[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 194 (Tuesday, November 18, 2025)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1081]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     HONORING THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE WRECK OF THE S.S. EDMUND 
                               FITZGERALD

                                  _____
                                 

                           HON. JACK BERGMAN

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, November 18, 2025

  Mr. BERGMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the 50th anniversary 
of the wreck of the S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald on November 10, 1975, and 
the 29 crewmates who tragically lost their lives off the shores of Lake 
Superior.
  Nicknamed ``The Pride of the American Side,'' the Edmund Fitzgerald 
was the largest ship on North America's Great Lakes when it was 
launched on June 7, 1958. For 17 years, the ship carried taconite from 
mines in Minnesota to Michigan, Ohio, and various other Great Lakes 
ports. The ship earned a reputation as a workhorse--becoming the first 
ship to carry one million tons of ore through the Soo Locks in a year--
and set the record for single-trip tonnage, carrying more than twenty-
seven thousand tons of ore in one voyage. Despite all these accolades, 
the ship is most remembered for what happened on that fateful November 
night.
  The Edmund Fitzgerald embarked on its final mission on the afternoon 
of November 9, 1975, carrying a fall cargo from Superior, Wisconsin, 
towards Zug Island in Detroit alongside the S.S. Arthur M. Anderson. On 
November 10th, the ships were caught in a hurricane-like storm, facing 
25-to-30-foot waves and wind speeds of nearly 100 miles per hour. With 
the Edmund Fitzgerald struggling to navigate the storm, the captains of 
both ships agreed to seek refuge in Whitefish Bay, off the coast of 
Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Shortly after 7:10 p.m., just 17 miles from 
Whitefish Bay, the Edmund Fitzgerald sank to the bottom of Lake 
Superior. The ship remains there today, more than 500 feet below the 
surface of the Great Lakes.
  Mr. Speaker, as we commemorate this somber anniversary, let us 
remember the courage, dedication, and sacrifice of the Edmund 
Fitzgerald's crew. Their story endures as a lasting reminder of the 
strength and spirit of those who live and work on the Great Lakes, and 
of the deep connection between our people and these powerful waters.

                          ____________________