[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 95 (Friday, June 8, 2018)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E817]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 IN RECOGNITION OF THE 75TH ANNIVERSARY OF NAVAL WEAPONS STATION EARLE

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                        HON. FRANK PALLONE, JR.

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                          Friday, June 8, 2018

  Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the 75th 
anniversary of Naval Weapons Station Earle. Since its opening, Naval 
Weapons Station Earle has been a pivotal base for the United States 
Department of Defense and its significance is truly deserving of this 
body's recognition on this historic milestone.
  Named after Rear Admiral Ralph Earle, the Chief of the Bureau of 
Ordnance during WWI, Naval Weapons Station Earle was called Naval 
Ammunition Depot Earle until 1974. It is based in two facilities in 
Monmouth County, New Jersey--the Waterfront, located in the Leonardo 
section of Middletown, and Mainside bordering Colts Neck, Howell, 
Tinton Falls and Wall Township. The two sections are connected by the 
military corridor and rail line, Normandy Road. The Waterfront includes 
a miles long finger pier--the longest in the Western Hemisphere--into 
Sandy Hook Bay. The pier sustained damage in Superstorm Sandy and now 
includes oyster reefs as an additional protection measure from future 
storms.
  Naval Weapons Station Earle was established out of the need for a 
munitions loading base in the Port of New York, a need that became 
increasingly pressing during World War II. The Leonardo and Colts Neck 
locations were chosen for their distance from densely populated and 
developed neighborhoods yet their proximity to important landmarks such 
as New York City, New York Harbor and the Atlantic Ocean.
  During WWII, the base served a vital role in transporting ordnance, 
including most of the munitions used in the invasion of Normandy. Naval 
Weapons Station Earle's strategic location has remained critical to our 
military, loading ships used in Operation Desert Storm and Operation 
Iraqi Freedom. Naval Weapons Station Earle encompasses nearly 12,000 
acres and remains an active base today with over 1,500 personnel. With 
six times more loading capacity of any base on the East Coast, the 
support Naval Weapons Station Earle provides to our country is 
invaluable.
  Mr. Speaker, I sincerely hope that my colleagues will join me in 
recognizing the vital contributions of Naval Weapons Station Earle as 
it celebrates 75 years of operation.

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