[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 152 (Tuesday, October 29, 2013)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1596]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   ESTABLISHING COMMISSION OR TASK FORCE TO EVALUATE THE BACKLOG OF 
                           DISABILITY CLAIMS

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                               speech of

                         HON. G.K. BUTTERFIELD

                           of north carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                        Monday, October 28, 2013

  Mr. BUTTERFIELD. Mr. Speaker, I rise to celebrate the passage of H.R. 
2189, a bipartisan bill that among many things will finally recognize 
the valiant service of Merchant Mariners that operated domestically 
during World War II. It has been my honor for the past three Congresses 
to introduce legislation that would recognize these brave Americans and 
correct an injustice that has remained for over 70 years.
  The Merchant Marine were private citizens employed by freight 
shipping companies. In an effort to support the American war effort 
during World War II, those same freight shipping companies and their 
employees became an auxiliary to the United States Navy. Their mission 
was to transport bulk war materials including food, clothing, weapons, 
and even troops to all areas of conflict and coastal installations here 
at home.
  During the World War II war effort, many of these mariners were 
tasked with the critically important role of transporting materials 
along the U.S. coast using tugboats and barges. Although these mariners 
did not sail across the Atlantic or Pacific Oceans into areas of 
conflict, they still encountered the enemy while delivering cargo that 
kept the war effort moving forward. One tugboat, the Menomonee, 
operating just off the coast of Virginia on March 31st, 1942, was sunk 
by German U-Boat 754 tragically killing several members of the crew.
  This tragic story has been the impetus for the legislation I have 
introduced in the past three Congresses to finally honor this small 
group of unsung heroes. In fact, a North Carolinian, Don Horton, whose 
brother William Lee Horton, Jr. was on that tugboat and lost his life 
aboard the ship that rescued him from the ocean and debris, has been 
the driving force behind this legislative effort. William Lee Horton, 
Jr., was 17 at the time of his death while bravely serving his country. 
Many members of Don Horton's family served on these tugboats and barges 
during World War II in support of the war effort. Don Horton has become 
the foremost expert on this forgotten segment of the World War II 
Merchant Marine, and has worked tirelessly to see mariners like his 
brother gain the recognition as veterans that they rightly deserve and 
earned through service to their country.
  The ranks of these coastwise tugboats and barges were not solely 
operated by men, but also women, as in the case of the Horton family. 
Don Horton's mother and sister, along with many other women, served 
alongside their male counterparts, but were never issued formal 
documentation for their service aboard these vessels because of an 
order by the War Shipping Administration. Many male Merchant Mariners 
that operated domestically were also never issued formal documentation 
or the documentation that was issued is extremely hard to find today 
because many of these documents were ordered destroyed by the U.S. 
Government.
  Currently, a certificate of shipping and discharge forms, continuous 
deck or engine logbooks, and shipping company records that indicate the 
vessel names and dates of voyages are the only documents that are 
considered acceptable to determine an individual's service in the 
Merchant Marine. In fact, by order of the Coast Guard Commandant, 
captains of tugboats and seagoing barges were relieved of the 
responsibility of submitting reports of seamen shipped or discharged. 
The deck or engine logbooks were turned over to the War Shipping 
Administration and were ordered destroyed because they were too 
``voluminous to maintain, costly to keep, and rarely used for 
research.'' Shipping company records that indicate the vessel names and 
dates of voyages likely never existed because written communication 
relating to the movement of supplies and troops was strictly forbidden 
by U.S. military commanders.
  After 70 long years, the passage of H.R. 2189 finally offers these 
mariners a chance to receive the recognition they deserve. H.R. 2189 
expands the acceptable forms of documentation used to determine 
eligible service in the Merchant Marine. The bill allows Social 
Security Administration records, validated testimony by the applicant 
or closest living relative, and other official records that provide 
sufficient proof of service.
  Mr. Speaker, estimates show that there are fewer than 2,000 of these 
mariners surviving today. It's time to finally recognize these mariners 
for their service to our country. I want to thank my colleagues in the 
House for supporting these brave men and women that served in the 
Merchant Marine during World War II, and I implore my colleagues in the 
Senate to consider this legislation as quickly as possible and support 
its passage.

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