Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) will join a bipartisan coalition of her colleagues visiting Normandy to commemorate the 80th anniversary of when United States troops stormed the shores and entered the European theatre of World War II.
“On the 80th anniversary of D-Day, we will honor the brave Allied and American fighters who stormed the beaches of Normandy in the name of freedom around the world. We will never forget the sacrifices of the Greatest Generation, and I look forward to standing alongside my colleagues and world leaders as we pay tribute on this anniversary,” Blackburn said in a release.
Sens. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and John Boozman (R-AR), along with several others, will join her.
“The delegation will arrive in Normandy on Thursday, June 6, and join American and French leaders and veterans at a ceremony at the American Cemetery of Colleville-sur-Mer,” according to an itinerary for the trip. “The delegation will meet with World War II veterans and pay their respects at the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial.”
On Sunday, the delegation will visit U.S. troops stationed in Europe and from military units with historical links to D-Day. There will be a ceremonial parachute jump for that occasion.
The trip will end with an American diplomatic and military leadership meeting in France.
According to the National World War II Museum, every living veteran of the great war is now in his 80s or 90s. Only about 120,000 living World War II veterans out of the 16.4 million who fought the Axis of Evil for the United States.
The men of E Company, 2nd Battalion of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division, who landed in Normandy on D-Day, were portrayed in the massively successful HBO Series “Band of Brothers.” The series, a biopic, also featured interviews with the men of E Company for historical documentation purposes.
According to The New York Times, Private First Class Bradford Freeman, who passed away in 2022, was the last remaining soldier from E Company.
Major Richard “Dick” Winters, the protagonist of the series, passed away in 2011.
“Preserving the stories of the men and women who served in World War II has been at the heart of our institution since its founding,” said Stephen J. Watson, president & CEO of the Museum. “We have the enormous responsibility to ensure that the memories and experiences of the war will not be lost as those who lived through it leave this world. It is our hope that this Museum, built in honor of the WWII generation, will allow visitors to connect with history and the people who sacrificed so much during World War II for years to come.”
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Pete D’Abrosca is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow Pete on Twitter/X.
Photo “Marsha Blackburn” by Marsha Blackburn.
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