[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 75 (Thursday, June 11, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Page S6261]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          USS ``BRUCE HEEZEN''

 Mr. CHAFEE. Mr. President, I would like to share with my 
colleagues the tremendous news of the success of a group of nine fifth 
grade students from Rhode Island. These students won the U.S. Navy's 
national competition to be the first group of civilians ever granted 
the privilege of naming a United States Navy ship. These diligent young 
people from Oak Lawn Elementary School in Cranston overcame 
extraordinary competition being selected as finalists from more than 
2,000 entries from across the United States.
  Last Friday, Secretary of the Navy John Dalton announced the Oak Lawn 
students' proposal to name the Navy's next oceanographic ship the 
U.S.S. Bruce Heezen was the winner of this competition. Heezen was a 
pioneer in mapping the ocean floor who died aboard a Navy submarine 
taking him to look for the first time at the ocean terrain.
  I would like to extend my warmest congratulations to these bright 
students and their teacher for their great achievement. I share with 
their families and community in recognizing the fabulous work they did 
in terms of conducting extensive group research and a wide range of 
individual projects. I also commend them for enthusiastically sharing 
their discoveries and knowledge with other schools in the area to 
educate their fellow students.

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