Remembering Normandy

REMEMBERING NORMANDY -- (House of Representatives - June 06, 2006)

Mr. ISSA. Mr. Speaker, I rise with my colleague from California (Mr. Hunter), the chairman of the Armed Services Committee, to recognize that it is now the 61st year to remember Normandy, to remember that special time when the world waited and hoped that the allies, led by the United States, dominated by the United States, would free Europe, the European mainland, from the effects of fascism, the effects of allowing a petty dictator to build an Army and begin expanding his borders.

Mr. Speaker, I find it particularly appropriate that just a week ago at the Memorial Day commemoration at Mt. Soledad in San Diego where Congressman Hunter and I both live, we were faced with the exact same situation that we see in Normandy: crosses. We were faced looking at a memorial that remembers all of our fallen heroes from previous wars that was put there because of our fallen heroes of the Korean War and now is in jeopardy of being taken away because somebody says that if it is in the shape of a cross, it must by definition be a religious statement.

My colleague and I, I believe, are here tonight to remember Normandy and remember those many crosses that we have seen across the land and above the cliffs of Normandy and remember that those crosses do not stand for Jesus Christ or for religion. Those crosses stand for the men and women buried below.

With that, I yield to the gentleman from California (Mr. Hunter), my colleague, the chairman of the Armed Services Committee.

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