[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 44 (Tuesday, April 21, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E610-E611]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       EXERCISE TIGER ASSOCIATION

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. JIM SAXTON

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, April 21, 1998

  Mr. SAXTON. Mr. Speaker, there is an old military saying which alerts 
us to ``expect the unexpected.'' This time-tested adage is as true 
today as we send young fighting men and women to Bosnia as it was two 
generations ago in World War II.
  On April 23-24, 1998, the New Jersey Exercise Tiger Association will 
commemorate the 54th anniversary of Exercise Tiger. This year

[[Page E611]]

is a special year as the Exercise Tiger Association commemorates all 
Exercise Tiger veterans in the nation while embarking on the Ohio class 
USS Maine SSBN 741, a nuclear missile submarine of the United States 
Navy's Sub Group 10 based at Kings Bay, Georgia. In particular, four 
veterans of the historic battle will be honored representing all 
Exercise Tiger veterans. They are Bud Carey, Lt. USN ret. LST 507, 
Ocean City, NJ; Tom Glynn, USN ret. LST 289, Cape May, NJ; Bob Benson, 
US Army ret. 3207th Quartermaster Co., Columbia, MO; and Charles 
Griffey, US Army ret. 478th Truck Co., Independence, MO.
  Exercise Tiger was designed to be a dress rehearsal for the D-Day 
invasion of France. But as is so common in the ``fog of war,'' the best 
laid plans are always subject to the unexpected and the unanticipated, 
the unforeseen. And so it was on April 28, 1944 when an American 
amphibious assault force which was practicing for the D-Day invasion 
was suddenly attacked by German warships. The surprise attack resulted 
in the death of 946 men, the second highest death toll of that long and 
embittered war.
  Today, U.S. service men and women are serving in Bosnia in an effort 
to again secure peace in Europe. These dedicated individuals, like 
those who have served so honorably before them, have the difficult task 
of fulfilling the commitments made by American foreign policy makers. 
And like those who served in uniform over 54 years ago, the unexpected 
can happen at any moment with devastating effect.
  I wish to salute the fine men who served and died 54 years ago while 
conducting Exercise Tiger. There is a special kinship between those 
American heroes and the men and women who today are serving on Bosnia. 
I wish also to pay tribute to Walter Domanski of the New Jersey 
Exercise Tiger Association. I consider Walter to be one of the 
``keepers of the flame,'' ensuring that Americans will remember and 
reflect on the sacrifices that our military has made and continues to 
make on our behalf. Finally, I wish to commend these four honored 
veterans, for they are the models and inspirations for those who serve 
our country today.

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