Recognizing the 60th anniversary of Victory in Europe (V-E) Day during World War II.

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 233) recognizing the 60th Anniversary of Victory in Europe (V-E) Day During World War II, as amended.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

H. Res. 233, Madam Speaker, as the Clerk just pointed out, is a resolution that recognizes the 60th anniversary of victory in Europe during World War II.

This resolution, Madam Speaker, reiterates a simple but powerful message that our Nation honors and deeply appreciates the men and women who served in the European Theatre during World War II and that we especially remember and pay tribute to those Americans who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country.

Madam Speaker, 60 years ago, at General Eisenhower's headquarters in Reims, France, a representative of the German high command unconditionally surrendered all land, air, and sea forces to the allies ending the war in Europe.

General Eisenhower, in his order of the day to the troops on May 8, 1945, V-E Day, declared, and I quote him in part: ``The crusade on which we embarked in early summer of 1944 has reached its glorious conclusion. It is my special privilege, in the name of all nations represented in this theatre of war, to commend each of you for the valiant performance of duty. Though these words are feeble,'' General Eisenhower went on to say, ``they come from the bottom of a heart overflowing with pride in our loyal service and admiration for you as warriors. Your accomplishments at sea, in the air and on the ground, and in the field of supply, have astonished the world. Even before the final week of the conflict, you had put 5 million of the enemy permanently out of the war. You have taken in stride military tasks so difficult as to be classified by many doubters as impossible.

``You have confused and defeated and destroyed your savagely fighting foe. On the road to victory you have endured every discomfort and privation and have surmounted every obstacle, ingenuity and desperation could throw in your path. Full victory in Europe has been attained,'' he concluded.

President Truman in his radio address to the Nation that same day declared: ``Much remains to be done. The victory won in the West must now be won in the East. The whole world must be cleansed of the evil from which half the world has been freed.

General Truman went on to say: ``For the triumph of spirit and of arms, which we have won, and for the promise of the peoples everywhere to join us in the love of freedom, it is fitting that we as a Nation give thanks to Almighty God, who has strengthened us and given us the victory.''

He then went on to say that May 13, 1945, would be a day of prayer. And he called upon the people of the United States, whatever their faith, to unite, offering joyful thanks to God for the victory that we have won and to pray, to quote him again: ``That He will support us to the end of our present struggle and guide us into the way of peace.''

How fitting, Madam Speaker, that we continue to commemorate a national day of prayer this Thursday, May 5, as we bring before God our thanks for the many blessings He has bestowed upon this great Nation and petition for help in the ongoing challenges we face.

H. Res. 233, Madam Speaker, recognizes the enormous sacrifice of the young men and women who fought in the European theatre. During World War II, more than 4 million members of the United States Armed Forces fought in Europe. This is the largest military force ever committed by the United States in any theatre of operation.

And almost 200,000 American troops were killed in the European theater. In addition, H. Res. 233 recognizes the sacrifice of the millions of members of the armed forces of allied nations in defeating Nazi Germany, liberating Europe, and putting to an end an unspeakable crime and crimes perpetrated by the Nazi regime.

H. Res. 233 was approved by the European Emerging Threats Subcommittee, and I hope that every Member of the House will support its passage this afternoon.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, before yielding back, I just want to thank the gentleman from California (Mr. Lantos) again for his eloquent statement. He truly, he and his wife, Annette, are the personification of liberation. They are survivors of the Holocaust; and he just has been a great champion for human rights.

And so many Members of this body have served in World War II as well, including the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Hyde), the distinguished chairman of the full Committee on International Relations, who served in the Pacific theatre and was very active in the liberation, obviously, against Imperial Japan.

But, again, I want to thank the gentleman from California (Mr. Lantos) for his leadership and his very eloquent statement.

Mr. Speaker, we have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of our time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

I welcome this resolution marking the 60th anniversary of the allied victory in Europe at the end of World War II, which was introduced by the chairman of the Europe Subcommittee, the gentleman from California (Mr. Gallegly).

I also want to thank our chairman, my good friend, the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Hyde), for moving it so quickly through the committee and to the consideration by this House.

In just a few days, Mr. Speaker, the President will mark this important historic anniversary by visiting Holland and Russia for special events commemorating the end of the Second World War in Europe.

I remember well the events that we are commemorating. I was a teenager in Budapest, Hungary. And as a 16-year-old, I witnessed the military occupation of Hungary by Nazi troops in March 1944.

For part of that year, Mr. Speaker, I was in and out of Hungarian labor camps forced to repair a rail bridge on the main railroad line between Budapest and Vienna, across one of the tributaries of the Danube River. We cheered as American aircraft from bases in Italy bombed the bridge, although we knew that as soon as those planes were gone we would be forced rebuild it.

But we cheered because we knew that American participation in the war, and the heroic deeds of the American military, would ultimately bring about the

defeat of the monstrous Nazi war machine. Ultimately, German forces retreated into Austria, the Soviet Army arrived liberating Budapest.

Mr. Speaker, in a more direct and perhaps more personal sense than some of my colleagues here in the House, I have the greatest respect and admiration for the sacrifices of American soldiers and American pilots, many of whom give their lives in this epic battle against the evil forces of Adolph Hitler. In many ways, Mr. Speaker, victory in Europe in May 1945 marked more a beginning than an end.

It marked the end of the Nazi threat to freedom, but marked the beginning of a new United States involvement in Europe. As the Cold War began even before the guns of the Second World War became silent, the United States worked with our European allies to defend freedom from the Soviet Union with the Berlin airlift, the establishment of NATO, and strong American support for European cooperation which finally led to the establishment of the European Union.

As we look back on May 1945, at the exhilaration and camaraderie that we all shared at that time, I regret that some of that unity and cooperation has vanished. I regret that some of the countries that were liberated by the shedding of American blood in Normandy, and hundreds of other battlefields across the continent, are now cynically critical of our actions and obstructive of our efforts.

Our fight against terrorism is no less a struggle for our common freedom and democratic way of live than was the fight against Nazi Germany.

Mr. Speaker, I owe my life to the American military, and to the military forces of the other allied countries who liberated Europe at an enormous cost. I am honored to join in paying tribute to the men and women who served in Europe during World War II and in remembering them on this 60th anniversary of the liberation of Europe.

This was truly the Greatest Generation. And I urge my colleagues to support this resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. Speaker, 60 years ago the guns and bombs in Europe fell silent, and President Truman announced victory over Europe to a proud and free world.

I rise today to commemorate the 60th anniversary of this great and very important day, and to recognize the sacrifices and accomplishments of the men and women who so bravely served to defeat hate and aggression.

I join millions of people participating in thousands of events, in New York City, all across the United States, and around the world, in observing and honoring the courage of American service-members, allied soldiers, and home front workers.

During April 1945, allied forces led by the United States overran Nazi Germany from the west while Russian forces advanced from the east. On April 25, American and Russian troops met at the Elbe River. After 6 years of war, suffering, and devastation, Nazi Germany was formally defeated a few days later on May 8, 1945.

It was a bittersweet victory. Over 400,000 American soldiers died in World War II; 350, 000 British soldiers gave their lives; and a staggering 20 million Russian soldiers and civilians perished in the war fighting German aggression on their home soil. The war also brought about the most horrendous systematic murder which humanity has ever known, the Holocaust.

In memory of all the victims of World War II, it is our duty to raise our voices as one and say to the present and future generations that no one has the right to remain indifferent to anti-Semitism, xenophobia and racial or religious intolerance.

This is an occasion to remember and commemorate. We must remember why the war was fought, remember the victims and heroes, and thank those who fought so hard and sacrificed so much.

V-E Day marked the promise of a peaceful future for a Europe ravaged by unspeakable horror and war. Although freedom did not come to every European nation following the defeat of Nazi Germany, today we stand at the threshold of a very hopeful future based on sovereignty, democracy, freedom and cooperation.

Mr. Speaker, I take this opportunity to honor those individuals who gave their lives during the liberation of Europe, to thank the veterans of World War II, and to commemorate the defeat of Nazism and Fascism by freedom-loving people.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to submit this statement for the Record and regret that I could not be present today, Wednesday May 4, 2005 to vote on rollcall vote Nos. 153, 154, 155, 156, 157 and 158 due to a family medical emergency.

Had I been present, I would have voted:

``Yea'' on rollcall vote No. 153 on the motion to recommit H.R. 366 to the Committee on Education and the Workforce;

``Yea'' on rollcall vote No. 154 on final passage of H.R. 366--The Vocational and Technical Education for the Future Act;

``Yea'' on rollcall vote No. 155 on H. Con. Res. 127--Calling on the Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to transfer Charles Ghankay Taylor, former President of the Republic of Liberia, to the Special Court for Sierra Leone to be tried for war crimes, crimes against humanity, and other serious violations of international humanitarian law;

``Yea'' on rollcall vote No. 156 on H. Res. 195--Recognizing the 60th anniversary of Victory in Europe (VE) Day and the Liberation of Western Bohemia;

``Yea'' on rollcall vote No. 157 on H.R. 1185--Federal Deposit Insurance Reform Act; and,

``Yea'' on rollcall vote No. 158 on H. Res. 233--Recognizing the 60th anniversary of Victory in Europe (V-E) Day during World War II.

Mr. Speaker, due to a scheduling conflict, I was unable to be on the floor of the House of Representatives during the last series of votes on May 4, 2005. If I had been, I would have cast a ``yes'' vote on H.R. 1185, Final Passage of the Federal Deposit Insurance Reform Act of 2005, and a ``yes'' vote on H. Res. 233, Recognizing the 60th Anniversary of Victory in Europe (V-E) Day.