[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 82 (Tuesday, May 16, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1676-S1677]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            HONORING SEAMAN SECOND CLASS DAVID JOSEPH RILEY

  Ms. BALDWIN. Mr. President, I rise today to honor the sacrifice of 
S2C David Joseph Riley who lost his life, along with 428 of his fellow 
crewmen, on December 7, 1941, while serving on the USS Oklahoma during 
the attack on Pearl Harbor. After over 80 years, S2C Riley's remains 
will finally come to Juda in Green County, WI, on May 27, 2023.
  Seaman Second Class Riley was born on February 18, 1916, and at the 
age of 11 years old became the foster son of Elmer and Della (Matzke) 
Asmus of Juda, WI. He attended the Juda elementary and high schools and 
was known for his cheerful and likable manner. In 1939, he joined the 
Wisconsin National Guard, and in May 1940, he enlisted in the U.S. 
Navy. After training, he was assigned to the battleship USS Oklahoma.
  On December 7, 1941, Seaman Second Class Riley was onboard the USS 
Oklahoma, docked at Ford Island, Pearl Harbor, when it was attacked by 
Japanese forces. This ship was hit by multiple torpedoes, causing it to 
quickly flip and capsize.
  On December 21, 1941, Mr. and Mrs. Asmus received a telegram from the 
Navy, stating that Seaman Second Class Riley was missing. On February 
17, 1942, 1 day before what would have been his 26th birthday, they 
received another telegram declaring that Seaman Second Class Riley had 
lost his life in service of his country. Unfortunately, his remains 
could not be identified at this time. Eventually, the remains of the 
men lost aboard the Oklahoma were recovered and buried at the National 
Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific--NMCP--and listed as ``Unknowns.''
  The loss of Seaman Second Class Riley was devastating to the tight-
knit community of Green County, and over 80 years later, his legacy is 
still known and honored. The American Legion Post 84 in Monroe is the 
Zilmer-Riley post, named in part for Seaman Second Class Riley. A 
plaque in Juda High School commemorates the sacrifice made by Seaman 
Second Class Riley and two other men from Juda during World War II.
  In 2015, the Department of Defense authorized the exhumation of the 
USS Oklahoma ``Unknowns,'' interred at the National Memorial Cemetery 
of the Pacific, NMCP. Seaman Second Class Riley's remains were exhumed 
and identified through the painstaking efforts of the Defense POW/MIA 
Accounting Agency--DPAA--the Armed Forces DNA Identification 
Laboratory--AFDIL--and the Navy Casualty POW-MIA Branch.

[[Page S1677]]

  Deborah Krauss Smith, great-grandniece of Seaman Second Class Riley's 
foster parents, worked diligently to gain approval from the Navy 
Casualty POW/MIA branch to return Seaman Second Class Riley's remains 
to Juda, where they will be interred with those of his foster parents, 
fittingly over Memorial Day weekend 2023.
  It is our duty to honor Seaman Second Class Riley and his fellow 
servicemembers who lost their lives on that fateful day. I ask that we 
all take a moment to remember S2C David Joseph Riley and to pay tribute 
to his service and sacrifice.

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