H.R. No. 2209
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, On June 6, 2019, Americans and freedom-loving people
from around the globe will pause to reflect, honor, and commemorate
the 75th anniversary of the D-Day invasion by principally American,
British, and Canadian military troops by amphibious assault from
the English Channel on the beaches of Normandy, France, and via
airborne assault in the French countryside by their fellow
paratroopers, totaling nearly 160,000 men, this military campaign
code-named "Operation Overlord" significantly led to the ultimate
liberation of Europe and the end of World War II; and
WHEREAS, Though Germany's Third Reich was suffering heavy
military losses on the Eastern Front, it still controlled much of
Europe; after entering the war in December 1941, U.S. armed forces
joined with other Allied forces to drive the German Africa Corps out
of North Africa in May 1943, and in July of that year, the American
and British forces began the liberation of Europe with the invasion
of Sicily; by the summer of 1944, World War II had been raging for
nearly five years; and
WHEREAS, Planning for an Allied invasion across the English
Channel subsequently commenced, and in January 1944, General Dwight
D. Eisenhower was appointed as commander of Operation Overlord;
faced with a 2,400-mile German defensive line of bunkers, land
mines, and beach obstacles known as the Atlantic Wall, the Allies
began to train a force of American, British, and Canadian troops in
Britain; and
WHEREAS, In the months leading up to the invasion, the
British and American air forces flew 200,000 sorties and dropped
195,000 tons of bombs on German installations in France, attacking
rail centers, airfields, military bases, radar stations, and
coastal artillery batteries; the Allies also engaged in an
extensive deception operation intended to fool the Germans into
thinking the invasion would take place near Pas-de-Calais, instead
of the real target, the coast of Normandy; and
WHEREAS, Late in the day of June 5, 1944, almost 6,000 ships
and landing craft loaded with troops and supplies left Britain and
started across the English Channel toward France; that night,
approximately 800 aircraft carrying paratroopers and towing
gliders dropped members of the American 82nd and 101st Airborne
Divisions and the British 6th Airborne Division behind enemy lines
in Normandy; and
WHEREAS, At 6:30 a.m. on June 6, 1944, the first of 156,000
Allied troops landed on the shores of Normandy; the soldiers at the
beachheads of Gold, Juno, Sword, and Utah met light German
resistance, but at Omaha Beach, the U.S. 1st Division encountered
strong Wehrmacht defenses; the Americans fought for every inch of
ground, suffering more than 2,000 casualties before finally seizing
control and taking the beach; and
WHEREAS, A week later, the coast was completely under Allied
command, and over 326,000 troops, 50,000 vehicles, and 100,000 tons
of equipment had been landed; by the end of August 1944, the Allies
had liberated Paris and driven the Germans out of northwestern
France; there was much hard fighting to come as the Allies advanced
east into Germany, but less than a year after D-Day, on May 8, 1945,
the Allies accepted the unconditional surrender of Nazi Germany;
and
WHEREAS, One of the greatest military feats in history, the
Normandy invasion is a testament to the bold leadership and
logistical skill of General Eisenhower and the Allied command, but
in the end, the success of the operation relied heavily on the
determination and courage of the troops who waded through the surf
into a hail of machine gun bullets, who rode gliders in the dark
through bursts of antiaircraft fire, and who parachuted into the
French countryside occupied by the enemy; and
WHEREAS, The heroism and sacrifice of these soldiers, airmen,
and sailors were essential in liberating a continent and ending one
of the most brutal dictatorships of the 20th century, and
succeeding generations owe them a debt of gratitude that time can
never erase; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 86th Texas
Legislature hereby commemorate the 75th anniversary of the D-Day
invasion and pay tribute to the veterans who participated and to
those who lost their lives.
Price
______________________________
Speaker of the House
I certify that H.R. No. 2209 was adopted by the House on May
27, 2019, by a non-record vote.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House