Brian Babin: “I thank the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Moore) for this Special Order, and what a special time it is. As the son of a…”

“I thank the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Moore) for this Special Order, and what a special time it is. As the son of a World War II vet myself who was in the Pacific, and as a former Army enlisted troop and former Army Air Force officer myself stationed in Germany during the seventies, it is a great honor that I have the opportunity to read a letter written by a World War II and D-day veteran, U.S. Army Major Ellsworth Hill, written to his family back home on June 14, 1944: Dear Florence, Barbara, and Nancy, this one letter to all three will have to suffice for the time being for there is scarcely an idle moment to write. When there is an idle moment, I usually am so tired that I just fall asleep. Today, however, I have had some time to myself and have been far enough away from activities to really enjoy myself. As you may surmise, I am somewhere in France--just where is, of course, not to be disclosed, but as the papers have carried the story of D-day, you know that it was on the coast of Normandy. The going for the past week has been quite rugged, particularly for an old man like myself, but I have found that I could keep up with the youngsters. You should have received a letter from me dated June 5, but nothing has been written in the meantime. All the things incident to the landing on the beaches and the first few days here can be left for future communication. What can be said now would hardly do justice to what happened.…”