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Rep. Kaptur Commemorates 75th Anniversary of D-Day

June 6, 2019

Washington, D.C. — Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (OH-09) delivered the following remarks on the floor of the House of Representatives in commemoration of the 75th Anniversary of D-Day:

Rep. Kaptur:

Mr. Speaker,

I rise today to commemorate the historic 75th anniversary of D-Day – June 6, 1944 – the heroic, Allied invasion of Europe at Normandy, France.

Let us honor the 180,000 Allied troops who reclaimed liberty for the modern world, moving across the turbulent English Channel, which ran red with their blood, including from our beloved uncle Stanley Rogowski.

Our troops endured more deadly Nazi shelling from land and air as they clawed their way up the daunting sea walls and beaches to retake Europe for the free world.

The weather was harsh. The shores were littered with mines and barbed wire. From their landing crafts and parachutes, our soldiers were met with heavy fire.

The work of clearing the five beaches upon which the allies landed — Omaha, Utah, Gold, Juno, and Sword — was as difficult as it was deadly. It was not until June 12 that all five beaches, stretching over 50 miles, were finally conquered. And when the smoke finally cleared, over 4,000 Allied troops had made the ultimate sacrifice.

Operation Neptune was a decisive victory for the Allied cause. It remains the largest seaborne invasion in history and the turning point in the Second World War.

Until that day, Adolf Hitler waged destruction and terror across Europe, virtually unencumbered on the Western Front. From France, to Poland, to Russia millions died in his wake. But from the Allied foothold in Normandy, American, Canadian and British troops spread out across Europe and liberated German-occupied Europe from Nazi tyranny.

This week, we gratefully remember and honor the men and women who served and sacrificed for the freedom of Europe and the entire world. We live in their debt each day.

I yield back.

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