Fortenberry Arrives in France to Dedicate Higgins Memorial

Press Release

Sainte-Marie-du-Mont, France -- Congressman Jeff Fortenberry (NE-01) today arrived in France to dedicate the new Higgins Memorial on Utah Beach and participate in celebrations surrounding the 71st anniversary of the D-Day landings at Normandy. The Utah Beach Higgins Memorial will be dedicated the morning of Saturday, June 6, 2015, in an official ceremony on Utah Beach.

"Tomorrow, I will help the community of Columbus, Nebraska, dedicate a new memorial to Andrew Jackson Higgins," Fortenberry said. "President Eisenhower once referred to the native son of Columbus as the man who won the war for us. This is an unbelievable gift from the people of America to the people of France--but most importantly, it is a tribute to those who fought and died that on D-Day. I am proud of the efforts of all who have been involved in getting this memorial to France and I am pleased to stand on Utah Beach tomorrow as your Representative of Nebraska's First District."

The Utah Beach Higgins Memorial was installed late last month next to the U.S. Naval Memorial in Europe in front of the Utah Beach Museum at in Sainte-Marie-du-Mont, France. The monument is located in the very breach opened by Brigadier General Teddy Roosevelt Jr. on D-Day and where American troops first stormed onto Utah Beach. To make this possible, the French community of Sainte-Marie-du-Mont moved their own national memorial to General Leclerc's 2nd French Armored Division.

Fortenberry is joined in France by U.S. Ambassador Jane Hartley and Columbus Mayor Mike Moser.

Fortenberry serves on the House Appropriations Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations and is the co-chair of the Congressional Study Group on Europe.

Source