Boozman resolution lauds D-Day troops
WASHINGTON -- One day before lawmakers headed to France to mark the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Normandy, the U.S. Senate approved a resolution, sponsored by U.S. Sen. John Boozman, R-Ark., paying tribute to a key group of warriors from the Greatest Generation.
Senate Resolution 135 expressed "the gratitude and appreciation of the Senate for the acts of heroism and valor by the members of the United States Armed Forces who participated in the June 6, 1944, amphibious landing at Normandy, France." It commended the service members "for leadership and bravery in an operation that helped bring an end to World War II."
Known as D-Day, the operation was the biggest amphibious operation the world has ever seen, the resolution noted. It involved more than 130,000 members of the Allied Expeditionary Force, including roughly 57,000 Americans, plus more than 23,000 "airborne troops" as well as roughly "7,000 naval vessels," the resolution said. Overhead, Allied aircraft commenced more than 14,000 sorties.
There were roughly 10,000 Allied casualties on the first day alone; more than 6,000 of those were U.S. service members, the lawmaker from Rogers said.
Boozman introduced the resolution on April 2. It had 47 co-sponsors.
In addition to successfully sponsoring the measure, Boozman joined the official Senate delegation that traveled to Normandy for Thursday's ceremonies.
He was one of 17 senators selected for the task. U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., was another, but ultimately did not attend. Instead Cotton stayed in the U.S., returning to Arkansas on Friday, a spokesman said.
He made it back to Arkansas in time to attend the Republican Party of Arkansas' Reagan-Rockefeller Dinner in Benton, the party's largest annual fundraiser.
Sales hold steady for Cotton's book
U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton's book, Sacred Duty: A Soldier's Tour at Arlington National Cemetery, continues to sell well, nearly a month after its release. The tribute to the men and women who guard the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier will be No. 14 on next week's New York Times Best Seller list for Hardcover Nonfiction.
After its May 14 release, Sacred Duty debuted at No. 8 on the Times' June 2 list. On the list, which appears in today's newspaper, it is No. 11.
President Donald Trump, who boasts 60.9 million followers on Twitter, highlighted the book on the day of its release, encouraging his supporters to "make it big."
After Cotton nabbed a spot, for the first time, on the best-seller list, Trump offered his congratulations via Twitter. "I was at @ArlingtonNatl yesterday & the people there were so grateful for Tom's inspiring portrait of "The Old Guard." Great job @TomCottonAR!," Trump wrote on the Friday before Memorial Day.
Cotton's book, which was initially a best-seller on multiple charts, had fallen on the Amazon.com list to No. 229 by early Saturday afternoon (though it remained No. 1 in Amazon's "Sociology of Death" book category).
Barnes & Noble listed it at No. 72.
On the Publisher's Weekly's Hardcover Frontlist Nonfiction list, Sacred Duty was at No. 17 -- up three spaces from the previous week. In its third week on the chart, it narrowly trailed Vegetables Unleashed: A Cookbook.
Cotton, a native of Dardanelle, served in the U.S. Army, with tours completed in Afghanistan and Iraq. In between, he was a member of the Old Guard at Arlington.
Boozman aide up for career award
Susan Olson, an attorney and deputy chief of staff to U.S. Sen. John Boozman, is a finalist for the 2019 Staff Lifetime Achievement Democracy Award, which is presented by the nonpartisan Congressional Management Foundation.
Each year, the organization presents a lifetime achievement award to two lawmakers and one staff member "who have had long, respected careers in the Congress and who have had positive impacts on the management and operations of part or all of the institution."
"Long career" means a minimum of 20 years.
The winner will be announced June 20.
Olson, who arrived in Washington from Nebraska during the President Ronald Reagan era, has more than 30 years of experience. In addition to her current post, her service has included House chief of staff, a House Ethics Committee legal counsel, secretary of the House Delegation to the British American Parliamentary Group and secretary of the House NATO Parliamentary Assembly Delegation.
When Boozman switched from the House to the Senate in 2011, he hired Olson as his deputy chief of staff and general counsel.
In an interview, Boozman said Olson "exemplifies true public service."
"She could have left many years ago [and] made a lot more money doing something else, but she's chosen to remain in our office."
The chief deputy's commitment to constituent services also has been highlighted.
Olson is "more than valuable, [she's] an invaluable person," Boozman added.
Planning to visit the nation's capital? Know something happening in Washington, D.C.? Please contact Frank Lockwood at (202) 662-7690 or flockwood@arkansasonline.com. Want the latest from the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette's Washington bureau? It's available on Twitter, @LockwoodFrank.
A Section on 06/09/2019