[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 12] [House] [Pages 17746-17748] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]HONORING THE SERVICE AND SACRIFICE OF THE UNITED STATES MERCHANT MARINE Mr. KUYKENDALL. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 327) honoring the service and sacrifice during periods of war by members of the United States merchant marine. The Clerk read as follows: H. Con. Res. 327 Whereas throughout the history of the United States, the United States merchant marine has served the Nation during periods of war; Whereas vessels of the United States merchant marine fleet, such as the S.S. LANE VICTORY, provided critical logistical support to the Armed Forces by carrying equipment, supplies, and personnel necessary to maintain war efforts; Whereas numerous members of the United States merchant marine have died to secure peace and freedom; and Whereas at a time when the people of the United States are recognizing the contributions of the Armed Forces and civilian personnel to the national security, it is appropriate to recognize the service of the United States merchant marine: Now, therefore, be it Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), That the Congress-- (1) honors the service and sacrifice during periods of war by members of the United States merchant marine; (2) recognizes the critical role played by vessels of the United States merchant marine fleet, such as the S.S. LANE VICTORY, in transporting equipment, supplies, and personnel necessary to support war efforts; and (3) encourages-- (A) the American people, through appropriate ceremonies and activities, to recognize and commemorate the service and sacrifices of the United States merchant marine; and (B) all government agencies to take appropriate steps to commemorate the United States merchant marine. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from California (Mr. Kuykendall) and the gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Taylor) each will control 20 minutes. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from California (Mr. Kuykendall). General Leave Mr. KUYKENDALL. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within [[Page 17747]] which to revise and extend their remarks on the resolution under consideration. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from California? There was no objection. Mr. KUYKENDALL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. The merchant marines have served this country since the birth of our Nation. Many people do not think of that. They are most frequently remembered as the World War II veterans because of the great significance they played in that conflict. However, beginning as early as 1775, the merchant marine was actually the first military force we used to defeat the British Navy with. During that time period, they became our first Navy: merchant vessels with guns on them. They brought critical supplies to fight for our independence. If we go on to the next century in the 1800s, between 1812, the War of 1812, and the first World War, they participated in not only that War of 1812, but also the Civil War, the Spanish American War, and delivered doughboys to Europe and their supplies to go with them. In 1936, the Merchant Marine Act was passed by Congress which established the United States merchant marine ``as a naval or military auxiliary in time of war or national emergency.'' From 1941 to 1946, during World War II, merchant marines took part in all invasions. Merchant marine casualties were the highest in any service: 1 in 29. One in 29 people that served became a casualty. Statistics were so important in keeping track of the losses that during World War II we kept secret merchant marine losses because in some weeks we were losing over 30 vessels a week being sunk, between ours and allied forces around the world, and we would never be able to report that and still have men sign up to be a merchant seaman. By 1946, allied leaders planning the invasions of Japan had the merchant marine assigned a critical role in order to move millions of men and their material. Again, the merchant marine after the war, World War II, came out in the Korean War and they supported that operation. They supported the Vietnam War in 1961 to 1973; and today they serve, even today, supplying troops in Bosnia as well as our earlier conflicts in the 1990s, the Persian Gulf War. Merchant marines provide a service which is critical to every war effort. To tell my colleagues how critical it is, in World War II, the average soldier, depending upon his job, required somewhere between seven and 15 tons of material to supply them for 1 year. One soldier for 1 year, seven to 15 tons. That does not get delivered by airplanes; it gets delivered by ships all over the world. In fact, on average, in 1945, every hour there were 17 million pounds of cargo being delivered by the merchant marine in support of our war effort. In 1965, skipping ahead now to Vietnam, we had 300 freighters and tankers supplying the United States military efforts, and on average, on average, we had 75 ships and over 3,000 merchant mariners in Vietnamese ports at any given time. Da Nang Harbor was the home of the Marine Amphibious Force Logistic Command, and in support of 81,000 Marines in Vietnam, that command brought 96 percent of the war material needed for the Marine forces there. {time} 2115 That included everything from tanks to food. Merchant marines have served as civilians, but routinely go in harm's way in the conduct of their service. Here I am going to quote from B.D. Hammer in an article he wrote in the New York Daily News on May 20, talking about war heroes in the merchant marines: All volunteers, these seafarers came from every vocation, level of education, ethnicity, and faith. Some were teens, and some were senior citizens. Many were deemed unfit for military service. Yet the merchant marine traveled across the oceans of the world, often without proper protection, to every battlefront, every invasion of a beachhead that this Nation called it to. Again, one in 29 mariners who served aboard merchant ships in World War II died in the line of duty. Some of those casualties: There were 8,651 mariners killed in World War II, U.S. mariners. One hundred forty-two of those were cadets from the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy. They were college kids. We all nominate people to the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, and that academy is the only service academy, of the five that we have, that is authorized to carry a battle standard. They sent cadets to go fight the war. We had 11,000 wounded, 1,100 more died of wounds ashore, and 604 men and women were taken prisoner while serving as merchant marines. Sixty of them died in prison camp. We have about 500 more Americans who died in service while serving on allied vessels, 500 more. We had people die in the Vietnam War serving in the merchant marine, and many more injured due to actions around them. As a nation, we must remain committed to maintaining a strong merchant marine. It is the greatest insurance we will have that we will always be able to deliver our men and materiel wherever in the world they are needed. We need a strong Merchant Marine Academy to train them, we need a strong shipbuilding industry to build their vessels, and we need to recognize the service of those who gave their lives in times of war. The merchant marines have been part of America's history since we became a nation. They are most frequently remembered for World War II action because of the publicity of that event. Today, we have a few remaining even from that war, and we should seek even more recognition as they gradually pass on. I urge the passage of this resolution, Mr. Speaker, and I reserve the balance of my time. Mr. TAYLOR of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I am a fill-in tonight for our ranking member, the gentleman from Guam (Mr. Underwood), who was called away because of a family emergency, so the words I am going to read tonight are his, not mine. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of House Concurrent Resolution 327, a resolution which would honor and recognize our merchant marines. I would first like to thank the gentleman from California (Mr. Kuykendall) for introducing this important resolution. I am a proud cosponsor of this legislation, which seeks to ensure that our merchant marines receive the recognition that they long deserve. The merchant marines, our first Navy, were instrumental in defeating the British Navy during the Revolutionary War. Highly outnumbered, these brave seamen contributed to the very birth and founding of our Republic by preying on the vast arsenal of British enemy ships and carrying critical supplies to assist in America's battle for independence. Since 1775, the merchant marines have served our country in all wars up to the Persian Gulf War. Whether carrying imports or exports during peacetime, or serving as naval auxiliary during wartime delivering troops and war material, the merchant marine provides an essential service to the well-being of our Nation. Long called our Nation's fourth arm of defense, the merchant marines have always answered the call to duty. During World War II, the merchant marine was responsible for delivering not only our troops, but 95 percent of the supplies that our military forces needed to defeat our enemies in both Europe and in the Pacific. These merchant seamen were at constant risk of having their ship sunk by enemy submarines. As a result of their bravery, the merchant marines had higher casualty percentages than any branch of the Armed Forces. During World War II, one in every 29 mariners perished. Eight thousand, six hundred 51 mariners were killed at sea, and an additional 11,000 wounded. Due to the security and intelligence concerns surrounding our war effort, merchant marine ship casualties were constantly underestimated. Unfortunately, this resulted in inadvertently [[Page 17748]] denying the American people the knowledge of the sacrifices and accomplishments of the merchant marines. Unknown to many Americans, these courageous seamen suffered incredible losses in moving heavy equipment, troops, arms, ammunition, and fuel across thousands of miles of hostile seas. Today, House Concurrent Resolution 327 will finally honor their dedication and sacrifice by recognizing their utter devotion to duty. Congress has acted in the past regarding the merchant marine. The Merchant Marine Act of 1936 officially established the merchant marine as a naval or military auxiliary in time of war or national security. Furthermore, in 1988, merchant marines who sailed on ocean-going vessels from December 7, 1941, through August 15 of 1945 were granted veteran status. Today the men and women of the merchant marine continue to serve with honor. As Members of Congress, we need to continue to educate the American people about the importance and the achievements of the merchant marine. House Concurrent Resolution 327 serves this purpose. I urge all Members to support this important legislation in an effort to ensure that our merchant marines receive the recognition and honor they deserve for sacrificing so much to our Nation. Mr. Speaker, having read the remarks of the gentleman from Guam (Mr. Underwood), I would also say that the best way we can honor our merchant marines is to continue to have a strong American merchant marine. The way we can do that is to continue to protect the Jones Act, continue to emphasize American shipbuilding, and to continue to, when possible, give priority to American-made products that help in our national defense. I want to thank the gentleman from California (Mr. Kuykendall) for doing this. Again, I want to apologize for the absence of the gentleman from Guam (Mr. Underwood), but there was a family emergency. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time. Mr. KUYKENDALL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, we are entering an era of great peace which we have been in for the last few years, and we have a large contingent of our veterans, in this case merchant marines, who have never been properly recognized. Their job was secret, in many cases, particularly the loss of their lives and the ships they sailed in during World War II, so the important role they played was even more removed from the public. Now, as they in great numbers begin to fade away, their importance has by no means faded. We still need that merchant fleet. We still need merchant seamen trained to run civilian ships to haul our materiel wherever it needs to be hauled in support of our Nation's activities. Part of the greatness of a nation is how we recognize those who give of themselves in its defense and in its pursuits around the world. In this case, this group has been overlooked too long, and it should be recognized. I urge my colleagues to vote yes to recognize the merchant marines for their actions from the inception of our Nation to today. Mr. BUYER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today as a co-sponsor of H. Con. Res. 327 and as one who appreciates the vital contribution that merchant mariners have made to the security and well-being of our sea-faring nation. Since 1775, the Merchant Marine has linked the United States in commerce with trading partners all over the world. In wartime, merchant seamen have served with valor and distinction. During World War II, 6,000 merchant mariners, including 142 Kings Point cadets, made the ultimate sacrifice. Despite this terrible cost, the Merchant Marine never faltered in its mission. Today's merchant mariners continue their predecessors' legacy of dedication and patriotism. Many of these great Americans begin their careers at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point, New York. Since 1938, Kings Point has prepared cadets to serve as officers in the Merchant Marine. Recognized as leaders in the maritime industry, Kings Point graduates represent every state and territory in the union. Rear Admiral Joe Stewart and his staff are to be commended for continuing the tradition of excellence at Kings Point. After World War II, President Franklin D. Roosevelt said, ``Mariners have . . . delivered the goods when and where needed . . . across every ocean in the . . . most difficult and dangerous job ever undertaken.'' I urge my colleagues to honor the contribution of the Merchant Marine by voting ``yes'' on H. Con. Res. 327. Mr. KUYKENDALL. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time. The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Pease). The question is on the motion offered by the gentleman from California (Mr. Kuykendall) that the House suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution, House Concurrent Resolution 327. The question was taken. Mr. KUYKENDALL. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays. The yeas and nays were ordered. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be postponed. ____________________