[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 171 (Wednesday, November 30, 2016)]
[House]
[Pages H7018-H7020]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
MERCHANT MARINE OF WORLD WAR II CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL ACT
Mr. HUIZENGA of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules
and pass the bill (H.R. 2992) to award a Congressional Gold Medal,
collectively, to the U.S. Merchant Marine of World War II, in
recognition of their dedicated and vital service during World War II.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 2992
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Merchant Marine of World War
II Congressional Gold Medal Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
The Congress finds the following:
(1) 2015 marks the 70th anniversary of the Allied victory
in World War II and the restoration of peacetime across the
European and Pacific theaters.
(2) The United States Merchant Marine was integral in
providing the link between domestic production and the
fighting forces overseas, providing combat equipment, fuel,
food, commodities, and raw materials to troops stationed
overseas.
(3) Fleet Admiral Ernest J. King acknowledged the
indispensability of the Merchant Marine to the victory in a
1945 letter stating that without their support, ``the Navy
could not have accomplished its mission''.
(4) President and former Supreme Commander of the Allied
Forces, Dwight D. Eisenhower, acknowledged that ``through the
prompt delivery of supplies and equipment to our armed forces
overseas, and of cargoes representing economic and military
aid to friendly nations, the American Merchant Marine has
effectively helped to strengthen the forces of freedom
throughout the world''.
(5) Military missions and war planning were contingent upon
the availability of resources and that the United States
Merchant Marine played a vital role in this regard, ensuring
the efficient and reliable transoceanic transport of military
equipment as well as both military and civilian personnel.
(6) The United States Merchant Marine provided for the
successful transport of resources and personnel despite
consistent and ongoing exposure to enemy combatants from both
the air and the sea, such as enemy bomber squadrons,
submarines, and mines.
(7) The efforts of the United States Merchant Marine were
not without sacrifices as they bore a higher per capita
casualty rate than any other branch of the military during
the war.
(8) The United States Merchant Marine proved to be an
instrumental asset on untold occasions, participating in
every landing operation by the United States Marine Corps
from Guadalcanal to Iwo Jima as well as providing, for
instance, the bulk tonnage of material necessary for the
invasion of Normandy which ``would not have been possible
without the Merchant Marine'', as a 1944 New York Times
article observed.
(9) In also assessing their performance, General Dwight D.
Eisenhower stated, ``every man in this Allied command is
quick to express his admiration for the loyalty, courage, and
fortitude of the officers and men of the Merchant Marine. We
count upon their efficiency and their utter devotion to duty
as we do our own; they have never failed us''.
(10) During a September 1944 speech, President Franklin D.
Roosevelt stated, the Merchant Marine has ``delivered the
goods when and where needed in every theater of operations
and across every ocean in the biggest, the most difficult,
and dangerous transportation job ever undertaken. As time
goes on, there will be greater public understanding of our
merchant fleet's record during this war.''.
(11) The feats and accomplishments of the Merchant Marine
are deserving of broader public recognition.
(12) The United States will be forever grateful and
indebted to the U.S. Merchant Marine for their effective,
reliable, and courageous transport of goods and resources in
enemy territory throughout theaters of every variety in World
War II; that these goods and resources saved thousands of
lives and enabled the Allied Powers to claim victory in World
War II.
(13) The Congressional Gold Medal will be an appropriate
way to shed further light on the service of the Merchant
Marine in World War II and the instrumental role they played
in winning World War II.
SEC. 3. CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL.
(a) Award Authorized.--The Speaker of the House of
Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate
shall make appropriate arrangements for the award, on behalf
of the Congress, of a single gold medal of appropriate design
to the U.S. Merchant Marine of World War II, in recognition
of their dedicated and vital service during World War II.
(b) Design and Striking.--For the purposes of the award
referred to in subsection (a), the Secretary of the Treasury
(hereafter referred to as the ``Secretary'') shall strike the
gold medal with suitable emblems, devices, and inscriptions,
to be determined by the Secretary.
(c) American Merchant Marine Museum.--
(1) In general.--Following the award of the gold medal in
honor of the U.S. Merchant Marine, the gold medal shall be
given to the American Merchant Marine Museum, where it will
be available for display as appropriate and available for
research.
SEC. 4. DUPLICATE MEDALS.
Under such regulations as the Secretary may prescribe, the
Secretary may strike and sell duplicates in bronze of the
gold medal struck under section 3, at a price sufficient to
cover the costs of the medals, including labor, materials,
dies, use of machinery, and overhead expenses.
SEC. 5. STATUS OF MEDALS.
(a) National Medals.--Medals struck pursuant to this Act
are national medals for purposes of chapter 51 of title 31,
United States Code.
(b) Numismatic Items.--For purposes of section 5134 of
title 31, United States Code, all medals struck under this
Act shall be considered to be numismatic items.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Michigan (Mr. Huizenga) and the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Foster)
each will control 20 minutes.
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The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Michigan.
General Leave
Mr. HUIZENGA of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that
all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend
their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Michigan?
There was no objection.
Mr. HUIZENGA of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, merchant mariners act as an
auxiliary to the U.S. Navy and are recognized as an integral link
between domestic production and forces overseas, delivering combat
equipment, food, fuel, raw materials, and commodities to those
stationed abroad.
Military success in World War II hinged on the merchant marine
delivering these resources and provisions of transport to military and
civilian personnel, sailing while exposed to enemy combatants by both
air and by sea. During World War II, these merchant mariners suffered
the highest per capita casualty rate of any other branch in the U.S.
Armed Forces. It is estimated that hundreds of mariner ships and
thousands of mariners were lost to enemy combatants as a result of
their service during World War II.
Yet, Mr. Speaker, the merchant marine is rarely mentioned when people
list the military branches of service during the war. I rise today to
help remedy that oversight by supporting H.R. 2992, the Merchant Marine
of World War II Congressional Gold Medal Act, introduced by our
colleague, Representative Susan Brooks. This bill, which has 312 House
cosponsors, would award a single Congressional Gold Medal to the
American Merchant Marine of World War II in the recognition of their
dedicated and vital service. After the medal is awarded, it will be
given to the American Merchant Marine Museum, which is housed within
the United States Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point, New York.
The Treasury Secretary is authorized to make and offer for sale
bronze replicas of the medal at a price that will help defray the
design and production costs of the actual medal. A companion bill in
the Senate, S. 2989, has been introduced by Senator Lisa Murkowski.
Mr. Speaker, the merchant marine has contributed greatly to every war
in which this country has been involved, beginning with the
Revolutionary War and continuing right up until today. Its efforts
during peacetime helped carry millions of tons of cargo and countless
passengers, but the merchant marines' efforts in lightly guarded ships
on the dangerous waters of the Atlantic and Pacific during the Second
World War were invaluable to the overall war effort.
President Franklin Roosevelt summed it up succinctly: they delivered
the goods.
Now, Mr. Speaker, it is our turn to deliver the goods for those
heroes who have so often gone unnoticed. I urge immediate passage of
this bill.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. FOSTER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2992, legislation to honor the
dedicated and unwavering service provided by the U.S. Merchant Marine
during World War II, a bill that I am proud to cosponsor. I hope that,
upon its passage in the House, the Senate will move quickly to take it
up and pass this bill before the 114th Congress adjourns.
While many are familiar with the sacrifices made by those who served
in the Armed Forces during World War II, less often do we stop and take
time to recognize the members of the U.S. Merchant Marine who played an
essential role in supplying our troops overseas with the equipment,
food, and materials necessary to sustain the fight against the Axis
powers.
Despite the unrelenting threat of attack and the risk to their lives,
the U.S. Merchant Marine proved to be an invaluable asset on
innumerable occasions, participating in every landing operation by the
United States Marine Corps during the war.
In speaking of the brave contributions made by the U.S. Merchant
Marine, President Franklin Roosevelt said that the Merchant Marine
``delivered the goods when and where needed in every theater of
operations and across every ocean in the biggest, the most difficult,
and dangerous transportation job ever undertaken.'' President Roosevelt
also said that ``as time goes on, there will be greater public
understanding of our merchant fleet's record during this war.''
In fact, during a recent visit to the National World War II Museum in
New Orleans, Louisiana, I was pleased and proud to see the proper and
impressive display dedicated to the role of the merchant marine in that
war. Indeed, more than 70 years after President Roosevelt spoke those
words, the House is taking an important step today to honor and to shed
light on the contributions of the merchant marines made during World
War II.
To further the public's understanding of the role the merchant
marines played in securing the defeat of the Axis powers, the
legislation will ensure that the Gold Medal will be given to the
American Merchant Marine Museum, where it will be available for viewing
by the public.
I urge my colleagues to support this legislation before us.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. HUIZENGA of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may
consume to the gentlewoman from Indiana (Mrs. Brooks).
Mrs. BROOKS of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R.
2992, the Merchant Marine of World War II Congressional Gold Medal Act.
This measure awards a Congressional Gold Medal to the merchant mariners
who served during World War II in appreciation of their dedicated and
vital service to our Nation.
I also want to thank my colleague from across the aisle,
Congresswoman Janice Hahn of California's 44th District, who worked
with me and other Members here in the House to secure so many
cosponsorships of this bill.
The Congressional Gold Medal is the highest honor Congress can bestow
upon an individual or group, and these brave servicemen deserve such an
honor. The merchant marine was the linchpin connecting the fighting
forces overseas with the production forces at home. In the face of
certain peril, these brave mariners provided efficient and reliable
transport of combat equipment, fuel, food, commodities, personnel, and
raw materials that were pivotal in the allied victory.
Oftentimes forgotten, merchant mariners took part in every invasion
from Normandy to Okinawa. Never before had the maritime power of
America been so effectively utilized. The total cargo lift transported
by the mariners totaled over 300 million tons. They transported the
great majority of the thousands of military personnel and civilians who
traveled overseas during the war and those returning to America after
triumphant victories.
Risking their lives to provide the needed supplies for the war,
merchant ships faced danger from submarines, mines, armed raiders and
destroyers, aircraft, kamikaze attacks, and the elements from Mother
Nature.
With an estimated 9,300 total casualties, the merchant marines bore a
higher per capita casualty rate than any other branch in the U.S. Armed
Forces during World War II. On top of that, about 11,000 mariners were
wounded in action and 663 were taken prisoners of war.
Yet, despite these heroic efforts, they were not recognized as
veterans until 1988, and they never received the benefits that other
World War II veterans received under the GI bill. They came home from
the war without recognition for their service and still, to this day,
their service is often overlooked.
Today, there are less than 5,000 surviving World War II mariners, and
with nearly 500 World War II veterans dying each day, it is more
important than ever to recognize these brave achievements today.
Mr. Speaker, the merchant mariners provided the greatest sealift in
history and became the difference between victory and defeat. These
loyal and brave men put their lives on the line for the cause of
freedom and selflessly answered their Nation's call to duty. It is time
we give these courageous mariners the recognition they have earned with
the Congressional Gold Medal.
I am proud that 312 of my colleagues agreed and are cosponsors of
this bill. Now it is time to get it across the finish line, pay respect
to these deserving veterans, and recognize the sacrifices
[[Page H7020]]
and contributions of this brave group. I urge passage of the bill.
Mr. FOSTER. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I
urge my colleagues to support this bill.
I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. HUIZENGA of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I, too, have no further
speakers.
I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Huizenga) that the House suspend the rules
and pass the bill, H.R. 2992.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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