Congressional Record, Volume 146 Issue 125 (Tuesday, October 10, 2000)

[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 125 (Tuesday, October 10, 2000)]
[House]
[Pages H9597-H9599]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

EXPRESSING APPRECIATION FOR U.S. SERVICE MEMBERS ABOARD HMT ROHNA WHEN
IT SANK

Mr. BARTLETT of Maryland. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules
and agree to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 408) expressing
appreciation for the United States service members who were aboard the
British transport HMT ROHNA when it sank, the families of these service
members, and the rescuers of the HMT ROHNA's passengers and crew.
The Clerk read as follows:

H. Con. Res. 408

Whereas on November 26, 1943, a German bomber off the coast
of North Africa sunk the British transport HMT ROHNA with a
radio-controlled, rocket-boosted bomb;
Whereas 1,015 United States service members and more than
100 British and Allied officers and crewmen perished as a
result of the attack;
Whereas hundreds died immediately when the bomb struck and
hundreds more died when darkness and rough seas limited
rescue efforts;
Whereas many families still do not know the circumstances
of the deaths of loved ones who died as a result of the
attack;
Whereas more than 900 United States service members
survived the attack under extremely adverse circumstances;
Whereas United States, British, and French rescuers worked
valiantly to save the passengers and crew who made it off the
HMT ROHNA into the sea;
Whereas one United States ship, the USS PIONEER, picked up
many of those who were saved;

[[Page H9598]]

Whereas because of inadequate record keeping, some
survivors of the attack struggled for years to verify the
details of the sinking of the HMT ROHNA;
Whereas the men who died as a result of the attack on the
HMT ROHNA have been largely forgotten by the Nation; and
Whereas the Congress and the people of the United States
have never recognized the bravery and sacrifice of the United
States service members who died as a result of the sinking of
the HMT ROHNA or the United States service members who
survived the sinking and continued to serve the Nation
valiantly abroad during the war: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate
concurring), That the Congress expresses appreciation for--
(1) the United States service members who died in the
sinking of the HMT ROHNA, for the heroic sacrifice they made
for freedom and the defense of the Nation;
(2) the United States service members who survived the
sinking of the HMT ROHNA, for their bravery in the face of
disaster and their subsequent service during the war on
behalf of the Nation;
(3) the families of all of these service members; and
(4) the United States, British, and French rescuers,
especially the crew of the USS PIONEER, who endangered their
lives to save the passengers and crew of the HMT ROHNA.

The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Maryland (Mr. Bartlett) and the gentleman from Hawaii (Mr. Abercrombie)
each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Bartlett).

General Leave

Mr. BARTLETT of Maryland. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that
all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and
extend their remarks on the bill under consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Maryland?
There was no objection.
Mr. BARTLETT of Maryland. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I
may consume.
Mr. Speaker, today the House undertakes a solemn task. House
Concurrent Resolution 408 remembers the loss of 1,015 American soldiers
who died when the British troop transport ship HMT ROHNA was tragically
sunk off the coast of North Africa on November 26, 1943, during World
War II. This resolution recognizes that the sinking of the ROHNA was a
major catastrophic event of World War II.
Mr. Speaker, this recognition is long overdue. We owe recognition to
the men who gave their lives that day. We owe recognition to the men
who survived the sinking and went on to fight bravely in the China-
Burma-Indian theater and other combat theaters.
We owe recognition to the families of both groups of men. The high
price paid by families is often made worse by the absence of
information about their loss caused by the demands for secrecy during
war. The sinking of the ROHNA was just such a case. Many of the
families of those killed were not aware of the details of the sinking
until recently. When they asked for more information, they found that
there were very few records available.
Mr. Speaker, House Concurrent Resolution 408 puts the sinking of the
ROHNA in proper perspective by outlining the details of the attack and
rescue. The resolution then expresses the gratitude of the Congress and
all Americans, recognizing the sacrifices of the men who died and the
men who survived the horror of the sinking and went on to carry the
fight to the enemy in other battles.
The resolution also thanks the family members of both groups of
officers for the sacrifice of their loved ones in the defense of
freedom.
Finally, the resolution thanks the crews of the U.S. French and
British ships that endangered their lives to save the survivors of the
ROHNA.
Mr. Speaker, the sinking of the ROHNA was a horrific event that
America must not overlook any longer. We owe this recognition to the
men, both living and dead, who suffered during this disaster. They and
their families deserve better. I urge my colleagues to vote yes on
House Concurrent Resolution 408.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. ABERCROMBIE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to echo the comments of the gentleman from
Maryland (Mr. Bartlett) with respect to this resolution.
Mr. Speaker, I join in support of the resolution introduced by my
colleague, Mr. Metcalf, in expressing the appreciation of the United
States to those who were aboard the British transport H.M.T. Rohna
during World War II.
According to the limited data available, the H.M.T. Rohna was
transporting American troops and Red Cross workers to Bombay, India,
for the China-Burma-India Theater of war. On November 26, 1943, during
an air attack, a German bomber launched a guided missile, which sunk
the British transport. One thousand, one hundred and thirty eight
individuals died as a result of the attack, including one thousand and
fifteen American troops. The attack of the H.M.T. Rohna was one of the
greatest losses of lives during World War II.
Much of the details surrounding the sinking of the H.M.T. Rohna are
still unavailable. What is known is that more than nine hundred service
members survived the attack, because of the brave and heroic actions of
the U.S.S. Pioneer crew, who rescued many of the survivors. However, it
was not until 1995, over fifty years later, a group of survivors, next-
of-kin, and rescuers, came together to recognize this historical
tragedy.
The resolution before the House today recognizes this devastating
disaster and expresses the appreciation of the Congress to the service
members who died in the sinking of the H.M.T. Rohna for their ultimate
sacrifice in defense of our country, expresses admiration of the
survivors and the families for their bravery and courage in brining
attention to this catastrophe, and acknowledges the efforts of the
United States, British and French rescuers, especially the crew of the
U.S.S. Pioneer, to save the passengers and crew of the H.M.T. Rohna.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this measure.
Mr. Speaker, it is a great pleasure for me to be on the floor with
the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Metcalf) this evening in recognition
of his work in this area.
I want to express to him that it does not surprise me in the least,
having gotten to know him over the past few years, that he is
concentrating on making sure that those who had not been recognized are
given the attention that they deserve.
I think it expresses the kind of person that the gentleman from
Washington is, and I, for one, will miss the contributions that he has
made, and I am sure will continue to make to this Nation and to his
community.
Mr. BARTLETT of Maryland. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I
may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to state my friendship for the gentleman
from Washington, my respect for him, and I regret the fact that he has
decided to retire and leave us. We will be diminished by the fact that
he no longer serves his constituents and the country.
Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman
from Washington (Mr. Metcalf), the author of this bill.
Mr. METCALF. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Maryland for
yielding time to me, and for his gracious words, and I thank the
gentleman from Hawaii for his kind words.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to express my deep gratitude to the
gentleman from South Carolina (Chairman Spence) and ranking member, the
gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Skelton), for working with me to move this
resolution to the floor.
Michael Higgins, the Committee on Armed Services staff, was
especially helpful, and I appreciate his efforts.
The greatest naval disaster for the United States during World War II
was the sinking of the Arizona, when 1,077 were killed. The Arizona has
properly been memorialized in the national consciousness.
On November 26, 1943, there was a loss of American military personnel
of almost identical magnitude when the British troop transport ship HMT
ROHNA was sunk by a radio-controlled rocket-boosted bomb launched from
a German bomber off the coast of North Africa.
By the next day, 1,015 American troops and more than 100 British and
allied officers and crewmen had perished, but the U.S. troops aboard
the ROHNA have been largely forgotten by the country. It was not
publicized at the time at all. Hundreds died immediately when the
missile struck. The majority died from exposure and drowning when
darkness and rough

[[Page H9599]]

seas limited rescue efforts. Over 900 did survive.
British, American, and French rescuers worked valiantly to save those
ROHNA passengers and crew who made it off the ship into the ocean, and
of course a lot of them did not make it off the ship. One of them, the
U.S.S. Pioneer, picked up two-thirds of all those who were saved, 606
GIs. Many of those in the water had to endure hours and hours of
chilling temperature before being picked up. As the evening moved into
the middle of the night and early morning hours, some men were
speechless from the cold. Many died deaths of terrible agony.
The United States government had not properly acknowledged this event
because inadequate records were kept. Some survivors had to fight for
years to prove that the ROHNA even existed, let alone that survivors
might be due some recognition.
At a 1996 memorial dedication honoring Americans who died on the
ROHNA, survivor John Fievet spoke the following words:

I dedicate this memorial to the memory of those who fell in
the service of our country. I dedicate it in the names of
those who offered their lives that justice, freedom, and
democracy might survive to be the victorious ideals of the
world. The lives of those who made the supreme sacrifice are
glorious before us. Their deeds are an inspiration; as they
served America in time of war . . . yielding their last full
measure of devotion, may we serve America in time of peace. .
. . I dedicate this monument to them, and with it, I dedicate
this society to the faithful service of our country and to
the preservation of the memory of those who died, that
liberty might live.

{time} 2145

The men who gave their lives for their country on board this ship
were heroes who deserve to be recognized as such and not forgotten. The
parents of virtually all of them died without ever learning how their
sons had died. Their brothers, sisters and wives and children need to
hear their story. All Americans need to learn of their bravery and
sacrifice. Not only do the victims of the tragic sinking need to be
honored, but also their comrades who survived to be sent to the Burma-
China-India theater of the war and to serve valiantly there.
On November 11, 1993, Charles Osgood featured the Rohna's story on
his widespread radio program. For the first time, a broad cross-section
of America got to hear the story of some of its unknown warriors.
Osgood revisited the subject 2 weeks later. According to Osgood, and I
quote, ``It is not that we forgot, it's just that we never knew.''
Americans need to know about the Rohna. They need to know about the
men who died when the Rohna was sunk, sacrificing their lives in the
fight against tyranny. Americans need to know and not to forget. I did
not know anything about this until a brother of one of the men who died
on the Rohna came to me and told me about it and asked me to get
involved.
Mr. ABERCROMBIE. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time,
and I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. BARTLETT of Maryland. Mr. Speaker, I have no additional requests
for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Pease). The question is on the motion
offered by the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Bartlett) that the House
suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution, H. Con. Res.
408.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor
thereof) the rules were suspended and the concurrent resolution was
agreed to.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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