Jeff Bingaman: “I would like to make a few statements about the occasion of May 8, 1995, V-E Day. It is rather difficult to think of any…”

“I would like to make a few statements about the occasion of May 8, 1995, V-E Day. It is rather difficult to think of any event in the life of a nation more worthy of commemoration than the end of a world war. Remembrance and reflection are crucial if we are to maintain our sense of purpose as a nation, and our appreciation of what we value most. The service and sacrifice of those who bore the battle at home and overseas in the Second World War can never be overstated. It was that willingness to give unstintingly not only of effort but also, in many cases, their lives, that makes the war years such an extraordinary period in our Nation's history. Americans who fought the war came from every State in the country, and my home State of New Mexico certainly did its part. Our own friends and neighbors were heroic in their actions, in their service, and in their struggle. If not for their efforts, what would the world be like today? Franklin Roosevelt, whose death 50 years ago we commemorated on the 12th of last month, left a monumental legacy for this country. Words from a speech that he wrote for delivery on April 13, 1945, had he lived to give that speech, still sound out a challenge, one rooted in the experience of the war and pinned to his knowledge of his countrymen. He wrote for that speech: The only limit to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubts of today. Let us move forward with strong and active faith. We did that in the Second World War.…”