Political Quotes

“In honor of the upcoming 80th anniversary of D-day, I rise to share the words of Motor Mechanic Mate First Class Paul Hudson Atkins of Sheffield, Alabama, in Alabama's Fourth Congressional District. He was one of the first wave of soldiers that had landed on Omaha beach. {time} 1945 On June 6, 1944, Mr. Atkins wrote the following letter from Omaha Beach: First bunch of parachute boys are to hit behind enemy lines somewhere between 0630 and 0930. Heavy gunfire going out on the horizon. Mostly planes overhead headed for France. General granted at 0500. Destroyer ahead shot up three mines. Ships everywhere to the right and to the left and as far as can be seen. Must be in the thousands of our small boats out in the water. The water was exceptionally rough for small boats. We headed for the beach. Four small boats out of 900. On LST, Landing Ship, Tank, 511, pick up wounded. Battleships and destroyers firing over our heads. I could see floating bodies on the water, some of the bodies dismembered, floating in life jackets. Small crafts sunk along the beaches. All sorts of obstacles in the water out to about 500 yards. Only four of our small boats were dispatched to the beach. Another one sent to Omaha Beach to assist. Madam Speaker, this letter that I just read serves as a powerful reminder of the harrowing scenes Allied forces were faced with and the bravery they exemplified on D-Day.…”