[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 39 (Thursday, February 27, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1229-S1230]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 SENATE RESOLUTION 514--EXPRESSING THE SENSE OF THE SENATE THAT DONALD 
  STRATTON BE REMEMBERED FOR A LIFETIME OF HEROISM AND SERVICE TO THE 
                             UNITED STATES

  Mr. GARDNER (for himself and Mr. Bennet) submitted the following 
resolution; which was considered and agreed to:

                              S. Res. 514

       Whereas, on February 15, 2020, Donald Stratton, a veteran 
     of World War II and one of the last remaining survivors of 
     the attack on Pearl Harbor, passed away peacefully surrounded 
     by his loving family in Colorado Springs, Colorado;
       Whereas, on December 7, 1941, the attack on Pearl Harbor 
     lasted for approximately 5 hours, during which 2,403 members 
     of the United States Armed Forces were killed or mortally 
     wounded, 1,247 members of the United States Armed Forces were 
     wounded, and 57 civilians lost their lives;
       Whereas, during the attack on Pearl Harbor, Seaman First 
     Class Donald Stratton was one of 6 sailors trapped in the 
     control tower main mast after a massive explosion on the 
     U.S.S. Arizona; 
       Whereas Boatswain's Mate Second Class Joseph Leon George 
     saved the lives of Seaman First Class Donald Stratton, Seaman 
     First Class Harold Kuhn, Seaman First Class Russell Lott, 
     Gunner's Mate Third Class Earl Riner, Boatswain's Mate Second 
     Class Alvin Dvorak, and Fire Controlman Third Class Lauren 
     Bruner;
       Whereas, despite suffering severe burns on more than 70 
     percent of his body and being medically discharged, Donald 
     Stratton later reenlisted in the United States Navy to 
     continue serving during World War II;
       Whereas, after serving in the United States Armed Forces, 
     Donald Stratton committed his life to pursuing the posthumous 
     recognition of Joseph George with the award of a Bronze Star; 
     and
       Whereas Donald Stratton exemplified the heroism and 
     selfless service of the members of the United States Armed 
     Forces: Now, therefore, be it
         Resolved, That the Senate--
         (1) honors Donald Stratton for his lifelong commitment to 
     service to the United States and the example he set for 
     future generations; and
         (2) remembers the men and women of the Greatest 
     Generation of the United States, including the few remaining 
     survivors of that generation.
  Mr. GARDNER. Mr. President, I come to the floor with somber news for 
Colorado and our country. It is about a gentleman I have talked about 
many times on this floor and across Colorado--Donald Stratton, a 
veteran of World War II, who was on the USS Arizona on December 7, 
1941. Our country has suffered a great loss this past week with Mr. 
Stratton's passing.
  A gallant man, Donald Stratton served his country, his family, and 
our great State with honor, pride, and courage. He was the type of 
person who only comes around once in a generation and was someone whom 
I was lucky to have gotten to know and certainly proud to have worked 
with. It is with great emotion that I come to the floor to share his 
story once again. I am sure it will not be the last time, but it is 
certainly the most personal time that I have ever shared this story.
  Donald Stratton was born in a tiny town in Nebraska--Red Cloud--in 
1922. Its population today is of 900 or so people. I didn't have a 
chance to look up how big it was when he was born in 1922. I imagine it 
may have been a little bit bigger. It has certainly faced the fate that 
many rural communities in America have. It has seen times of growth and 
times of loss. Certainly, the people of Red Cloud know they have lost a 
great hero as well.
  Donald Stratton wrote in his memoirs on December 6, 1941, as a young 
Nebraskan sailor, that he felt like the luckiest boy from Red Cloud 
because he was in an incredibly beautiful part of the world. In fact, 
he wrote in his memoir that he was in the Navy, seeing the world, and 
was stationed in one of the most beautiful parts of the world. He was 
19, and his entire life stretched before him. That next morning, 
December 7, 1941, would change forever Donald Stratton and his country.
  In his book, he talked about that day, December 7, 1941. A little 
after 5 a.m., he had awoken, on his cot, about an hour and a half 
before sunrise.
  He writes:

       I stretched, rubbed the sleep from my eyes, and folded up 
     my cot. I stored it in the incinerator room, then went below 
     to shower. After, I dressed for the day in the typical casual 
     clothes that sailors wore on Sundays--a clean pair of 
     pressed, white shorts and a white T-shirt, along with my 
     sailor's hat.

  A few minutes later, a 5:30 reveille sounded over the intercom, and 
the ship stirred to life, he talked about. Below decks, men tumbled out 
of their hammocks and headed to the showers. A few hours later, at 7:55 
that morning, after a Sunday morning breakfast, he heard airplanes and 
bombs in the distance as the attacks on Pearl Harbor began. By 8:06--11 
minutes later--two-thirds of his body would be engulfed in flames.
  He was at his station, directing anti-aircraft guns, and trying his 
best to fight off the surprise attack by the Japanese. At that moment, 
a 1,700-pound armor-piercing bomb was dropped from 10,000 feet above 
the USS Arizona. That bomb came crashing down through four steel decks, 
where it reached the ammunition magazine, causing a series of 
explosions and shooting a fireball 500 to 600 feet in the air, 
engulfing Donald Stratton and his shipmates in even more flames.
  That Sunday morning of December 7, aboard the USS Arizona, were 1,512 
officers, sailors, and marines. The attack that day--that 1,700-pound 
bomb and so many others--killed 1,177. Only 335 brave people survived 
that morning. Donald Stratton was one of those 335 sailors. His story 
of survival happened because of a sailor who was stationed next to the 
USS Arizona on a ship called the Vestal. He was a sailor by the name of 
Joe George.

[[Page S1230]]

  On that morning, as they were trying to fight back, they had been 
trapped in their tower. Donald Stratton and five of his other shipmates 
were burning--trapped on that tower--as the ship was going down. Joe 
George, a sailor aboard the Vestal, saw them and saw what was 
happening. He tried many times to throw a rope over to the USS Arizona 
to provide help. Finally, he succeeded. Out of the smoke and out of the 
flames, a lifeline from Joe George to that tower was seen, and they 
were able to affix it to the tower. Miraculously, Donald Stratton and 
these other sailors were able to shimmy across the rope, over the 
burning water, to safety on the Vestal. Despite their terrible wounds, 
they made it to the Vestal.
  This story led to an incredible fight again by Donald Stratton. After 
he spent a year recovering from the burns that were over almost all of 
his body, he told his parents that he couldn't just abandon the fight, 
that he couldn't abandon his country, that he had to go back to duty. 
With that, he went back into service for his country. But the fight 
Donald Stratton gave for this country and for his fellow sailors didn't 
stop there. After he served in the Navy, after he left it, he knew he 
had to spend the rest of his life fighting for the man who saved his 
life and his fellow shipmates.
  It wasn't like people left the ship at the end of the day on December 
7 to go back to the office and fill out reports and say: Well, it was a 
busy day at the office. These things happen.
  America was at war. Thousands of lives had been lost. In the fire, in 
the smoke, and in the fight, what Joe George had done for Donald 
Stratton and those other brave sailors was lost for that time. Donald 
Stratton went back into service. He went back into the fight. He spent 
the rest of his life trying to find the man who saved his life. He 
spent a decade-plus looking for Joe George, finding out who he was. 
After he found out who he was, he spent 16 years fighting the Navy so 
that Joe George would be recognized for his heroic actions.
  Donald Stratton went to the Arizona Legislature, and he went to the 
Colorado Legislature. They passed resolutions asking that Joe George be 
recognized for his acts of bravery and his courage.
  He then came to this Congress. Lauren Bruner, Donald Stratton, and 
the other members who survived the USS Arizona--the remaining few of 
the USS Arizona--came to the Senate and said: As fewer and fewer of us 
are able to celebrate and to commemorate December 7 each and every 
year, would you please celebrate one more life--Joe George's? On 
December 7, 2017, the Navy recognized Joe George with the Bronze Star 
and the ``V'' for valor device.
  I have a picture of Donald Stratton as he said goodbye one more time 
to his fellow shipmates on December 7, 2017. He thanked Joe George for 
saving his life and probably never fully understood why his mission 
didn't end that day while so many others' missions did, but thank God 
he was able to continue the fight for this country.
  While Donald Stratton was on the brink of death, he knew he had to 
get back into the fight, and he did. He went back into the Pacific 
theater.
  He wrote in his book:

       Though I may have left Pearl Harbor on a stretcher, I had 
     returned on a destroyer. I had recovered my strength, as had 
     my country. I was ready to meet what was coming, and I had a 
     boatload of reinforcements with me.

  Donald Stratton came back, fighting for our country and fighting for 
the man who saved his life.
  He wrote in his memoir that, in life, the only question that matters 
is ``Have I lived a good life?'' He wrote that he wonders if he will be 
remembered when he is gone. He wonders who will remember him and why.
  Please know that we will remember you eternally and your family for 
what you have done for this country.
  I introduce a resolution to recognize and remember Donald Stratton's 
life because there are only a few remaining brave men and women who 
survived that day, who survived that war, who fought for us so many 
years ago. I hope all of my colleagues will support it so that this 
American hero and his incredible life can be remembered by our Nation 
forever.
  The first time I met Donald Stratton, he told me his story. He told 
me what he had done. He told me how he and his wife had met and how he 
had gone back into the fight after receiving such severe burns that his 
wife used to take a bristle brush to them to help his skin feel better.
  I asked how he did it and said: Mr. Stratton, I am pretty sure I 
never could have done what you did.
  In his kind of ``ah, shucks'' demeanor from Red Cloud, NE, he said: 
``Well, Cory, everyone has to be somewhere.''
  It was not the response I thought I was going to get, but everybody 
does have to be somewhere. Thank God Donald Stratton was on that boat 
on December 7, 1941. Thank God Joe George was on that boat on December 
7, 1941. Thank God that rope was thrown over to the tower to save his 
life. Thank God Donald Stratton returned to the fight to stand up for 
this country, to continue his fight for Joe George, and to have an 
incredible family who continues to share in his legacy today.
  Thank God for all of them. Thank God for all of the men and women who 
were there that day and what they have been able to do to fight for 
this country, to stand for this country, to pay back the blessings of 
this country as we must fight each and every day to pay back the 
blessings they so generously bestowed upon this Nation when they stood 
up, because they were there.
  We know that Donald Stratton has joined his fellow shipmates. That 
reveille at the Pearly Gates must be quite spectacular. He passed away 
at his home in Colorado Springs on February 15, at the age of 97, next 
to his beloved wife. He joins Lauren Bruner, another survivor of that 
morning on the USS Arizona, who came to my office to fight with him for 
Joe George--Bruner, a shipmate who passed away on September 10 of last 
year and who was interred in the USS Arizona this past December 7 on 
the 78th anniversary of the Pearl Harbor attack. I pray that they all 
rest in peace as they join their family in arms.
  This Saturday, the community of Colorado Springs and our State will 
hold a memorial service for Donald Stratton when he will be lain in his 
final resting place next to his daughters in Nebraska. As we say 
goodbye to this hero, let us all do it with thanks to Donald Stratton 
and to the two remaining survivors of the USS Arizona today, Lou Conter 
and Ken Potts.
  To every brave man and woman who serves our country, we are eternally 
grateful.
  I am going to miss him.

                          ____________________