[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 121 (Friday, July 14, 2023)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E675-E676]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           CONGRATULATING LIEUTENANT COMMANDER WESLEY BESSELL

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. CHUCK EDWARDS

                           of north carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, July 14, 2023

  Mr. EDWARDS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Wesley (Bob) Bessell 
for being awarded the Congressional Gold Medal in recognition of his 
service and bravery in the U.S. Merchant Marines during World War II.
  Bob began his maritime career at the age of 15, as a member of the 
crew of the Corsair, an impressive private yacht owned by the J.P. 
Morgan family. Shortly afterward, he enlisted in the U.S. Coast Guard, 
and it was during his training that America entered World War II. Upon 
the completion of his training, Bob joined the U.S. Merchant Marines as 
an Able-Bodied Seaman.
  He served as a merchant mariner for more than 4\1/2\ years, which 
included a deployment on the SS West Hardaway when it was sunk by a 
torpedo from a German U-boat in 1942. After the U-boat attack, Bob and 
his fellow sailors took refuge in the small town of Porlamar on Isla de 
Margarita in Venezuela. The island's inhabitants, though facing their 
own challenges, extended a warm welcome to the stranded crew, offering 
them shelter, sustenance and a renewed sense of hope. Bob forged bonds 
of friendship with the local community, transcending language barriers 
and cultural differences, and he recalls walking around the island like 
a rockstar, always surrounded by 10 or 20 smiling faces.
  In 1943, Bob completed Officer Candidate School and rose to the rank 
of a lieutenant commander. It was in the same year, on a mission to 
deliver documents in Liverpool, England, that Bob met Susan, the 
British love

[[Page E676]]

of his life. Bob still describes their chance encounter in a rainstorm 
great detail. Amid heavy rain, Susan stood illuminated by single a beam 
of sunlight. For 3 years, the couple communicated through letters, 
finding peace in each other's presence amid the chaos of war. 
Immediately after the war, Bob called Susan and proposed marriage. They 
were married in a Nissen hut outside the ruins of a bombed English 
church in 1946. They spent 72 wonderful years together and had three 
children. They now have 4 grandchildren and 7 great grandchildren.
  Bob selflessly put his life on the on the line to defend America's 
freedom during one of its most challenging periods. President Roosevelt 
famously referred to the Merchant Mariners' mission during World War II 
as ``the most difficult and dangerous transportation job ever 
undertaken.
  It is my humble privilege to present Bob with the highest honor 
bestowed by Congress, the Congressional Gold Medal. This award is 1 of 
numerous honors that Bob has received for his service, including the 
Atlantic War Zone Medal, the Merchant Marine Combat Bar with Silver 
Star device, and the World War II Victory Medal.
  I congratulate Lieutenant Commander Bessell, on this well-deserved 
recognition. A grateful Nation thanks him for his service.

                          ____________________