On the recordMay 30, 2014
This year, we celebrate the 70th anniversary of D-Day and the brave Americans of our Armed Forces who served our country with great courage and patriotism. Today I stand before you to honor their heroic sacrifice. As a fighter pilot in World War II, my father flew 63 missions in a P-47 Thunderbolt. He provided air cover while my father-in-law stormed the beaches of Normandy on D-Day. In a dogfight during the Battle of the Bulge, my father was shot down by the Germans. He spent the next 6 months in a German POW camp behind enemy lines until being liberated by Allied forces on D-Day. But it was through my father's stories that I came to understand the courage, resilience, and sacrifice of veterans and military families all across our great Nation. And this is the reason that I am deeply committed to easing the transition for veterans back to civilian life, expanding their job opportunities, strengthening their health care benefits, and improving mental health services for the dedicated men and women who have worn the uniform of the United States. D-Day is a reminder of the great sacrifice borne by our servicemen and -women and their families. ____________________
