[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 21 (Wednesday, March 1, 2000)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1021-S1022]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

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           TRIBUTE TO VETERANS OF THE U.S. NAVY ASIATIC FLEET

 Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to the 
heroism and sacrifices of the sailors and marines who served in the 
U.S. Navy's Asiatic Fleet.
  The Asiatic Fleet established itself as one of the premier assets of 
the United States Navy during its years of operation. Officially 
commissioned by the Navy in 1910, The Asiatic Fleet's origins can be 
traced back to 1845, when the United States first established a naval 
presence in the Far East. The United States established the Asiatic 
Fleet to protect American interests in the western Pacific. The sailors 
and marines of the Asiatic Fleet ensured the safety of United States 
citizens and foreign nationals and provided humanitarian assistance in 
that region during the Chinese civil war, the Yangtze Flood of 1931, 
and the outbreak of Sino-Japanese hostilities. The increasing risks 
faced by U.S. military personnel serving in this region were 
highlighted by the accidental bombings and sinking of a U.S. Navy 
gunboat belonging to the Asiatic Fleet, the U.S.S. Panay, in 
international waters by Japanese aircraft in 1937--four years before 
the U.S. entered World War II.

[[Page S1022]]

  Following the declaration of war against Japan, the warships, 
submarines, and aircraft of the Asiatic Fleet singly or in task forces 
courageously fought many naval battles against a superior Japanese 
armada. General Douglas MacArthur evacuated most U.S. military 
personnel and equipment from the region to prevent them from being 
destroyed by Japan's military forces, leaving the Asiatic Fleet alone, 
without reinforcement, to do what it could to obstruct the Japanese 
advance. During these battles, the men of the Fleet discovered that 
much of their equipment was defective. It has been estimated that one 
in three of the Asiatic Fleet's torpedoes, and one fifth of its anti-
aircraft ammunition, were duds. Forced to rely on World War I-era 
equipment, the Asiatic Fleet directly suffered the loss of 22 ships, 
1,826 men killed or missing in action, and 518 men captured and 
imprisoned under the worst of conditions. Many of those who survived 
later died while being held as prisoners of war. The Asiatic Fleet 
ceased to exist as a cohesive fighting force on March 1, 1942, when its 
flagship, the U.S.S. Houston, was sunk by the Japanese near Indonesia.
  Unfortunately, the heroism of the sailors and marines of the Asiatic 
Fleet are largely unknown to the American public. Today, March 1, 2000, 
the 58th anniversary of the Houston's sinking, I want to commend the 
bravery, resourcefulness and sacrifices of all who served in the United 
States Navy Asiatic Fleet from 1910 to 1942, especially those sailors 
and marines who put their lives in harm's way during the first few 
months of America's participation in World War II. No words can 
adequately express our nation's debt to its veterans, and it is 
essential that we provide them with the thanks and recognition they 
have earned. The American people should always remember the courage and 
determination displayed by the personnel of the Asiatic Fleet, honoring 
the sacrifices they made in defense of the United States.

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