Political Quotes

“Tomorrow, June 6, marks the 81st anniversary of D-day, June 6, 1944. In my district, Bedford County, Virginia, is designated as a World War II Heritage City by the National Park Service, the only such World War II Heritage City in Virginia. Bedford County is home to the National D-day Memorial. This memorial commemorates the soldiers who courageously stormed Omaha Beach on June 6, 1944. Bedford had the largest D-day loss per capita of any town in the United States, losing 20 men on Omaha Beach. Known to many as the Bedford Boys, they were amongst the first soldiers to land at Normandy as part of Operation Overlord. Their stories of heroism and sacrifice will be passed along from generation to generation. One of the men who sought to memorialize their heroic actions was Staff Sergeant Bob Slaughter. A native of Roanoke, Virginia, Mr. Slaughter served in Company D, 116th Infantry Regiment. Soldiers from central, southside, and southwest Virginia served in the 116th. Mr. Slaughter and the 116th were part of the first wave on the beaches. Mr. Speaker, when you watch the opening scenes of the film 'Saving Private Ryan,' you will see the terror and chaos the men of the 116th saw. Mr. Slaughter was one of more than 34,000 Americans who stormed the beach over the several days of the operation and faced heavy artillery from the Atlantic Wall and the Nazi war machine. Mr. Slaughter, 19 years old at the time, lived through the horrors and mass casualties of D-day.”