Backup Documents 06/11/2019 Item # 4BPROCLAMATION
WHEREAS, on June 6, 1944, D -Day, more than 130,000 American and Allied troops stormed the
beaches of Normandy, France, and thousands more parachuted in behind enemy lines,
on a mission to retake Europe from the control of Nazi Germany; and,
WHEREAS, the night before the operation, the largest amphibious assault in the history of war,
General Dwight D. Eisenhower issued a message to the Allied Expeditionary Force: "The
eyes of the world are upon you. The hopes and prayers of liberty -loving people
everywhere march with you. . . . We will accept nothing less than full victory;" and,
WHEREAS, paratroopers from the Army fell in behind enemy lines and shortly thereafter the first
wave of American, British, and Canadian infantry divisions rushed forth onto the five
beaches of the targeted 50 -mile stretch of the French coastline, codenamed Utah,
Omaha, Gold, Juno, and Sword; and,
WHEREAS, secure in the nobility of their cause and driven by love of country, the heroes of D -
Day pressed forward against the German onslaught. Through their gallantry and
dedication to duty, they overwhelmed the enemy and secured a beachhead that allowed
wave after wave of infantry to push onto the continent; and,
WHEREAS, by day's end, the D -Day forces had pried open Europe's northern door, through which
streamed the forces of liberation, which ultimately ended the war, ended the horrors
of the Holocaust, ended the tyrannical Hitler regime, and laid the foundations of a
peace that persists to this day; and,
WHEREAS, more than 28,000 veterans currently reside in Collier County, and many Collier County
residents continue to serve on active duty in the National Guard and in the reserve
components of the United States Armed Forces; and,
WHEREAS, we pause to remember this 75" Anniversary and honor all the brave soldiers, sailors,
nurses, and airmen whose selfless sacrifices catalyzed the deliverance of oppressed
people and secured freedom for decades to come. May we always be true to the virtues
and principles for which the Greatest Generation paid so dearly; and,
WHEREAS the story of the United States of America will forever include the valor and sacrifices
of the intrepid servicemen who took those beaches in northwest France on June 6,
1944.
NOW, THEREFORE, the Collier County Board of County Commissioners urge all citizens of Collier
County to join in honoring those who served and sacrificed to liberate Europe and defend
America's freedom and security.
DONE AND ORDERED THIS 11" day of June 2019.
BOARD OF
L. MCDANIEL, JR.,