[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 12 (Tuesday, January 29, 2013)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E73]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  IN RECOGNITION OF MR. OMER D. SIMMS

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. MICHAEL C. BURGESS

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, January 29, 2013

  Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor one of the fallen 
crewmembers of the Essex-class carrier U.S.S. Franklin, Mr. Omer D. 
Simms, a Seaman First Class.
  On March 19, 1945, the U.S.S Franklin was instantly hit by a Japanese 
bomb that killed, wounded, and trapped many crew members on board. Mr. 
Simms, one of the confined men, heroically put his comrades' life 
before his own by creating a hatch for them escape. Letting the twelve 
other men go before him, Mr. Simms never made it to safety. Instead, he 
tragically lost his life on the U.S.S. Franklin from a second bomb that 
hit the ship while the other crewmembers' lives were saved.
  I am proud to honor Mr. Omer D. Simms' service aboard the U.S.S. 
Franklin and the ultimate sacrifice he made for this country.

                          ____________________