Mr. Speaker. between June 14 and June 17. 1940. the three independent nations of Estonia. Latvia. and Lithuania were presented with ultimatums from the Soviet Union. The demand for the right of passage for the Red Army together with the dissolution of the Baltic Governments marked the passing of two decades of selfgovernment and freedom. Despite a Soviet campaign of massive deportation to replace Baltic citizens with Russian stock. the spirit of the Estonian. Latvian. and Lithuanian people for independence never faded. I would like to take this opportunity to honor. along with other Americans of Estonian. Latvian. and Lithuanian descent. the determination of a people resisting a foreign attempt to eliminate their linguistic. ethnic. and religious identities.
Keywords matched
deportation