Burgess Owens: “I thank my good friend from Alabama for this opportunity to reflect on the last hours of courage and sacrifice of the…”

“I thank my good friend from Alabama for this opportunity to reflect on the last hours of courage and sacrifice of the Greatest Generation, those who served and died for the land that they loved. Shortly before D-Day, Second Lieutenant Jack Lundberg from Val Verda, Utah, wrote a letter to his parents: Now that I am actually here, I see that the chances of my returning to all of you are quite slim. Therefore, I want to write this letter now while I am still able to. I want you to know how much I love each of you. You mean everything to me. It is the realization of your love that gives me the courage to continue. I have requested that this letter be forwarded only in the event that I do not return. You have had many times more than your share of illnesses and deaths in the family, still you continue to exemplify what true parents should. I am sorry to add to your grief, but at all times, realize that my thoughts are of you constantly. I feel that in some small way, I am helping to bring this wasteful war to a conclusion. We in the United States have something to fight for. Never more fully have I realized that. There is no other country with comparable wealth, advancement, or standard of living. The USA is worth the sacrifice. Remember always that I love each of you most perfectly, and I am proud of you. Consider Mary, my wife, as having taken my place in the family circle, and watch over each other. Love to my family, Jack.…”