[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 17 (Monday, January 27, 2020)]
[House]
[Pages H547-H549]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 MERCHANT MARINERS OF WORLD WAR II CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL ACT OF 2020

  Mr. SAN NICOLAS. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass 
the bill (H.R. 5671) to award a Congressional Gold Medal, collectively, 
to the United States Merchant Mariners 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. 5671

       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 Mariners of World 
     War II Congressional Gold Medal Act of 2020''.

     SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

       Congress finds the following:
       (1) 2020 marked the 75th anniversary of Allied victory in 
     World War II.
       (2) The United States Merchant Marine (in this section 
     referred to as the ``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 
     abroad.
       (3) Fleet Admiral Ernest J. King acknowledged the 
     indispensability of the Merchant Marine to the victory in a 
     1945 letter stating that, without the support of the Merchant 
     Marine, ``the Navy could not have accomplished its mission''.
       (4) President, and former Supreme Commander of the Allied 
     Expeditionary 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 the Merchant Marine played 
     a vital role in this regard, ensuring the efficient and 
     reliable transoceanic transport of military equipment and 
     both military and civilian personnel.
       (6) The 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, including from enemy bomber squadrons, submarines, 
     and naval mines.
       (7) The efforts of the Merchant Marine were not without 
     sacrifices as the Merchant Marine likely bore a higher per-
     capita casualty rate than any of the military branches during 
     the war.
       (8) The Merchant Marine proved to be an instrumental asset 
     on an untold number of occasions, participating in every 
     landing operation by the United States Marine Corps, from 
     Guadalcanal to Okinawa.
       (9) The Merchant Marine provided the bulk tonnage of 
     material necessary for the invasion of Normandy, an invasion 
     which, according to a 1944 New York Times article, ``would 
     not have been possible without the Merchant Marine''.
       (10) In assessing the performance of the Merchant Marine, 
     General 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''.
       (11) During a September 1944 speech, President Franklin D. 
     Roosevelt stated that the Merchant Marine had ``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''.
       (12) The feats and accomplishments of the Merchant Marine 
     are deserving of broader public recognition.
       (13) The United States will be forever grateful and 
     indebted to these merchant mariners for their effective, 
     reliable, and courageous transport of goods and resources in 
     enemy territory throughout theaters of every variety in World 
     War II.
       (14) The goods and resources transported by the Merchant 
     Marine saved thousands of lives and enabled the Allied Powers 
     to claim victory in World War II.
       (15) The Congressional Gold Medal would be an appropriate 
     way to shed further light on the service of the merchant 
     mariners in World War II and the instrumental role they 
     played in winning that war.
       (16) Many students of the Merchant Marine Academy lost 
     their lives as they sailed through enemy-controlled waters or 
     unloaded cargo in overseas combat areas, and, as a result, 
     the United States Merchant Marine Academy is the only 
     institution among the 5 Federal academies to be authorized to 
     carry a battle standard as part of its color guard.

     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 Congress, of a single gold medal of appropriate design to 
     the United States merchant mariners 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 
     described in subsection (a), the Secretary of the Treasury 
     (in this Act referred to as the ``Secretary'') shall strike 
     the gold medal with suitable emblems, devices, and 
     inscriptions, to be determined by the Secretary.

[[Page H548]]

       (c) American Merchant Marine Museum.--
       (1) In general.--Following the award of the gold medal 
     under subsection (a), 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.
       (2) Sense of congress.--It is the sense of Congress that 
     the American Merchant Marine Museum should make the gold 
     medal given to the Museum under paragraph (1) available for 
     display elsewhere, particularly at appropriate locations 
     associated with the United States Merchant Marine and that 
     preference should be given to locations affiliated with the 
     United States Merchant Marine.

     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 under 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 
Guam (Mr. San Nicolas) and the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Hill) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Guam.


                             General Leave

  Mr. SAN NICOLAS. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all 
Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their 
remarks on this legislation and to insert extraneous material thereon.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Guam?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. SAN NICOLAS. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  I rise in strong support of H.R. 5671, the Merchant Mariners of World 
War II Congressional Gold Medal Act of 2020.
  I want to thank the gentleman from California (Mr. Garamendi) for his 
work on this bill, which honors the courage and sacrifice of the 
civilian mariners of the Merchant Marine.
  In the early days of America's involvement in World War II, German U-
boats sank numerous vessels during the Battle of the Atlantic. While 
many think of convoys being attacked as being close to Europe, the 
German Navy also took the war to the U.S. Eastern seaboard. In March 
1942 alone, 27 ships from six Allied nations were sunk off U.S. shores. 
All told, 733 American cargo ships were lost during World War II.
  Despite this danger, some 215,000 civilian merchant marines served 
with courage to establish and maintain critical supply lines, ensuring 
that vital supplies, cargo, and personnel reached Allied forces in both 
Europe and Asia. Though they had no military standing or government 
benefits, these civilian mariners often faced German U-boat assaults.
  These brave mariners paid a heavy price in service to their country, 
suffering the highest casualty rate of any branch of U.S. Armed Forces 
during World War II. An estimated 9,300 mariners lost their lives, and 
another 12,000 were wounded to make sure our uniformed servicemembers 
could keep fighting.
  Unfortunately, their sacrifices are commonly underappreciated and 
often overlooked. They were not even considered veterans until Congress 
remedied that disservice in 1988, and many of our histories of World 
War II give them a passing mention or do not recognize their vital role 
in ensuring the success of the Allied forces.
  Now, on the 75th anniversary of the Allied victory in World War II, 
let us give these brave mariners the recognition they so richly 
deserve.
  I thank Mr. Garamendi for introducing this bill this Congress, and I 
urge Members to vote ``yes.''
  Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. HILL of Arkansas. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 
may consume.
  I rise in support of H.R. 5671, the Merchant Mariners of World War II 
Congressional Gold Medal Act of 2020.
  Madam Speaker, it is fair to say that, when we look back on the many 
victories of World War II, unfortunately, too often, our Merchant 
Marine, our merchant mariners are overlooked. It is this exact reason 
why this Congress has come together to pass this bill to honor these 
brave sailors and their legacy.
  During wartime, merchant mariners became an auxiliary to the Navy; 
and, as such, civilian volunteers traded intercoastal bulk cargo routes 
for dangerous near-coastal and transatlantic shipping, hauling vital 
war cargo for our Allies.
  It is in this exact scenario that 250,000 merchant mariners found 
themselves when World War II broke out. Many of these brave men 
perished at sea. In fact, Madam Speaker, 1 in 26 never made it home.
  Madam Speaker, the merchant mariners who survived World War II were 
finally awarded veteran status in 1988. And if you walk down The Mall 
here in the Nation's Capital, you will find the World War II Memorial, 
and you will find the seal of the merchant mariners--which reads, ``In 
Peace and War''--honoring those lost during World War II.
  The importance of the merchant mariners was not lost on our former 
Chief Executives. President Eisenhower, when he was the General of the 
Army, stated:

       When final victory is ours, there is no organization that 
     shared its credit more deservedly than the Merchant Marine.

  President Franklin Roosevelt similarly stated:

       The men of our American Merchant Marine have pushed through 
     despite the perils of the submarine, the dive bomber, the 
     surface raider. They have returned voluntarily to their jobs 
     at sea again and again, because they know, they realized 
     their lifeline to the battlefront would be broken if they did 
     not carry out their mission, that vital, vital part of the 
     global war.

  Indeed, America as ally, as arsenal of democracy, as manufacturer of 
the critical war material necessary to win in Europe and win across the 
Atlantic would be lost were it not for the merchant mariners.
  These men deserve the recognition of this gold medal. Of the 250,000 
World War II merchant mariners who were part of that global struggle, 
fewer than 2,000 merchant mariner veterans are believed to still be 
alive today. It is imperative that we commemorate their service, their 
sacrifice, their leadership, their integral role in the victory of the 
Atlantic and the Pacific.
  Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I 
reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. SAN NICOLAS. Madam Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman 
from New York (Mr. Suozzi).
  Mr. SUOZZI. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 5671, the 
Merchant Mariners of World War II Congressional Gold Medal Act, 
introduced by Representative Garamendi. This act will award a 
Congressional Gold Medal, an extremely high honor, to the merchant 
mariners who served our country during World War II.
  This legislation is particularly timely, as the Board of Visitors of 
the United States Merchant Marine Academy, of which I am a member, is 
meeting on campus next week in Kings Point, Long Island, in my 
district.

  The United States Merchant Marine Academy is the only service academy 
whose students engage in combat during times of war. In fact, over 
7,000 of these students answered our Nation's call to duty. Six hundred 
are still alive today, but 142 of them did not make it back from World 
War II.
  Edwin J. O'Hara was one of those students. In 1942, Edwin O'Hara was 
just another 19-year-old cadet and signed on aboard the newly delivered 
Liberty ship SS Stephen Hopkins in San Francisco, California.
  On one foggy, hazy night aboard the ship, a German raider appeared 
out of the mist and began firing at close range. Bullets rained down on 
the crew, wounding the armed guard commander and taking him out of 
action. O'Hara, just a student, who was nearby, rushed forward to take 
his place, firing the shells left until being mortally wounded by enemy 
fire.
  Only 19 of the 60 men aboard O'Hara's ship made it to the lifeboat 
that night. O'Hara was not one of them. For his brave sacrifice, Edwin 
O'Hara was posthumously awarded the Distinguished Service Medal.
  Brave men and women like O'Hara at the Merchant Marine Academy in

[[Page H549]]

Kings Point, as well as the mariners who served across the country, 
deserve the highest recognition.
  Sadly, many of these midshipmen did not even receive veteran status 
until 1988. But it is not too late. It is time we recognized their 
sacrifice and award them this much-deserved Congressional Gold Medal.
  I applaud my colleagues, all of them, for supporting this and 
Congressman   John Garamendi, especially, for his leadership, and I ask 
my colleagues to support our brave merchant mariners.
  Mr. HILL of Arkansas. Madam Speaker, I am prepared to close, and let 
me say in closing what a pleasure it is to work with my friend from 
Guam on this bill to recognize our merchant mariners.
  I thank my friend from New York (Mr. Suozzi) who has the privilege 
every day of representing the Merchant Marine Academy on Long Island.
  Let's come together as a Congress and support this important effort 
to recognize those who gave so much to save the world and make the 
world safe for democracy. We couldn't have done it without our merchant 
marines and their bravery across the seas.
  Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. SAN NICOLAS. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my 
time.
  I am pleased that this bipartisan bill honors those who answered this 
Nation's call to duty, regardless of the danger and without expectation 
of accolades.
  This bill incorporates relevant technical changes introduced by the 
Senate and includes the additional recognition of the students of the 
Merchant Marine Academy who lost their lives in service to their 
country. It is time that we give these courageous mariners the 
recognition they have more than earned.
  Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in support of this 
important piece of legislation, and I yield back the balance of my 
time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Guam (Mr. San Nicolas) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 5671.
  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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