Congressional Delegation to Commemorate D-Day in Normandy

(Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

House Speaker Mike Johnson announced Wednesday in a press release that a bipartisan congressional delegation is traveling to Normandy, France, to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the D-Day invasion.

On Thursday, June 6, the delegation will participate in anniversary observances along with veterans and their families, active duty service members, government and military officials, and foreign dignitaries.

“Eighty years ago, as Nazi Germany and the Axis powers were encroaching further into Europe, American and Allied forces embarked on what is still known today as the greatest military operation in human history. These brave soldiers — bound by their shared commitment to liberty, security, and freedom — stormed the beaches of Normandy as a force for liberation, not conquest,” Speaker Johnson said.

“It is my distinct honor to host this congressional delegation to pay our respects to the heroes who liberated Europe and made the prospect of global peace a reality. The eyes of the world were trained on these young men that day, and 80 years later, we return to the site of their triumph and sacrifice to renew our commitment to freedom and to express our gratitude to those who made it possible.”

The delegation is set to arrive in Normandy on Thursday, June 6, to participate in a ceremony at the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial in Colleville-sur-Mer alongside American and French leaders and veterans. They will meet with World War II veterans and honor their legacy at the cemetery. Later in the day, the delegation will join Allied heads of state for an international ceremony at Omaha Beach in Saint-Laurent-sur-Mer.

On Sunday, June 9, a delegation is slated to observe a commemorative parachute jump featuring U.S. service members stationed in Europe, American-based units with ties to D-Day history, and military personnel and civilians from across Europe. Additionally, during their time in France, the delegation plans to convene with American diplomatic and military officials stationed in Europe, The Register Herald reported.

Senator Joe Manchin, I-W.Va., member of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, echoed Johnson’s sentiments.

“We must always commemorate the heroism and valor displayed by our military 80 years ago when they stormed the beaches of Normandy to fight our enemies and secure victory for America and our Allies,” Manchin said.

“As we travel to France for the 80th anniversary of D-Day, we honor and thank the brave heroes who stormed the beaches of Normandy in the greatest seaborne invasion in history to liberate Europe from the grasp of Nazi Germany,” said House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La.

“We must never forget the sacrifices of the ‘Greatest Generation’ who paid the ultimate cost for our freedom and the freedom of our Allies by standing against evil during World War II.”