[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 124 (Wednesday, July 19, 2023)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E697]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      HONORING MR. MICHAEL ROBBINS

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. JIMMY PANETTA

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, July 19, 2023

  Mr. PANETTA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Mr. Michael 
Robbins for his bravery and service as a U.S. merchant mariner during 
World War II. Serving from July of 1943 to May of 1946, Mr. Robbins 
sailed with the U.S. Merchant Marine aboard the SS Olney, the SS 
Pendleton, the SS O. Henry, and the SS Hoke Smith.
  During World War II, nearly 250,000 civilian merchant mariners were 
activated to serve as part of the U.S. military and to delivered troops 
and supplies by ship to foreign countries engulfed in the war. They 
faced treacherous conditions along their routes. Between 1939 and 1945, 
9,521 U.S. merchant mariners gave their lives--a higher proportion than 
those killed than in any military branch--in defense of our nation. 
President Franklin D. Roosevelt called their mission the most difficult 
and dangerous transportation job ever undertaken.
  Hailing from Atlantic City, New Jersey, Mr. Robbins enlisted in the 
U.S. Merchant Marine at only 15 years old. He began his wartime efforts 
as an ordinary seaman, chipping away rust and old paint from the ship.
  While aboard SS O. Henry and transporting supplies in the 
Mediterranean Sea, his convoy was attacked by air. Mr. Robbins, still a 
teenager, acted to defend his ship by delivering 20mm ammunition to the 
ship's crew. Mr. Robbins would go on to serve in the Atlantic, 
Mediterranean, and Pacific theaters.
  Mr. Robbins received several decorations during his service, 
including 3 War Zone medals awarded to Merchant Marines for their 
service in the Pacific, the Atlantic, and the Mediterranean and Middle 
East. He also received the World War II Victory Medal for honorable 
service while on active duty, the Philippine Liberation Ribbon, the 
Combat Bar, the Honorable Service Button, a Presidential Testimonial 
Letter, and the Battlin' Pete Patch.
  Mr. Robbins and the U.S. merchant mariners of World War II who played 
crucial roles in the country's war effort were awarded the 
Congressional Gold Medal in 2020, the highest honor Congress can bestow 
on civilians. It was an honor to present the medal to Mr, Robbins then, 
and it is an honor to recognize him here again today.
  Mr. Speaker, I invite my colleagues in the U.S. House of 
Representatives to join me in honoring and celebrating the dedicated 
service of Mr. Michael Robbins for his valor and service in defending 
our country. May his legacy continue to inspire us for generations to 
come.

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