SENATE RESOLUTION 135--EXPRESSING THE GRATITUDE AND APPRECIATION OF THE SENATE FOR THE ACTS OF HEROISM AND VALOR BY THE MEMBERS OF THE UNITED STATES ARMED FORCES WHO PARTICIPATED IN THE JUNE 6...; Congressional Record Vol. 165, No. 57
(Senate - April 02, 2019)
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[Page S2193]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SENATE RESOLUTION 135--EXPRESSING THE GRATITUDE AND APPRECIATION OF THE
SENATE FOR THE ACTS OF HEROISM AND VALOR BY THE MEMBERS OF THE UNITED
STATES ARMED FORCES WHO PARTICIPATED IN THE JUNE 6, 1944, AMPHIBIOUS
LANDING AT NORMANDY, FRANCE, AND COMMENDING THOSE INDIVIDUALS FOR
LEADERSHIP AND BRAVERY IN AN OPERATION THAT HELPED BRING AN END TO
WORLD WAR II
Mr. BOOZMAN (for himself and Mr. Coons) submitted the following
resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations:
S. Res. 135
Whereas June 6, 2019, marks the 75th anniversary of the
Allied assault at Normandy, France, by troops of the United
States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Free France, known as
``Operation Overlord'';
Whereas, before Operation Overlord, the German Army still
occupied France and the Nazi government still had access to
the raw materials and industrial capacity of Western Europe;
Whereas the naval phase of the Allied assault at Normandy
was codenamed ``Neptune'', and the date of June 6, 1944, is
referred to as ``D-Day'' to denote the day on which the
combat attack was initiated;
Whereas the D-Day landing was the largest single amphibious
assault in history, consisting of--
(1) approximately 57,000 members of the United States Armed
Forces;
(2) approximately 153,000 members of the Allied
Expeditionary Force;
(3) approximately 5,000 naval vessels; and
(4) more than 11,000 sorties by Allied aircraft;
Whereas soldiers of 6 divisions (3 from the United States,
2 from the United Kingdom, which included troops of Free
France, and 1 from Canada) stormed ashore in 5 main landing
areas on beaches in Normandy, which were code-named ``Utah'',
``Omaha'', ``Gold'', ``Juno'', and ``Sword'';
Whereas, of the approximately 10,000 Allied casualties
incurred on the first day of the landing, more than 6,000
were members of the United States Armed Forces;
Whereas the Allied assault and following operations were
supported by ships, aircraft, and troops from Australia,
Belgium, Czechoslovakia, Free Norway, Greece, the
Netherlands, New Zealand, and the Polish Armed Forces in the
West;
Whereas the advanced age of the last remaining veterans of,
and the gradual disappearance of any living memory of, World
War II and the Normandy landings make it necessary to
increase activities intended to pass on the history of those
events, particularly to younger generations;
Whereas the young people of Normandy and the United States
have displayed unprecedented commitment to, and involvement
in, celebrating--
(1) the veterans of the Normandy landings; and
(2) the freedom brought by those veterans in 1944;
Whereas the significant material remains of the Normandy
landings found on the Normandy beaches and at the bottom of
the sea in the territorial waters of France, such as
shipwrecks and various items of military equipment, bear
witness to the remarkable and unique nature of the material
resources used by the Allied forces to execute the Normandy
landings;
Whereas 5 Normandy beaches and a number of sites on the
Normandy coast, including Pointe du Hoc, were the scene of
the D-Day landings and constitute, and will for all time
constitute--
(1) a unique piece of world heritage; and
(2) a symbol of peace and freedom, the unspoilt nature,
integrity, and authenticity of which must be protected at all
costs; and
Whereas the world owes a debt of gratitude to the members
of the ``Greatest Generation'' who assumed the task of
freeing the world from Nazi and Fascist regimes and restoring
liberty to Europe: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate--
(1) recognizes the 75th anniversary of the amphibious
landing of the Allies on D-Day, June 6, 1944, at Normandy,
France, during World War II;
(2) expresses gratitude and appreciation to the members of
the United States Armed Forces who participated in the D-Day
operations;
(3) thanks the young people of Normandy and the United
States for their involvement in events celebrating the 75th
anniversary of the Normandy landings with the aim of making
future generations aware of the acts of heroism and sacrifice
performed by the Allied forces;
(4) recognizes the efforts of France and the people of
Normandy to preserve for future generations the unique world
heritage represented by the Normandy beaches and the sunken
material remains of the Normandy landings by inscribing those
beaches and remains on the United Nations Educational,
Scientific and Cultural Organization (commonly referred to as
``UNESCO'') World Heritage List; and
(5) requests that the President issue a proclamation
calling on the people of the United States to observe the
75th anniversary of the Normandy landings with appropriate
ceremonies and programs to honor the sacrifices made by their
fellow countrymen to liberate Europe.
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