A resolution expressing the gratitude and appreciation of the Senate for the acts of heroism and valor by the members of the United States Armed Forces who participated in the June 6, 1944, amphibious landing at Normandy, France, and commending those individuals for leadership and bravery in an operation that helped bring an end to World War II.

III 116TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION S. RES. 135 Expressing the gratitude and appreciation of the Senate for the acts of heroism and valor by the members of the United States Armed Forces who participated in the June 6, 1944, amphibious landing at Normandy, France, and commending those individuals for leadership and bravery in an operation that helped bring an end to World War II. IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES APRIL 2, 2019 Mr. BOOZMAN (for himself, Mr. COONS, Mr. INHOFE, Mrs. BLACKBURN, Mr. BLUNT, Mrs. SHAHEEN, Ms. HARRIS, Mr. JONES, Ms. CANTWELL, Mr. UDALL, Mr. VAN HOLLEN, Ms. COLLINS, Mr. BRAUN, Ms. MURKOWSKI, Mr. BARRASSO, Mr. MURPHY, Mr. DURBIN, Mr. WICKER, Mr. LANKFORD, Mr. MORAN, Mrs. GILLIBRAND, Mr. SULLIVAN, Ms. HASSAN, Mr. ROUNDS, Mrs. FISCHER, Ms. MCSALLY, Mrs. HYDE-SMITH, Mr. DAINES, Mr. SCOTT of Florida, Mrs. CAPITO, Mr. CRUZ, Mr. PORTMAN, Ms. DUCKWORTH, Mr. LEAHY, Mr. ISAKSON, Mr. HOEVEN, Mr. TOOMEY, Mr. TILLIS, Mr. CRAMER, Mr. ROMNEY, Mr. CRAPO, Mr. CORNYN, Ms. ROSEN, Mr. CARDIN, Mr. ENZI, Mr. RUBIO, Mr. SCOTT of South Caro- lina, and Ms. WARREN) submitted the following resolution; which was re- ferred to the Committee on Foreign Relations MAY 23 (legislative day, MAY 22), 2019 Reported by Mr. RISCH, without amendment and an amendment to the preamble JUNE 4, 2019 Considered and agreed to RESOLUTION Expressing the gratitude and appreciation of the Senate for the acts of heroism and valor by the members of the United States Armed Forces who participated in the VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:08 Jun 05, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6652 E:\BILLS\SR135.ATS SR135 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 2 SRES 135 ATS June 6, 1944, amphibious landing at Normandy, France, and commending those individuals for leadership and bravery in an operation that helped bring an end to World War II. Whereas June 6, 2019, marks the 75th anniversary of the Allied assault at Normandy, France, by troops of the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Free France, known as ‘‘Operation Overlord’’; Whereas, before Operation Overlord, the German Army still occupied France and the Nazi government still had ac- cess to the raw materials and industrial capacity of West- ern Europe; Whereas the naval phase of the Allied assault at Normandy was code-named ‘‘Operation Neptune’’, and the date of June 6, 1944, is referred to as ‘‘D-Day’’ to denote the day on which the combat attack was initiated; Whereas the D-Day landing was the largest combined arms amphibious assault in history, consisting of— (1) approximately 132,600 members of the Allied Expeditionary Force, including 57,500 members of the United States Armed Forces; (2) more than 23,000 airborne troops supporting the seaborne landings; (3) approximately 7,000 naval vessels; and (4) more than 14,000 sorties by Allied aircraft; Whereas soldiers of 6 divisions (3 from the United States, 2 from the United Kingdom, which included troops of Free France, and 1 from Canada) and 3 British armored bri- gades stormed ashore in 5 main landing areas on beaches in Normandy, which were code-named ‘‘Utah’’, ‘‘Omaha’’, ‘‘Gold’’, ‘‘Juno’’, and ‘‘Sword’’; VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:08 Jun 05, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\SR135.ATS SR135 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 3 SRES 135 ATS Whereas, of the approximately 10,000 Allied casualties in- curred on the first day of the landing, more than 6,000 were members of the United States Armed Forces; Whereas the Allied assault and following operations were sup- ported by ships, aircraft, and troops from Australia, Bel- gium, Czechoslovakia, Free Norway, Greece, the Nether- lands, New Zealand, and the Polish Armed Forces in the West; Whereas the advanced age of the last remaining veterans of, and the gradual disappearance of any living memory of, World War II and the Normandy landings make it nec- essary to increase activities intended to pass on the his- tory of those events, particularly to younger generations; Whereas the young people of Normandy and the United States have displayed unprecedented commitment to, and involvement in, celebrating— (1) the veterans of the Normandy landings; and (2) the freedom brought by those veterans in 1944; Whereas the significant material remains of the Normandy landings found on the Normandy beaches and at the bot- tom of the sea in the territorial waters of France, such as shipwrecks and various items of military equipment, bear witness to the remarkable and unique nature of the material resources used by the Allied forces to execute the Normandy landings; Whereas 5 Normandy beaches and a number of sites on the Normandy coast, including Pointe du Hoc, were the scene of the D-Day landings and constitute, and will for all time constitute— (1) a unique piece of world heritage; and VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:08 Jun 05, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\SR135.ATS SR135 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 4 SRES 135 ATS (2) a symbol of peace and freedom, the unspoilt na- ture, integrity, and authenticity of which must be pro- tected at all costs; and Whereas the world owes a debt of gratitude to the members of the ‘‘Greatest Generation’’ who assumed the task of freeing the world from Nazi and Fascist regimes and re- storing liberty to Europe: Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the Senate— 1 (1) recognizes the 75th anniversary of the am- 2 phibious landing of the Allies on D-Day, June 6, 3 1944, at Normandy, France, during World War II; 4 (2) expresses gratitude and appreciation to the 5 members of the United States Armed Forces who 6 participated in the D-Day operations; 7 (3) thanks the young people of Normandy and 8 the United States for their involvement in events 9 celebrating the 75th anniversary of the Normandy 10 landings with the aim of making future generations 11 aware of the acts of heroism and sacrifice performed 12 by the Allied forces; 13 (4) recognizes the efforts of France and the 14 people of Normandy to preserve for future genera- 15 tions the unique world heritage represented by the 16 Normandy beaches and the sunken material remains 17 of the Normandy landings by inscribing those beach- 18 es and remains on the United Nations Educational, 19 VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:08 Jun 05, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\SR135.ATS SR135 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 5 SRES 135 ATS Scientific and Cultural Organization (commonly re- 1 ferred to as ‘‘UNESCO’’) World Heritage List; and 2 (5) requests that the President issue a procla- 3 mation calling on the people of the United States to 4 observe the 75th anniversary of the Normandy land- 5 ings with appropriate ceremonies and programs to 6 honor the sacrifices made by their fellow countrymen 7 to liberate Europe. 8 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:08 Jun 05, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\SR135.ATS SR135 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS