Resolution Commemorating 80th Anniversary of D-Day Unanimously Passes Senate
Washington, D.C. – On the 80th anniversary of D-Day, Senators Susan Collins and Angus King cosponsored a resolution commemorating the historic operation and expressing gratitude and appreciation to the members of the U.S. Armed Forces and Allied troops responsible for carrying out this unprecedented battle. This bipartisan resolution was introduced by U.S. Senators John Boozman (R-AR) and Chris Coons (D-DE) and unanimously passed the Senate.
In the early morning hours of June 6, 1944, 73,000 members of the United States Armed Forces, and over 80,000 of their counterparts in the Allied Expeditionary Force, launched Operation Overlord by storming ashore five landing areas on the beaches of Normandy, France. The first day of the operation, which became known as D-Day, saw approximately 10,000 Allied soldiers wounded or killed, including 6,000 Americans. Operation Overlord led to Allied liberation of Western Europe from the control of Nazi Germany and an end to World War II.
“On June 6, 1944, tens of thousands of courageous Americans and allied troops carried out the greatest amphibious troop landing in history to liberate Europe from Nazi tyranny. The sacrifices made by the thousands of Americans who perished that day, those who survived but have since passed on, and those living today, will be forever remembered,” said Senator Collins. “This anniversary is especially meaningful to me because my father was a World War II combat veteran who earned two Purple Hearts and the Bronze Star as a result of injuries he sustained in the Battle of the Bulge, a later engagement on the Western Front. It was from him that I first learned to honor, respect, and thank our veterans.”
“Eighty years ago, more than 100,000 Allied forces landed on the rocky beaches of Normandy and turned the tide in the fight against Nazi fascism — a day often referred to as the beginning of the end of World War II,” said Senator King. “Today, we honor and remember the courage of those brave men: many of whom made the ultimate sacrifice. The impact of the greatest generation is still felt today and inspires a grateful nation as we recommit ourselves to the shared democratic values they fought to defend.”
In 2019, Senators Collins and King took part in the official, bipartisan Senate delegation to Normandy, France, to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the D-Day invasion by Allied forces during World War II. The Senators joined President Donald J. Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron at an official ceremony at the Normandy American Cemetery to mark the milestone. Prior to the ceremony, the Senators met with World War II veterans who made the trip for the occasion. Maine veterans in attendance included Charles Norman Shay, a Penobscot Tribal Elder and veteran who served as a combat medic during the D-Day invasion and is the namesake for the Charles Shay Indian Memorial in Normandy that honors the service of Native Americans during World War II; and Henry Breton, an Augusta veteran who was one of four brothers to serve during World War II. There are 83 soldiers from Maine buried at the cemetery, six of whom died on D-Day.
Click here to read the complete text of the resolution.
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