They were quickly crushed by the onward rush of conquering troops in the early days of World War II. When that war ended they were caught in the grasp of the Soviet state. "Liberation" for them was only a return to the nightmare of oppression which they had undergone years ago. in fact. it was much worse. Many thousands of Lithuanians were cruelly deported by the ruthless Soviet rulers to fates which it is not pleasant to remember but which we should remember so that we realize fully the heroism of the Lithuanian people and the kind of regime we have had to reckon with in Moscow. As we celebrate today the solemn anniversary of the independence of the Lithuanian nation let us extend to them the reassurances of our lasting friendship and remind ourselves of the great debt we owe to these people who were among the first victims of that great war launched against the free world two decades ago. and who are still victims of one of the main aggressors in that war.
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deported