[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 185 (Thursday, December 10, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2926]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 HONORING WORLD WAR II VETERAN MAURICE GLENN BELL, SURVIVOR OF THE USS 
                            ``INDIANAPOLIS''

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. JO BONNER

                               of alabama

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, December 9, 2009

  Mr. BONNER. Madam Speaker, I rise to honor the memory of World War II 
veteran Maurice Glenn Bell of Mobile, Alabama, who passed away on 
December 4, 2009, at the age of 84.
  Mr. Bell proudly embodied the qualities that our nation has 
associated with the ``Greatest Generation''--those Americans who were 
called to give everything for the defense of our freedom and the 
liberation of millions overseas. Mr. Bell was absolutely committed to 
serving his country in wartime, and after the war, he was a role model 
of character and courage in civilian life.
  In 1943, when he was summoned to serve in the Second World War, Mr. 
Bell was already working as an electrician's helper in the Mobile 
shipyards. He joined the Navy and saw engagements in places we know 
well from our history books--including the allied invasions of Tarawa, 
Saipan, and the battle of the Philippine Sea.
  But the World War II experience for which Mr. Bell is best remembered 
is uniquely linked to the vessel upon which he served--the historic USS 
Indianapolis. It was the Indianapolis that delivered the first atomic 
bomb to be dropped on Japan. And after the heavy cruiser was struck by 
two Japanese torpedoes in the middle of the night on July 30, 1945, Mr. 
Bell was among the 900 crew members who were able to get into the water 
in an attempt to save themselves.
  Mr. Bell and his comrades spent four days in the unforgiving ocean 
awaiting rescue--an ordeal that subjected them to near constant shark 
attack and dehydration. Of the 1,196 men on board the Indianapolis 
before she went down, only 316 survived--including Maurice Bell.
  Like many Indianapolis veterans, he had remained mostly silent about 
his experiences on those four fateful days in 1945. However, 62 years 
later, he was given a chance to tell his story before a national 
audience as part of the PBS World War II documentary, ``The War.'' The 
Ken Burns film interviewed a number of Mobile area veterans, including 
Mr. Bell.
  Mr. Bell also captivated local audiences who would hear his stories 
about those long days and nights adrift in a seemingly dark and 
bottomless sea. He urged them never to give up.
  It is ironic that this veteran of the war in the Pacific was buried 
on December 7, 2009--the 68th anniversary of the Japanese attack on 
Pearl Harbor.
  Alabama is fortunate to have so many veterans like Maurice Bell who 
love their country and answered its call in time of need. We will 
always owe them a deep debt of gratitude.
  I join this House in offering condolences to his wonderful wife of 65 
years, Lois Bell, and their three children, Beverly Gros, Bonnie Hall 
and David Bell, and six grandchildren and 24 great grandchildren.
  May they be comforted in knowing that they remain in our prayers 
during their time of loss.

                          ____________________