[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 17]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 24699]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



           HONORING A FORGOTTEN HERO, SEAMAN ARTHUR REID, JR.

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. DONALD M. PAYNE

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, October 25, 2000

  Mr. PAYNE. Mr. Speaker, more than five decades have passed since a 
massive explosion at the Port Chicago naval base in California claimed 
the life of a courageous young Seaman, Arthur Reid, Jr. and 319 other 
servicemen, mostly African Americans. Nearly 400 more were wounded in 
the incident.
  On October 26, 2000, I will have the privilege of presenting to 
Seaman Reid's sister, Margaret Reid Severin, three long overdue 
military awards in his behalf--the American Campaign Medal, the Gold 
Star Lapel Button, and the World War II Victory Medal. Mrs. Severin was 
only 13 at the time she lost her brother, but she has faithfully 
honored his memory ever since, despite the fact that the Navy provided 
very little information or support following the tragic loss of his 
life.
  I was pleased to have the opportunity to help secure Seaman Reid's 
service records from the National Personnel Records Center in St. 
Louis, which confirmed his meritorious military record recommending him 
for leadership.
  It was through the efforts and outstanding research of Mrs. Severin's 
coworker, Ms. Sheri Humphrey, that the story of Seaman Reid came to 
light. Ms. Humphrey worked diligently to track down information from 
veterans' files which revealed the plight of Seaman Reid and his fellow 
servicemen at Port Chicago.
  The Port Chicago tragedy has been described as ``America's Dark 
Secret'' because of the circumstances surrounding the disaster. It was 
on the evening of July 17th, 1944, during World War II, that the 
munitions blast occurred. In an era of a segregated military, enlisted 
African Americans were relegated to duties separate from those of their 
white counterparts. Instead of obtaining ship duty, they were assigned 
to load ammunition and explosives on ships at port without the benefit 
of proper training for this potentially dangerous responsibility. After 
the terrible tragedy, African American servicemen still suffering from 
the trauma of the explosion were ordered back to work handling 
ammunition at another location. At that point, 258 of them refused that 
specific assignment, saying they would take any other duty but that one 
in view of their experience. At a racially charged court martial trial, 
208 servicemen were given bad conduct discharges and denied three 
months' pay. Another 50 were convicted of mutiny, which could have 
resulted in the death penalty. Sentences of 8 and 15 years at hard 
labor were meted out, but eventually clemency was granted at the 
conclusion of the war.
  Mr. Speaker, I know my colleagues here in the U.S. House of 
Representatives join me in honoring a true World War II hero, Seaman 
Arthur Reid, Jr., and in expressing to his sister Margaret Reid Severin 
our profound appreciation for his ultimate sacrifice for our country.

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