[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 133 (Wednesday, September 21, 1994)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: September 21, 1994]



                   60TH ANNIVERSARY OF HMS QUEEN MARY

                                 ______


                           HON. STEPHEN HORN

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                     Wednesday, September 21, 1994

  Mr. HORN. Mr. Speaker, on September 26, 1934--a day of cold winds, 
heavy overcast, and intermittent rain--a new day of hope dawned for the 
British people. A ship, previously known as job number 534, was to be 
officially christened. Though the new ship's name was kept a closely 
guarded secret until the bottle of Australian white wine was smashed 
against her hull, her symbolism was understood by one and all. This new 
Cunard line vessel was special--the fastest ship afloat, the pride of 
British art and craftsmanship, and a symbol of the indomitable spirit 
of a nation that was then going through an economic depression.
  In the prelaunch ceremonies, King George V foreshadowed both her 
symbolic and historic role, pronouncing the H.M.S. Queen Mary--which 
was named for his wife--``a ship * * * alive with beauty, energy, and 
strength * * * the stateliest ship now in being.''
  And so the Queen Mary stands today--still stately, still alive and 
energetic, and still a symbol of strength and survival in yet another 
time of economic difficulty.
  The summer of 1939 found the Queen Mary at the height of her 
success--glamorous, safe, fast, and profitable. But the world was about 
to change and so was the role of the Queen Mary. Two days before the 
Nazis invaded Poland in September of that year, the Queen Mary set sail 
for New York. In midvoyage, she was put on war alert--a status in which 
she remained for the next 6 years.
  The record of the Queen Mary in the Second World War was remarkable. 
She carried nearly 500,000 allied troops across the Atlantic, 
encountering only one serious accident--which occurred when she 
collided with the British anti-aircraft cruiser H.M.S. Curacoa. The 
Queen's wartime passengers included both the famous and the ordinary. 
While on board, Prime Minister Winston Churchill first reviewed the D-
day Invasion plans. Later, at the war's end, it was from the Queen 
Mary's railings that over 22,000 America-bound war brides and their 
babies got their first glimpse of the country that was to be their new 
home.
  For the next two decades, the Queen Mary resumed her original job--
transporting millions of travelers back and forth across the Atlantic 
in elegant style. But the rise of postwar air travel connecting the 
United States and Europe meant less passengers on large ocean liners. 
One day, two Long Beach leaders, read that the Queen Mary might be 
headed for the scrap heap.
  In a move that was labeled visionary by many, Independent Press 
Telegram General Manager Sam Cameron and automobile dealer Bud 
Ridings--who had the idea of bringing the Queen Mary to Long Beach--
were later joined by Long Beach Mayor Edwin Wade, and Vice Mayor Robert 
Crow. Their plan was to install the Queen Mary as the city's 
centerpiece. And in December 1967, she arrived at her current home--
Long Beach, CA.
  The Queen Mary received a tumultuous welcome to Long Beach--one that 
a reporter for the Los Angeles Times described as ``bigger than any 
celebration in southern California since the day World War II ended.'' 
Shortly after, the Queen began the refitting process and, in 1971, 
opened as a tourist attraction and hotel. Since then, an average of 1 
million visitors have enjoyed her hospitality each year.
  The bravery and graciousness with which the Queen Mary graced the 
Atlantic Ocean in her war and peacetime roles has continued as her 
hallmark during her residency in Long Beach. Her presence along our 
shore has heightened Long Beach's visibility throughout the world and 
has served as a reminder to all of us of the spirit that is necessary 
to sail through both the still and turbulent waters of life.
  The Queen Mary has fulfilled the promise that was predicted by King 
George V at her launching when he remarked: ``We send her to her 
element with the good will of all the nations, as a mark of our hope in 
the future. She has been built in fellowship among ourselves; may her 
life among great waters spread friendship among the nations.''
  On this her 60th anniversary, may the Queen Mary continue to stand 
proudly as an inspiration in times of trial, a figure of timeless 
grace, and always a symbol of goodwill for the International City.

                          ____________________