[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 145 (Thursday, September 27, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2002]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


COMMENDING MAURICE BELL, OF MOBILE, ALABAMA, FOR HIS SERVICE ABOARD THE 
                  USS ``INDIANAPOLIS'' IN WORLD WAR II

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                             HON. JO BONNER

                               of alabama

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 27, 2007

  Mr. BONNER. Madam Speaker, it is my pleasure to rise today to 
recognize Mr. Maurice Bell of Mobile, Alabama, for his courageous 
service as a sailor aboard the USS Indianapolis during World War II.
  Mr. Bell, along with 320 others, was pulled from the South Pacific 
following the sinking of the Indianapolis, a heavy cruiser brought down 
by torpedo attack on July 30, 1945. In what was later recognized as the 
worst single at-sea loss of life in the history of the Navy, Mr. Bell 
watched his fellow survivors succumb to shark attacks, exposure, and 
dementia while waiting five nights for rescue. It is estimated that 
500-600 sailors died in the water while awaiting rescue.
  Mr. Bell, one of 80 remaining Indianapolis survivors, tells the story 
of the Indianapolis in Ken Burns' documentary series ``The War.'' The 
USS Indianapolis was no ordinary ship, and it was on no ordinary 
mission. The ship carried the first atomic bomb to the U.S. air base at 
Tinian Island. Having successfully delivered its precious cargo, the 
Indianapolis set out for home. Tragically, a pair of torpedo blasts 
from a Japanese submarine sunk the cruiser and left its crew to 
struggle for survival in the South Pacific.
  Madam Speaker, the recognition of Mr. Maurice Bell in Ken Burns' 
documentary series ``The War'' is an appropriate time for us to pause 
and thank him--and all of the soldiers who fought in World War II. They 
personify the very best America has to offer. I urge my colleagues to 
take a moment to pay tribute to Mr. Bell and his selfless devotion to 
our country and the freedom we enjoy.

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