Praising the Anniversary of V-E Day in Europe

PRAISING THE ANNIVERSARY OF V-E DAY IN EUROPE -- (House of Representatives - May 04, 2005)

SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Kuhl). Under a previous order of the House, the gentleman from Texas, (Mr. McCaul) is recognized for 5 minutes.

Mr. McCAUL of Texas. Mr. Speaker, tonight I rise to commemorate the 60th anniversary of our Nation's victory in Europe. And in doing so, I also like to honor men like my father and millions of others who answered freedom's call in fighting World War II. When we consider generations of our past, no one exemplifies the essence of America better than those, part of what we now call, the Greatest Generation.

To this day, and forever, I will be proud to say, my father was a part of this outstanding group, which led us to victory during World War II. As a 20-year-old bombardier-navigator in the Army Air Corps, my father, Major Jim McCaul, flew more than 30 bombing missions over Europe.

This included the largest bombing mission of the war in support of the D-day invasion. He flew a B-17 bomber, the flying fortress of the war, as he and others helped defeat Adolph Hitler and the Nazi reign of terror. And like most men of his generation, my father did not talk much about what he had done and seen over the skies of Europe. It was simply too painful.

However, when he did talk about his experiences, dad would describe his airplane as a tin can with wings that was easy prey for the flak fired from below and the Luftwaffe bullets raining down from above. He recalled watching his buddies getting shot down and the loss that he personally felt. Indeed on each mission, one out of every three planes were shot down.

And when my father passed away in 1985, he received a letter from President Ronald Reagan commending him for his service to his country. Perhaps Winston Churchill said it best, when he said of this generation, this was their finest hour.

Our Nation is replete with stories such as my father's. And while the names and faces of many of the GI Joes may be forgotten, their heroic deeds that helped secure our Nation's ultimate victory in Europe will be emblazoned as legends in our National conscience forever.

Mr. Speaker, as time passes, we come close to forever losing the personal connection to these great individuals and their historic accounts. In order to preserve these heroic stories for future generations, I strongly urge veterans to participate in the Veterans History Project housed in the Library of Congress.

For this generation of Americans, whose character and resolve was molded by the Great Depression, defeating tyranny and the hatred of the Third Reich was just another call to answer. They performed their duty with honor, it was not theirs to question. It was simply expected.

Instead of succumbing to hardship, their resolve was stiffened and they ended up leading our land and our world to one of the greatest victories in history. We see that same attitude and determination today from the men and women in Iraq and Afghanistan. And like the greatest generation, Americans are now in distant lands fighting the threat and horror of terrorism.

Sixty years ago, we defeated fascism. Today, we fight Islamic extremism, but the reason we fight is the same, to guarantee freedom. The resolve that my father served with came from the support he knew that he had at home. We must show that same support for our troops now. We must strengthen their resolve by letting them know that their cause is just.

We will never forget their victories, just as we will never forget the victories in Europe which came at such a great cost. Hundreds of thousands of my parents' generation were killed in the name of freedom and democracy. Few cases are as worthy, few prices are as great. We must always remember not just the victory in Europe, but also what it meant. It saved an entire world from tyranny, and gave people the chance to live under flags of freedom.

Victory in Europe Day will forever stand as an example of how America prides its freedom and how our determination can accomplish any tasks and defeat any foe. And these accomplishments of the Greatest Generation serve as an inspiration to us all.

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