Nomination of Carolyn Hessler-Radelet to Be Director of the Peace Corps

Floor Speech

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Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I rise today to honor the 70th anniversary of the heroic landings of D-day.

The incredible bravery exhibited on June 6 of 1944, in the first phase of Operation Overlord to liberate Western Europe from the clutches of Nazi Germany, is one of the defining moments of modern history.

The images of American GIs landing at Omaha Beach, Utah Beach, and Pointe du Hoc have come to represent not only the great sacrifices made during World War II, but the enduring cause of freedom for which the United States still stands.

I have had the humbling experience of visiting the American cemetery at Normandy that honors those who fell during the invasion. As I walked the peaceful fields of brilliant white headstones in perfect formation, it was hard to imagine the terrifying landscape that greeted those American and allied soldiers, many of them not yet 20 years old, when they lowered the ramps of their landing craft in the shallows off of Normandy. Yet they understood the importance of their mission, and they held fast against one of the greatest evils the world has ever faced, and they prevailed.

The men and women who answered the call to serve in World War II and those who supported them on the home front are often revered as the ``greatest generation,'' and deservedly so. They gave up their lives and their livelihoods and endured separation from their loved ones and fought in unspeakable conditions.

From the beaches of Normandy to the islands of the Pacific, where my father served as a Navy pilot, the United States and allied forces fought for freedom and for the dignity of mankind, and we owe them a tremendous debt of gratitude.

As we honor the memory of those who served before us, we honor their legacy by upholding the values for which they fought.

We are here today because of the immense burdens our men and women in uniform have carried on our behalf. May we never forget their sacrifices or the solemn responsibility we have to all of those who have answered the call to serve.

Mr. President, I yield the floor and I suggest the absence of a quorum.

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