On the recordMay 29, 2014
As a Member of the House Veterans' Affairs Committee, I am honored to join with my colleagues from that committee to mark the 70th anniversary of D-day. Nevada's heroes have played a critical role in our country's armed services throughout history, from the Air Force pilots that have been deployed from Nellis Air Force Base to our National Guard's 1st Squadron, 221st Cavalry Unit that has served in Iraq and Afghanistan. For generations, our democracy has been defended by those who have given so much. Next week marks the 70th anniversary of the invasion of Normandy. At no other time in history has an amphibious assault occurred on that scale. On June 6, 1944, 156,000 Allied troops landed on the beaches of Normandy knowing that they may not survive, and many didn't. They were bombarded by bullets and shells and bombs, but without hesitation they marched on. In that one day, the United States lost 6,603 brave soldiers. Nevada Senator Howard Cannon was one of the American heroes who risked his life on that fateful day. He piloted the chief troop-carrier airplane, leading 44 others from Exeter, England, across the English Channel to France. In the middle of a hot June night, at 11:50 p.m. on June 5, he took off, the plane departed, the Stoy Hora, carrying paratroopers who jumped into France just a little while later. A few days after that, on June 17, Senator Cannon was shot down over the Netherlands and survived 42 days behind enemy lines.…
