Rep. Susan Davis (D-53) is in France Friday for ceremonies at Omaha Beach in Normandy to pay tribute to World War II veterans, including her father, on the 70th anniversary of D-Day.
“I take personal pride and feel a lot of emotion for the fact that my dad was a medic in Europe during the war, and saw a lot in that theater,” said Davis, a senior member of the House Armed Services Committee.
“Some of the men who stormed the beach 70 years ago were from San Diego, so my ability to represent San Diego in honor of those who died, as well as those still with us to today makes this trip especially meaningful. Having watched recently released footage of the Normandy invasion, I am reminded of the acts of courage, planning, coordination, engineering feats, and a commitment to stopping the spread of tyranny.”
Davis is taking part in a bipartisan delegation from Congress attending the memorial ceremonies at Normandy American Cemetery, where 93,000 American war dead are interred. Attending the Omaha Beach ceremony will be 81 American veterans, including five from the San Diego area.
Later on Friday an international ceremony will take place at Sword Beach that will include President Barack Obama, French President François Hollande and other Allied heads of state.
The largest seaborne invasion in history began at 6:30 a.m. on June 6, 1944, when 155,000 troops hit the beaches of Normandy. The five beaches where the Allies landed were code named Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno, and Sword. Less than a year later, Nazi Germany was defeated and Europe liberated.
Davis’ 53rd District includes La Mesa, Lemon Grove, Spring Valley and parts of San Diego, El Cajon, and Chula Vista.