Report From Congress: 6/4/07

Letter

REPORT FROM CONGRESS: 6/4/07

63rd D-DAY OBSERVANCE SPECIAL FOR WICKER FAMILY

On June 6, 1944, Allied forces staged the largest amphibious assault in history as they stormed the beaches of France to begin the liberation of Europe from Nazi occupation. This year marks the 63rd anniversary of D-Day, and it has been commemorated at services on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean over the past week.

One of the highlights this year is the opening of a new visitor center at the Normandy American Cemetery near Omaha Beach, the site of one of the primary invasion landing sites. The ceremony took on even more personal meaning in the Wicker family as my father, my son, and my nephew attended the event.

THIRD GENERATION AIR FORCE CONNECTION

My father Fred Wicker served in the U.S. Army Air Corps (later the Army Air Forces) in Europe during World War II. The USAAF became the U.S. Air Force in 1947. My uncle Kenneth Wicker is a 20-year Air Force veteran, retiring with the rank of chief master sergeant. Later, I served four years on active duty in the Air Force and 25 years as a member of the Air Force Reserve. My son McDaniel recently became a third generation member of the Air Force when he was sworn-in as a Reserve Officer Training Corps Cadet at the University of Mississippi. My nephew Frederick Cummings is determined to take another route and will sign on as a Navy SEAL next year after graduation from Ole Miss.

It was a special moment for my father and his two grandsons to be among hundreds of Americans to commemorate the D-Day invasion and witness the opening of the visitor center. The new facility was created by the American Battle Monuments Commission (AMBC) and funded by Congress. I have worked closely with AMBC officials from my position as ranking minority member of the Military Construction/VA Appropriations Subcommittee. Our panel recently approved a bill that provided an increase for its operations around the world. The Commission maintains 24 American burial grounds in 15 countries, including the Normandy American Cemetery, where 9,387 Americans are buried.

KEEPING FOCUS ON D-DAY'S SIGNIFICANCE

The center is on a cliff overlooking Omaha Beach in Colleville-Sur Mer, France. The cemetery at Normandy is the most popular site run by the Battle Monuments Commission, with one million visitors annually. Congress hopes the new 30,000 square foot facility will tell the story of the Americans buried there and "put the D-Day landings and follow-on battle in Europe in perspective as one of the greatest military achievements of all time." It is also designed to pay tribute to the values and sacrifices of the World War II generation. The exhibit includes photos, films, interactive displays and artifacts from the battle.

D-DAY MEMORY REMAINS STRONG

The Allied invasion on D-Day was a pivotal moment in World War II and one of the most dramatic events in world history. Aided by air and naval bombardment, 5,000 ships of all sizes landed more than 130,000 troops on five beaches in northern France to begin the march toward victory over Adolph Hitler. The new memorial reflects a renewed U.S. commitment to keep alive the stories and the history surrounding D-Day. This effort and the related ceremonies in the U.S. and Europe are a testament that even 63 years later the memory of what happened on the beaches of Normandy remains strong.

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