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| 3 | 4 | | |
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| 4 | 5 | | R E S O L U T I O N |
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| 5 | 6 | | WHEREAS, On June 6, 2019, Americans and freedom-loving people |
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| 6 | 7 | | from around the globe will pause to reflect, honor, and commemorate |
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| 7 | 8 | | the 75th anniversary of the D-Day invasion by principally American, |
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| 8 | 9 | | British, and Canadian military troops by amphibious assault from |
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| 9 | 10 | | the English Channel on the beaches of Normandy, France, and via |
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| 10 | 11 | | airborne assault in the French countryside by their fellow |
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| 11 | 12 | | paratroopers, totaling nearly 160,000 men, this military campaign |
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| 12 | 13 | | code-named "Operation Overlord" significantly led to the ultimate |
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| 13 | 14 | | liberation of Europe and the end of World War II; and |
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| 14 | 15 | | WHEREAS, Though Germany's Third Reich was suffering heavy |
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| 15 | 16 | | military losses on the Eastern Front, it still controlled much of |
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| 16 | 17 | | Europe; after entering the war in December 1941, U.S. armed forces |
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| 17 | 18 | | joined with other Allied forces to drive the German Africa Corps out |
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| 18 | 19 | | of North Africa in May 1943, and in July of that year, the American |
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| 19 | 20 | | and British forces began the liberation of Europe with the invasion |
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| 20 | 21 | | of Sicily; by the summer of 1944, World War II had been raging for |
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| 21 | 22 | | nearly five years; and |
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| 22 | 23 | | WHEREAS, Planning for an Allied invasion across the English |
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| 23 | 24 | | Channel subsequently commenced, and in January 1944, General Dwight |
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| 24 | 25 | | D. Eisenhower was appointed as commander of Operation Overlord; |
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| 25 | 26 | | faced with a 2,400-mile German defensive line of bunkers, land |
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| 26 | 27 | | mines, and beach obstacles known as the Atlantic Wall, the Allies |
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| 27 | 28 | | began to train a force of American, British, and Canadian troops in |
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| 28 | 29 | | Britain; and |
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| 29 | 30 | | WHEREAS, In the months leading up to the invasion, the |
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| 30 | 31 | | British and American air forces flew 200,000 sorties and dropped |
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| 31 | 32 | | 195,000 tons of bombs on German installations in France, attacking |
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| 32 | 33 | | rail centers, airfields, military bases, radar stations, and |
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| 33 | 34 | | coastal artillery batteries; the Allies also engaged in an |
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| 34 | 35 | | extensive deception operation intended to fool the Germans into |
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| 35 | 36 | | thinking the invasion would take place near Pas-de-Calais, instead |
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| 36 | 37 | | of the real target, the coast of Normandy; and |
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| 37 | 38 | | WHEREAS, Late in the day of June 5, 1944, almost 6,000 ships |
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| 38 | 39 | | and landing craft loaded with troops and supplies left Britain and |
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| 39 | 40 | | started across the English Channel toward France; that night, |
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| 40 | 41 | | approximately 800 aircraft carrying paratroopers and towing |
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| 41 | 42 | | gliders dropped members of the American 82nd and 101st Airborne |
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| 42 | 43 | | Divisions and the British 6th Airborne Division behind enemy lines |
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| 43 | 44 | | in Normandy; and |
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| 44 | 45 | | WHEREAS, At 6:30 a.m. on June 6, 1944, the first of 156,000 |
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| 45 | 46 | | Allied troops landed on the shores of Normandy; the soldiers at the |
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| 46 | 47 | | beachheads of Gold, Juno, Sword, and Utah met light German |
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| 47 | 48 | | resistance, but at Omaha Beach, the U.S. 1st Division encountered |
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| 48 | 49 | | strong Wehrmacht defenses; the Americans fought for every inch of |
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| 49 | 50 | | ground, suffering more than 2,000 casualties before finally seizing |
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| 50 | 51 | | control and taking the beach; and |
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| 51 | 52 | | WHEREAS, A week later, the coast was completely under Allied |
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| 52 | 53 | | command, and over 326,000 troops, 50,000 vehicles, and 100,000 tons |
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| 53 | 54 | | of equipment had been landed; by the end of August 1944, the Allies |
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| 54 | 55 | | had liberated Paris and driven the Germans out of northwestern |
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| 55 | 56 | | France; there was much hard fighting to come as the Allies advanced |
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| 56 | 57 | | east into Germany, but less than a year after D-Day, on May 8, 1945, |
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| 57 | 58 | | the Allies accepted the unconditional surrender of Nazi Germany; |
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| 58 | 59 | | and |
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| 59 | 60 | | WHEREAS, One of the greatest military feats in history, the |
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| 60 | 61 | | Normandy invasion is a testament to the bold leadership and |
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| 61 | 62 | | logistical skill of General Eisenhower and the Allied command, but |
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| 62 | 63 | | in the end, the success of the operation relied heavily on the |
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| 63 | 64 | | determination and courage of the troops who waded through the surf |
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| 64 | 65 | | into a hail of machine gun bullets, who rode gliders in the dark |
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| 65 | 66 | | through bursts of antiaircraft fire, and who parachuted into the |
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| 66 | 67 | | French countryside occupied by the enemy; and |
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| 67 | 68 | | WHEREAS, The heroism and sacrifice of these soldiers, airmen, |
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| 68 | 69 | | and sailors were essential in liberating a continent and ending one |
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| 69 | 70 | | of the most brutal dictatorships of the 20th century, and |
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| 70 | 71 | | succeeding generations owe them a debt of gratitude that time can |
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| 71 | 72 | | never erase; now, therefore, be it |
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| 72 | 73 | | RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 86th Texas |
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| 73 | 74 | | Legislature hereby commemorate the 75th anniversary of the D-Day |
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| 74 | 75 | | invasion and pay tribute to the veterans who participated and to |
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| 75 | 76 | | those who lost their lives. |
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