On the recordApril 10, 2014
on June 6th, 1944, the brave men and women of the Allied Forces began the opening phase of Operation Overlord in an effort to break the Nazi stranglehold on Western Europe. On that early morning, 31,000 members of the United States Armed Forces, and 153,000 of their counterparts in the Allied Expeditionary Force, stormed ashore five landing areas on the beaches of Normandy, France, in what is known as D-Day. In that first day alone, approximately 10,000 allied soldiers were wounded or killed, including 6,000 Americans. Now, 70 years later, it remains our duty to remember the sacrifices made by the members of the ``greatest generation'' who answered the call of those being oppressed by the Nazi and Fascist regimes. In recognition of the incredible feats achieved by our veterans, the Parliament of the French Republic has asked to join us in the passage of an identical resolution in both bodies, honoring these sacrifices made in the name of liberty. As co-chairs of the Senate French Caucus, I have joined with Senator Landrieu to introduce this resolution to recognize the upcoming 70th Anniversary of the D-Day Landings and to express our gratitude and appreciation to the members of the U.S. Armed Forces who participated in these operations. ____________________
