[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 49 (Friday, March 18, 2022)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E281-E282]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         RECOGNIZING THE LIFE OF COMMANDER ROBERT WILSON PRATT

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. CHIP ROY

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, March 18, 2022

  Mr. ROY. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and legacy of 
Commander Robert Wilson Pratt, who passed away at his

[[Page E282]]

home in Fair Oaks Ranch, Texas on Saturday, March 12, 2022, at the age 
of 99.
  Robert was born on June 14, 1922, in Superior, Nebraska to Dr. Irving 
and Rose Pratt. He and his younger sister Peggy were raised in San 
Antonio, Texas where they both graduated from Jefferson High School. 
Robert attended the San Antonio College after he graduated from 
Jefferson in 1941 until he enlisted in the Navy in October of 1942. Due 
to his college credits already earned, he was entered into an officer 
training program. He was commissioned an Ensign in May of 1944. He 
proceeded to be part of the commissioning crew of LST 781. LST 781 then 
sailed from New Orleans, LA through the Panama Canal and into the South 
Pacific Theater. His ship participated in many of the island invasions 
in the Pacific culminating in the invasion of Okinawa where he survived 
kamikaze attacks while supporting Marine Corp Air Unit logistics. His 
ship had the distinction of being one of the first American ships to 
enter a Japanese port after the Atomic Bombs ended the conflict. He 
used a jeep from his ship to drive the short distance to Hiroshima to 
see the destruction there since no one knew anything about the danger 
of radiation. It was a sight he could never forget.
  He returned after the war to San Antonio and completed his 
undergraduate degree in marketing at St. Mary's University. He was 
working for General Motors when he met the love of his life, Frances 
Salley of Alice, Texas. They married in January of 1950. When they 
returned from their honeymoon, he was greeted by a letter from the 
United States Navy calling him back to active duty for the Korean 
conflict. After Korea, he and Frances returned to South Texas where 
they raised two sons, Robert W Pratt II and Byron Wayne Pratt.
  Robert had careers as an executive for Central Power & Light Company 
and later as a real estate developer of apartment communities. He 
stayed in the Navy Reserves retiring with the rank of Commander. He was 
an active member of the Corpus Christi Yacht Club for many years.
  Robert and Frances enjoyed a 71+ year partnership and adventure 
together. Many of their best times were spent with family and friends 
aboard their 50-foot ketch, the Masquerade, on voyages that went from 
Florida to Annapolis, Maryland, and throughout the Caribbean. They 
moved from Corpus Christi, Texas to Fair Oaks Ranch, Texas in 1995 
where RW continued to manage some of his real estate assets and mentor 
younger people he met to grow to their full potential.
  We are able to live free today because of the courage of men like 
Commander Pratt, who put their lives on hold and answered their 
country's call when it needed them most. Love of family, country, and a 
life dedicated to service sum up the character of Commander Pratt, a 
member of the Greatest Generation. These stories will inspire future 
generations of Americans to pursue a life dedicated to causes greater 
than themselves. I hope this testament to Commander Pratt's life serves 
as an acknowledgment of the immeasurable debt of gratitude owed to him 
by the American people. On behalf of Texas' 21st Congressional 
District, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing the 
extraordinary life of Commander Pratt and his dedicated service to our 
country. Today, a grateful Nation thanks him.

                          ____________________