MICHAEL D.

DOVILLA
18 TH DISTRICT ______

VERNE R IFFE CENTER

77 S OUTH HIGH S TREET, 12 TH F LOOR COLUMBUS, OH 43215-6111
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ECONOMIC & SMALL B USINESS DEVELOPMENT EDUCATION, V ICE-CHAIRMAN STATE GOVERNMENT & E LECTIONS W AYS & MEANS P OLICY, CHAIRMAN

T: (614) 466-4895
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F: (614) 719-6957

Ohio General Assembly

House of Representatives Columbus

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DISTRICT18@OHR .STATE.OH.US

Remarks of State Representative Mike Dovilla Commemorating the 68th Anniversary of D-Day Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 3345 Strongsville, Ohio Sunday, June 10, 2012 It is always a privilege to attend a special event here at VFW Post 3345 my VFW post. Commander Mulroy, thank you for the invitation to be here today and more importantly, thank you and all of our officers for the strong leadership you provide Post 3345, an AllAmerican post for the past three consecutive years, among many other well-deserved accolades. Today, we are gathered to mark the 68th anniversary of the Normandy Invasion. No less a man than Winston Churchill commented that Operation Overlord, the code name for the Battle of Normandy, was undoubtedly the most complicated and difficult ever undertaken. The invasion involved over three million troops, nearly 160,000 of whom crossed the English Channel on 6 June 1944 in Operation Neptune. The operation represented the first step toward liberating Western Europe and defeating Nazi Germany. Just before the invasion General Eisenhower addressed the troops in a letter to Allied Forces, saying, You are about to embark upon the Great Crusade, toward which we have striven these many months. The eyes of the world are upon you. The hopes and prayers of liberty-loving people everywhere march with you. In company with our brave Allies and brothers-in-arms on other Fronts, you will bring about the destruction of the German war machine, the elimination of Nazi tyranny over the oppressed peoples of Europe, and security for ourselves in a free world. We know the heroism of those who embarked upon that Great Crusade, particularly those Americans who landed on Utah Beach and Omaha Beach, the most heavily fortified landing site, which was manned by some the best trained German infantry on the beaches. We recall the efforts of our British and Canadian allies, who landed at Gold, Sword, and Juno Beaches, respectively. And we remember with awe and admiration the men of the 2nd Ranger Battalion, whose mission it was to scale the cliffs of Pointe du Hoc under enemy fire with only rope ladders to destroy the guns in that critical German position. Two hundred twenty-five men landed that day at the base of those cliffs. After reaching their objective, destroying the fortifications, and fighting for two days to hold the location, only 90 remained among the living and fit for battle.

And what do we know of these men and the others who returned to America after the defeat of tyranny? They returned with the faith in God that sustained them through the darkest days of World War II. They returned with an abiding belief in the strength of democracy, a system of government that, while imperfect, is ultimately in the hands of we, the people to do our best to serve our fellow citizens. And they returned with a work ethic that built our modern America, with many earning their college degrees, starting families, and launching a period of peace and prosperity we would do well to emulate in our own time. And indeed, some Americans are emulating the Greatest Generations example, although perhaps too few. We have heard much in the last year about the 99 percent versus the one percent, an attempt by some to divide our Nation with class warfare at a time when unity and work for the common good are desperately needed. But there is another one percent that does bear special recognition: the one percent of Americans who still choose who volunteer to put on the cloth of our Nation in the U.S. Armed Forces to defend the other 99 percent. It is these men and women, standing guard for us each day in a world that remains uncertain and dangerous who deserve our gratitude and respect.

In honoring those who fought and died in defense of freedom on the northern shores of France nearly seven decades ago, we also honor those who continue to this very day to defend freedom for Americans and liberty-loving people all across the globe. Thank you, again, again, for this opportunity to be with you today. May God bless each of you, our great State of Ohio, and the Nation we love.