[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 15 (Monday, February 14, 2005)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1341-S1342]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             TRIBUTE TO CAPTAIN FRANK A. MANSON, 1920-2005

  Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I rise today to commemorate the life of 
CAPT Frank Albert Manson, an outstanding Virginian who served his 
country with valor during World War II and the Korean War. While 
Captain Manson passed from this earth on January 20, he has left an 
exceptional legacy through his humanitarian vision, his insightful 
observation of naval conflict, and especially in the hearts of his 
loving wife, three children, and ten grandchildren. His daughter 
Jennifer Joy Wilson was a longtime member of my staff and remains a 
valued advisor.
  Born in Oklahoma in 1920, Frank Manson earned a bachelor of science 
in education from Northeastern Oklahoma State University in 1941. 
Following 2 years of teaching at the high-school level, he attended 
officer candidate school at Cornell University and gained his 
commission for the United States Navy.
  Like many other brave young men who answered the call of duty in 
World War II, then-Lieutenant Manson was sent to combat in the Pacific 
Theater. Appointed as the communications officer on the USS Laffey 
DD724, he was responsible for providing the media with the detailed 
accounts that followed the Laffey's triumphant efforts of April 16, 
1945. On that fateful day, the ship and its resilient crew outlasted an 
attack of at least twenty-two Japanese aircraft, the worst offensive 
endured by any United States ship that remained afloat. While bombs 
strafed its deck and as many as eight planes crashed into the ship, the 
Laffey responded with courage befitting an American vessel. Eight 
planes were shot down, and another six were harmed despite the 
extensive damage inflicted by the enemy forces upon ``the ship that 
would not die.'' During his briefing with reporters covering the war, 
the young officer recounted the infamous words of the Laffey's 
commanding officer, LCDR Julius T. Becton, who had stated so admirably, 
``I'll never abandon ship as long as a gun will fire.''
  Captain Manson distinguished himself as an excellent writer during 
and

[[Page S1342]]

after his military career. Following his noble service in World War II, 
Captain Manson was reassigned to the Pentagon. He coauthored three 
volumes of the Navy's Battle Report Series, the branch's official 
history of action in the war. Again, during the Korean War, he was 
called upon for his skills as a historian. Captain Manson traveled on a 
number of ships and spoke with many of his fellow seamen before co-
authoring the exceptional work, ``The Sea War in Korea.'' A thoroughly 
researched and well written official history of the Navy's role in 
battle, his book was republished in seven languages and was selected 
for permanent inclusion in the White House Library. Before retiring 
from the Navy in 1968, Captain Manson served as Chief Public Affairs 
NATO Allied Command Europe and Chief of Public Information for the 
Supreme Allied Commander Atlantic, ADM Thomas Moorer. He was valued as 
a speechwriter for many naval leaders of the 1950s and '60s, including 
Admirals Robert Carney, Arleigh Burke, and John S. McCain, Jr. Over the 
course of his naval career, he assisted in high command policy 
formulation, strategy, and tactics through his service on the personal 
staff of fourteen four-star admirals and four chiefs of naval 
operations.
  While he was a courageous sailor and a noteworthy historian, perhaps 
the best known of Captain Manson's efforts was his idea for the ``Great 
White Fleet.'' Working from the Pentagon after the Korean War, he 
reflected upon the poverty and disease that he had encountered as a 
soldier on the battlefields of World War II. Understanding that the 
Navy maintained a surplus of vessels, Captain Manson began to 
investigate previous naval capacities for hospital and auxiliary ships. 
From his research he developed a concept to create, in his own words, 
``an entire fleet of mercy ships grain ships, hospital ships, education 
ships, power ships--a fleet designed to make the benefits of the free 
enterprise system available to the entire human race.'' Recognizing his 
fellow citizens' desire for peace and the willingness of Americans to 
contribute to ``sensible'' foreign aid, Captain Manson gained 
resounding support for the fleet in the United States and abroad. 
Championed by Senators George Aiken and Hubert Humphrey, legislation 
for the humanitarian ships passed in this chamber, and his vision was 
realized with the inaugural voyage of Project Hope, a seafaring 
benefactor of medical care.
  Even during his years of retirement, Captain Manson provided his 
expertise to the American Legion, the Reserve Officers Association, and 
the Veterans of Foreign Wars. A dedicated family man throughout his 
life, Captain Manson wrote a children's book to fulfill his grandson's 
intent curiosity about dinosaurs, and he was the primary caregiver for 
his wife, Lee, after she was disabled severely following a stroke.
  Captain Frank Albert Manson is to be commended for his love of family 
and his service to our country. I appreciate this opportunity to 
express my deepest sympathy on the occasion of his passing, and I join 
with his friends and loved ones in celebrating the remarkable life of 
this outstanding American.

                          ____________________