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1994 SESSION


HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 354
Commemorating the bravery and heroism of the men of the 116th Infantry Regiment and the 111th Field Artillery Battalion during World War II.
Agreed to by the House of Delegates, February 21, 1994
Agreed to by the Senate, February 24, 1994

WHEREAS, June 6, 1994, marks the 50th anniversary of the D-Day landing at Normandy, the beginning of the long and bloody battle to liberate Europe from Nazi tyranny; and

WHEREAS, some of the stiffest German resistance on June 6, 1944, was encountered at Omaha Beach, and it was there that elements of the 29th Infantry Division fought with unparalleled fury, bravery, and heroism; and

WHEREAS, the 116th Infantry Regiment and the 111th Field Artillery Battalion, both elements of the Virginia National Guard, were called into service in 1941 and served throughout World War II, but never with greater distinction than during those early days of June, 50 years ago; and

WHEREAS, after gaining a tenuous foothold on one of the most heavily fortified segments of the Normandy coast in the early hours of that bloody morning, the 116th Infantry and the 111th Artillery, suffering heavy casualties, fought their way off the beach and became part of the force that captured the strategic French town of St. Lo only 40 days later; and

WHEREAS, cited numerous times shortly after the Normandy invasion by, among others, General Omar Bradley and the commander of Allied ground forces in Normandy, Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery, the men of the 116th Infantry and the 111th Artillery performed with extraordinary gallantry, valor, and courage under conditions of unimaginable horror; and

WHEREAS, as survivors of these storied units prepare to visit the battlefields of Normandy on the 50th anniversary of the invasion of Europe, it is entirely fitting that their deeds be once again acknowledged, recognized, and celebrated; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly hereby commemorate the exceptional bravery, sacrifice, and heroism of the men of the 116th Infantry Regiment and the 111th Field Artillery Battalion during the D-Day assault; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to J. Robert Slaughter, a 29th Infantry Division veteran of the D-Day landings, in honor of the indelible contributions to liberty by the men of the 116th Infantry Regiment and the 111th Field Artillery Battalion.