WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) today made the following statement after attending the ceremony in Normandy, France marking the 80^th anniversary of the D-Day landings by Allied forces.  Graham traveled to Normandy as a part of a bipartisan Senate delegation.

“Being able to attend the 80^th anniversary ceremony commemorating the D-Day landings with World War II veterans was one of the highlights of my life.  Their average age was 100 and their bodies were frail, but their spirit was strong.  Their minds and wit were incredibly sharp.

“When I asked them what it felt like coming back, they jokingly said people are friendlier this time and it’s much quieter.

“After spending time with these World War II veterans, it’s crystal clear why we won the war and why they have been deemed the Greatest Generation.

“However, there is a chill in the air.  Eighty years after D-Day there is a land war in Europe where Russia is trying to rewrite the map of Europe by force of arms.  Eighty years after D-Day, we also witnessed the largest attack on the Jewish people since the Holocaust.

“We rightly applaud the bravery of the common soldier, sailor and airman, and the military leaders of World War II, but it is equally important is to learn from those times.  Churchill deemed World War II as the unnecessary war, and he was right.  There were so many wasted chances to stop Hitler’s aggression.

“I believe that appeasing evil and failing to confront it never works.

“I am more determined than ever to make sure that we not only honor those who serve, but that we push back early and hard against forces that will throw mankind back into the darkness.

“May God bless the Greatest Generation.”

Photos and video of Senator Graham at the D-Day ceremony in Normandy are available HERE.

Details on the bipartisan Senate delegation are HERE.

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