{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.moran.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news-releases?ID=42E1F562-F9DD-473C-A437-FF2D87EFA988", "VIDEO: Sen. Moran Introduces Resolution to Honor World War II Italian Campaign", "2025-09-09", "2025", "2025-09", "Republican", "Senate", "KS", "Jerry Moran", "M000934", "www.moran.senate.gov", "moran", "https://www.moran.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) \u2013 chairman of the Senate Committee on Veterans\u2019 Affairs and co-chair of the Senate Army Caucus \u2013 last night spoke on the Senate floor on the introduction of a Senate Resolution to establish September 9th as National World War II Italian Campaign Remembrance Day. The resolution is cosponsored by Sens. Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), John Boozman (R-Ark.) and Tim Sheehy (R-Mont.). In his remarks, Sen. Moran recognized the heroism and sacrifice of the veterans of the World War II Italian Campaign, including his father, Staff Sergeant Raymond Moran of the 603rd Armament Maintenance Battalion.\n\n\u201cI am introducing a resolution to establish September 9th as the \u2018National World War II Italian Campaign Remembrance Day\u2019 to commemorate their valor and ensure their legacy endures for generations to come,\u201d said Sen. Moran. \u201cEighty-two years ago, Allied forces launched Operation Avalanche, marking the start of the liberation of the Italian peninsula from fascist Nazi occupation. This military campaign was a testament to the unyielding resolve of U.S. Forces and the strength of our foreign military alliances, united by a shared commitment to democratic ideals and the fight against fascism.\u201d\n\n\u201cToday, fewer than half a percent of the more than 16 million Americans who served in World War II are still alive today,\u201d continued Sen. Moran. \u201cThe veterans of the Italian Campaign, including my father, Staff Sergeant Raymond Moran of the 603rd Armament Maintenance Battalion, are dwindling in number. My father dedicated two years of his life to the liberation of Italy, repairing rifles and other small arms weapons under the regular threat of attack to make certain U.S. Forces were equipped to win.\u201d\n\nFull text of the resolution can be found HERE.\n\nClick HERE to Watch Sen. Moran\u2019s Full Remarks\n\nSen. Moran\u2019s full remarks as delivered:\n\n\u201cToday, I want to recognize the upcoming anniversary of an important day in our nation\u2019s history. September 9th marks the beginning of the Italian Campaign of World War II in 1943, a campaign that only successful because of the courage and sacrifice of the hundreds of thousands of U.S. and Allied.\n\n\u201cI am introducing a resolution to establish September 9th, as the \u201cNational World War II Italian Campaign Remembrance Day\u201d to commemorate their valor and ensure their legacy endures for generations to come.\n\n\u201cEighty-two years ago, Allied forces launched Operation Avalanche, marking the start of the liberation of the Italian peninsula from fascist Nazi occupation. This military campaign was a testament to the unyielding resolve of U.S. Forces and the strength of our foreign military alliances, united by a shared commitment to democratic ideals and the fight against fascism.\n\n\u201cThe Italian Campaign was not just a series of joint and allied military operations; it was a stand against despotism and a defense of the freedoms we value, an important moment in history.\n\n\u201cThe Italian Campaign was fought across treacherous terrain, from the shores of North Africa to the waters of Sicily, along the rugged Amalfi Coast which ultimately led to the liberation of Rome. The first major European city liberated during World War II.\n\n\u201cU.S. Forces, alongside brave and committed global Allied forces from over ten nations, including Italian resistance brigades, faced grueling conditions, fierce combat, and severe materiel constraints. Battles such as Monte Cassino and Anzio stand as two of the most intense of the war, costing countless lives.\n\n\u201cToday, fewer than half a percent of the more than 16 million Americans who served in World War II are still alive today. The veterans of the Italian Campaign, including my father, Staff Sergeant Raymond Moran of the 603rd Armament Maintenance Battalion, are dwindling in number.\n\n\u201cMy father dedicated two years of his life to the liberation of Italy, repairing rifles and other small arms weapons under the regular threat of attack to make certain U.S. Forces were equipped to win.\n\n\u201cI am joined on this resolution by my colleague, Senator Rick Scott of Florida, whose father Orba Scott Junior, a Paratrooper with the 82nd Airborne Division, also served in this campaign, in recognizing the personal and collective sacrifices of these heroes.\n\n\u201cOur fathers\u2019 sacrifices were not unlike the 1.2 million men and women who also served in the Italian campaign and I want to express my gratitude to the Allies Museum for their support and work to memorialize this important World War II campaign by building a museum in Rome to commemorate the \u2018forgotten campaign.\u2019\n\n\u201cThe Italian Campaign spanned 602 days, culminating in the surrender at Caserta, just north of Naples on April 29, 1945, when nearly one million Axis Troops capitulated\u2014the largest surrender of German forces at that point in the war.\n\n\u201cThe following day, Adolf Hitler\u2019s death marked the collapse of the fascist Nazi regime, a turning point made possible by the military operations comprising the Italian Campaign.\n\n\u201cThis resolution acknowledges the tremendous cost of the Italian Campaign, with hundreds of thousands of U.S. and Allied casualties, many of whom rest in the serene and pristine American cemeteries across Italy.\n\n\u201cOur resolution reaffirms that the victory was driven by an unwavering force of will, ironclad military alliances, and the enduring power of democratic values and principles that remain vital in today\u2019s global conflicts today.\n\n\u201cI hope my colleagues in the Senate will join me in honoring the memory of those who fought and died in the Italian Campaign, to salute the surviving veterans, and to recognize the families who carry forward their legacy.\n\n\u201cLet us designate September 9th as \u201cNational World War II Italian Campaign Remembrance Day\u201d to ensure their sacrifices are never forgotten and memorialized on the floor of the U.S. Senate.\u201d\n\n# # #", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:10:29Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.moran.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news-releases?ID=42E1F562-F9DD-473C-A437-FF2D87EFA988"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.599381910637021, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}