Mr. Speaker, June 6, 1944 dawned like any other morning for most people in the world, but it would go down in history as a turning point in the second world war.
Operation Overlord, the long-awaited landing on the beaches of Normandy, had begun. The Allied forces dropped 23,000 parachutists and landed 133,000 soldiers. Four thousand small boats, 600 warships and 10,000 aircraft threw themselves into the assault on the enemy forces, wave after wave.
With thousands of points of light giving the cliffs the appearance of an electric pinball game, fear and courage came together as one, as the words of this soldier tell us:
I am fighting because my ancestors left me a legacy of freedom, and it is my duty to pass it on. I am fighting with the fervent hope that those who come after us will not have to fight again.
Armed warfare should never be condoned, but these valiant and brave soldiers will remain forever in our collective memory.