                          ____________________