 On this Memorial Day, we pause for a moment to reflect and pay tribute to those who have given the ultimate sacrifice in service to our nation. We also honor the families of those who never returned home. We hold them and their lost loved ones close to our hearts today and every day. Millions of men and women have died in wartime conflict throughout our history. In World War II alone, more than 10 million U.S. and allied service members gave their lives in battle. We remember and honor the lives and legacies of those fallen through the commemoration of their duty. This year, I'd like to pay a special tribute to the heroic Americans and allied forces who fought and died together during the North African Campaign in the Second World War. This critical series of battles played a pivotal role in turning the tide of the war in favor of allied forces. We are grateful to every single service member who bravely fought in Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, and Tunisia, and we honor those service members by keeping their memories and their stories alive. Among those compelling stories is that of an American hero buried in Djibouti. Today, we remember pilot officer Lawrence McGuire, a New Jersey-born aspiring pilot determined to fight against the Axis powers in World War II. As war tensions rose and America had not yet declared war, McGuire's patriotic desire to serve in conflict led him to enlist in the Royal Canadian Air Force in 1940, where he quickly rose through the ranks to become a pilot flying Glendime bombers. His duties eventually brought him to the British Royal Air Force Base in Yemen, where he flew missions over the Horn of Africa. It was on one of these missions in July 1942 flying reconnaissance over Vichy-held Djibouti that his bomber was shot down near what is now Camp Lemonnier, killing all aboard. McGuire, at the young age of 23, was the first Royal Canadian Air Force officer to die in the African Theater. He is the only known American killed in action to be buried in Djibouti. His sacrifice will never be forgotten. More than 2,000 of our fallen service members, most of whom lost their lives in the landings and occupation of Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia during World War II, rest in the North Africa American Cemetery and Memorial in Tunisia. We would be remiss not to mention that Allied Nations collectively lost more than 200,000 of their own service members in defense of freedom in the North African Campaign. This serves as a stark reminder that not only Americans have dedicated their lives to preserve peace on the African continent, but so have the sons and daughters from our partner nations. Since the Battle of Derna on the shores of Tripoli in 1805, to today's efforts to stem the tide of piracy, stamp out extremist violence, and to term a line influence on the African continent, our African and international partners have served and sacrificed, along with the U.S. soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, coast guardsmen and civilians, and they continue to do so every day. Their immeasurable dedication to duty is strong as we collectively remain committed to our ideals, our democracies, and our freedoms. May we continue to serve with the same bold spirit as Pilot Officer McGuire. Many of us are here today because of those who are not. I ask that you keep their sacrifices close to your heart today and every day as you continue to deliver on the legacy they left behind. In honor of those who made the ultimate sacrifice, we salute you.