Pelosi: '60 Years Later, the Heroes of D-Day Inspire Us Still'

Washington, D.C. -- House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi released the following statement in commemoration of the 60th anniversary of the D-Day landings on the beaches of Normandy, France, which turned the tide of World War II:

"Sixty years ago Sunday, the greatest force for freedom the world had ever known began the liberation of a continent and changed the course of history. Decades later, the heroes of D-Day inspire us still: on swaths of beaches called Omaha and Utah, ordinary Americans performed extraordinary feats.

"They were young, many just out of high school with their whole lives before them. Yet they left their homes and families and went to distant places they had never heard of to liberate people they did not know. As they boarded their planes and boats, they joined a great campaign with British, Canadians, Free French, Free Poles, Norwegians and many others - a powerful reminder that America stands strongest when we stand with friends and allies.

"And on that cold morning they came down from the sky and up from the sea. Into a hail of bullets, they waded through blood red waters. They crawled through the sand and smoke. They climbed the jagged cliffs. It has been called the longest day. For many thousands, it was their final day on this earth.

"In taking the beaches, these heroes turned the tide of history from tyranny to liberty. From Normandy they marched east, freeing small towns and big cities, liberating the death camps and bringing freedom to millions. There can be no exaggeration -- these American patriots saved the world. In the darkest hours of the 20th Century, they were the guardians of freedom's flame, and every American is a beneficiary of their bravery.