[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 58 (Thursday, May 9, 2002)]
[Senate]
[Page S4141]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

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          THE 60TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE BATTLESHIP MASSACHUSETTS

 Mr. KERRY. Mr. President, I rise today to join the people of 
Massachusetts and Navy veterans across the country in celebrating the 
60th anniversary of the Battleship Massachusetts' commission. This 
historic ship, the heaviest craft ever launched from Quincy's Fore 
River Shipyard, served with distinction in theaters ranging from North 
Africa to the Marshall Islands, and I join its crew in celebrating the 
anniversary of this storied vessel.
  The Battleship Massachusetts entered combat on November 8, 1942 in 
Operation Torch on the shores of North Africa and saw its first action 
on the shores off Casablanca, Morocco. In that first engagement, the 
16'' shells from the Massachusetts helped sink two destroyers, two 
merchant ships, visit heavy damage to buildings along the coast, and 
render a dry dock inoperable. One year later the ship came back to 
Boston for refitting before heading off to a new assignment in the 
Pacific, where she would remain for the duration of the war. During its 
Pacific service, the Massachusetts engaged the enemy in the New Guinea-
Solomons in the southwest, raided Japanese bases in the west, and 
helped invade the Marshall Islands.
  As the war built to a bloody crescendo the Massachusetts proved 
itself repeatedly. Carrying its nickname of ``Big Mamie,'' the 
Massachusetts took center stage in the preliminary actions against 
Okinawa and Iwo Jima, shelling each island in preparation for the 
decisive land combat that began the final chapters of the long 
struggle. Together with the Third Fleet, the Massachusetts approached 
Japan in the summer of 1945. Its engagements at Kamaishi and Hamamatsu 
helped cripple the country's infrastructure and expedite the war's 
conclusion.
  After de-activation in 1946, the battleship remained in the Reserve 
Fleet until being struck from the Navy record in 1962. Despite being 
ordered to be sold for scrap, her wartime crew lobbied to save the ship 
as a memorial. Schoolchildren around Massachusetts rallied for the ship 
named for their state, and ``Big Mamie,'' was brought to Fall River in 
1965 as a result of these tireless civic efforts. It now serves as the 
central attraction in Fall River's thriving waterfront; standing as a 
reminder of its service and inspiring young people to find their own 
ways to serve.
  Through it all, the ship beared the name of our Commonwealth with a 
pride that we match today, and I am honored to join the Navy, the 
citizens of Fall River, and people across our State in celebrating the 
60th anniversary of the Massachusetts' receiving its 
commission.

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