Mr. Speaker, on June 5, 1944, at 9:15 p.m., Radio Londres alerted the French resistance that Operation Overlord was about to begin by broadcasting the first stanza of Verlaine's poem Chanson d'automne: The autumn's throbbing
Strings moan, sobbing
Drone their dole;
Long-drawn and low,
Each tremolo
Sears my soul.
The next day, the Normandy landings began. The brave soldiers, some as young as 18, came under intense enemy fire. Too many young men fell on the beaches of Normandy, but their sacrifice freed Europe from Nazi rule. Many units from Quebec, like the Régiment de la Chaudière, the Black Watch and the Régiment de Maisonneuve, took part in the Normandy invasion.
On this day, we honour their sacrifice and their outstanding courage. They died for our freedom, which we so often take for granted.
Thank you to all our veterans. Lest we forget.