Two Colorado Congressmen are among the many Americans in France this week to commemorate the 75th anniversary of D-Day.
Ed Perlmutter and Jason Crow are part of a bipartisan congressional delegation led by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and took part in the ceremony at Normandy American Cemetery with President Donald Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron.
President Trump paid tribute to veterans of the battle, saying, “You are the pride of our nation. You are the glory of our republic. And we thank you from the bottom of our hearts.”
Crow said it was humbling to speak with the World War Two veterans at the event.
“They don’t like to refer to themselves as heroes. They say the real heroes are those that are laying under the ground there. Just the level of humility is something that stuck out to me,” he said.
Perlmutter said via twitter that he was honored to meet many of the veterans in Normandy.
Today is a day for remembering heroes. It is an honor to have the opportunity to meet and shake the hands of many of them here today in Normandy. A grateful nation and world thanks you. #DDay75 pic.twitter.com/CquwwBZYuk
Weather permitting, Crow also plans to take part in a World War Two reenactment jump into one of the Normandy invasion drop zones on Sunday. The army veteran said he’s looking forward to showing solidarity with his fellow paratroopers and drawing a connection “between the past generation and the new.”
Several other members of the Colorado delegation also marked the anniversary and honored the men who took part in D-Day.
In Washington, Sen. Cory Gardner helped read names at a remembrance ceremony and candlelit vigil at the World War Two memorial to honor those who died during Operation Overlord, the official name for the D-Day invasion.
Etched in the pavement of the US Armed Forces Memorial Garden in Normandy are the words: “From the heart of our land flows the blood of your youth, given to you in the name of freedom.” #DDay75 pic.twitter.com/egyhDidcmm
Gardner also took to the Senate floor to say he hoped all Americans would take time to reflect on the “massive undertaking” that led to the liberation of Europe and the end of World War Two.
“Etched in the pavement of the U.S. Armed Forces Memorial Garden in Normandy, France, are the words: ‘From the heart of our land flows the blood of our youth, given to you in the name of freedom,’” Gardner said. “Let us never forget the sacrifice of the greatest treasure this nation has and what these men and women did for a free world and free people.”
