[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 160 (2014), Part 7]
[House]
[Page 9335]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1200
                         THE GIs ON D-DAY--1944

  (Mr. POE of Texas asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, it was 70 years ago. The sky was gray, 
the rain pelted the teenage Americans as they were part of the greatest 
amphibious attack in world history.
  It was June 6, 1944--D-Day. The rough seas of the English Channel 
tossed GIs about in the landing craft as they came under intense brutal 
fire from the enemy on the French shore. In spite of high casualties on 
the beaches, they moved forward. They climbed the unbelievable cliffs, 
and the troops were successful in driving the enemy from the French 
coast.
  Their success allowed more Americans to follow in future waves and 
later days and later weeks.
  My dad, Sergeant Virgil Poe, was one of them who came later. The 
GIs--they came, they liberated, and some went home. The others lie in 
graves atop the cliffs of Normandy, France. Their crosses and Stars of 
David glisten in the sun where 9,000 Americans are buried.
  We appreciate and remember all of them for giving up their youth so 
we could have a future.
  And that's just the way it is.

                          ____________________