[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 133 (Monday, August 17, 2026)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E789]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




HONORING THE LIFE, SERVICE, AND LEGACY OF WORLD WAR II NAVY VETERAN AND 
               USS INDIANAPOLIS SURVIVOR ROBERT P. GAUSE

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. GUS M. BILIRAKIS

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                        Monday, August 17, 2026

  Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life, service, 
and enduring legacy of Robert P. Gause, a proud World War II Navy 
Veteran, survivor of the USS Indianapolis, and lifelong resident of the 
Tarpon Springs community. Robert P. Gause was a member of a generation 
of Americans whose courage, sacrifice, and devotion to country helped 
preserve the freedoms we enjoy today. A 1938 graduate of Tarpon Springs 
High School, Robert answered our Nation's call to service during World 
War II and served honorably in the United States Navy.
  His service placed him aboard the USS Indianapolis, and his survival 
of one of the most tragic events in the history of the United States 
Navy forever made him part of an extraordinary brotherhood. In July of 
1945, after completing a secret mission that played an important role 
in bringing World War II to an end, the USS Indianapolis was struck by 
Japanese torpedoes and sank in the Philippine Sea. Robert was among 
those who survived the sinking and the harrowing days that followed. 
The courage required to endure such an unimaginable ordeal is difficult 
for those of us who were not there to fully comprehend. Yet, like so 
many members of the Greatest Generation, Robert returned home and 
devoted himself not to seeking recognition, but to building a family, 
strengthening his community, and helping others. Robert spent his life 
in the Tarpon Springs area, where he became known not simply for what 
he had survived, but for the kind of man he chose to be.
  He was a man of deep faith, a longtime member of First United 
Methodist Church, and someone whose generosity left a lasting 
impression on those fortunate enough to know him. He was also a member 
of the Old Timers Club and remained connected to his fellow USS 
Indianapolis survivors. The memories shared following Robert's passing 
paint the picture of a man who quietly made his community better. 
Friends remembered a welcoming home, his kindness toward families who 
needed help, and his willingness to encourage young people as they 
pursued their futures. One particularly powerful story came from a 
young Navy Veteran who approached Robert in 1968 seeking help financing 
his college education. Robert provided him with a $600 loan and never 
charged him a penny of interest. That young Veteran went on to graduate 
from the University of South Florida and never forgot the generosity 
Robert showed him. That story tells us a great deal about Robert Gauge. 
His service to others did not end when he took off his Navy uniform. It 
continued throughout his life, through his family, his faith, his 
friendships, and the countless acts of kindness that often occurred 
without fanfare or recognition. Robert and his beloved wife, Norma 
Neal, shared 67 years of marriage and raised a wonderful family. At the 
time of his passing in 2008 at the age of 88, his legacy extended to 
four children, 12 grandchildren, and 19 great-grandchildren,
  As someone who had been blessed to represent the Tarpon Springs 
community and who considers serving our Nation's Veterans one of the 
greatest honors of my life, I believe we have a solemn responsibility 
to ensure that stories like Robert's are never forgotten.
  The history of the USS Indianapolis is not simply a chapter in a 
history book. It is the story of real Americans who answered the call 
of duty, endured unimaginable hardship, and demonstrated extraordinary 
courage in defense of our Nation. Robert P. Gause was one of those 
Americans. His life reminds us that the legacy of the Greatest 
Generation was not built only on what its members accomplished on 
battlefields and at sea. It was also built in the decades that 
followed, as they returned home, raised families, built businesses, 
strengthened churches and civic organizations, mentored younger 
generations, and quietly made their communities better places to live. 
Robert did all of those things. Although he has been gone for many 
years, his legacy remains alive in his family, in the Tarpon Springs 
community he loved, and in the history of the USS Indianapolis and the 
United States Navy.
  We owe Robert and his fellow Veterans a debt that can never fully be 
repaid. But we can honor that debt by remembering their names, telling 
their stories, caring for their fellow Veterans, and ensuring future 
generations understand the tremendous price that has been paid for our 
freedom. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring the 
life and legacy of World War II Navy Veteran and USS Indianapolis 
survivor Robert P. Gause. May his service and sacrifice never be 
forgotten, and may God continue to bless his family, our Veterans, and 
the United States of America.

                          ____________________