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Rep. Erik Paulsen

I rise today to honor Lieutenant Colonel Kenneth Guetzke, a World War II veteran from Eden Prairie, Minnesota, one of my constituents who landed at Omaha Beach on D-day and who went on to fight at the Battle of the Bulge. He later was awarded and received both the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star for his service.

During the battle to liberate occupied France, Lieutenant Colonel Guetzke's mission was to protect some of Paris' most famous landmarks--the Eiffel Tower, the Notre Dame Cathedral, the Louvre, and the Arc de Triomphe--from being destroyed by retreating Nazi forces. Earlier this month, the people of France formally thanked Lieutenant Colonel Guetzke, and awarded him the Chevalier of the French Legion of Honor.

I want to thank Lieutenant Colonel Guetzke for his exemplary service, and I also want to congratulate him on receiving France's highest honor.