[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 3]
[House]
[Pages 3087-3088]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                       MARINE CORPS AND NAVY TEAM

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Jones) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. JONES of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I have introduced H.R. 34,

[[Page 3088]]

which would expand the name of the Department of the Navy to be Navy 
and Marine Corps.
  Mr. Speaker, we have four services that stand alone that represent 
the greatness of our men and women in uniform, the Army, the Navy, the 
Air Force and the Marine Corps. Mr. Speaker, all these services have 
great heritage and great history. The Marine Corps and the Navy are a 
team. Both are separate under the Department of Navy. The Marine Corps 
is not part of the Navy. The Navy is not part of the Marine Corps. It 
is under the Department of the Navy.
  Mr. Speaker, I think it is important to recognize that the four 
services should be appreciated and recognized separately. I think it is 
important that the Marine Corps and the Navy, which are a team and 
remain a team, that the coach of the team, in this case which is the 
Secretary of the Navy, carry the name Secretary of Navy and Marine 
Corps.
  Mr. Speaker, this is the third year that this bill has been 
introduced. Each year the House in a bipartisan way sends this bill 
over to the Senate, but so far the other body has not been willing to 
accept the House position. Already we have close to 70 Members, both 
Republican and Democrat, who have joined me again in H.R. 34 to expand 
the name of the Department of the Navy and Marine Corps.
  Mr. Speaker, let me share with you some of the comments from those 
who have served, the first one being Wade Sanders, who in 1993 to 1998 
served as the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Reserve 
Affairs. I want to read from his letter:

       ``As a combat veteran and former Naval officer, I 
     understand the importance of the team dynamic, and the 
     importance of recognizing the contributions of team 
     components. The Navy and Marine Corps team is just that, a 
     dynamic partnership, and it is important to symbolically 
     recognize the balance of that partnership.''

  Let me also read a letter from the former commandant of the United 
States Marine Corps, General Charles Krulak: ``I heartily endorse this 
bill as an initiative that appropriately honors all of the superb men 
and women of the Naval Service, sailors and Marines.''
  Mr. Speaker, very quickly, from the Fleet Reserve Association, which 
is made up of Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guardsmen: ``And, finally, 
the Corps as the second most senior armed service should receive the 
honor it truly deserves, equitable distinction among the military 
departments in the U.S. defense structure. Recognizing the Corps as an 
equal partner in a new Department of the Navy and Marine Corps gives 
the Marines the distinction and esteem they truly deserve.''
  Mr. Speaker, let me close by pointing out why I believe this is so 
important. To my left is a blow-up of the citation of the Silver Star 
presented to the family of a Marine who was killed at Nasiriyah. His 
name was Michael Bitz.
  Mr. Speaker, as you can see at the top, it was in the official 
heading, the Secretary of the Navy, Washington, D.C. and there is a 
Navy flag. Mr. Speaker, the Navy and the Marine Corps are a team, and 
this headline should be as a team.
  Let me show you, Mr. Speaker, when I take down the order and we had 
the graphic department to work with us on this. Let me show you just 
how dynamic this team is, this Marine who gave his life for his 
country, and his family received the Silver Star, tell me 15 years down 
the road, Mr. Speaker, when his children look up at their daddy and 
their daddy gave his life for this country and he was a Marine. If this 
was hanging on the wall, the Secretary of the Navy and Marine Corps 
with the Navy flag and the Marine flag, the team, Mr. Speaker, would 
that child not be proud of his daddy to know that his father died for 
this country and he was recognized as a Marine in the heading, 
Secretary of Navy and Marine Corps?
  Mr. Speaker, I intend to come down on the floor at least once a week 
for the next few weeks and try to get more and more of my colleagues, 
both Republican and Democrat, to co-sponsor this legislation with me. 
It is time that the Marine Corps be treated equally and fairly. There 
are four services, which the Congress has said twice over the last 30 
years. We have four services: Marine Corps, Army, Navy, and Air Force. 
It is time that the Department of the Navy carry the name Navy and 
Marine Corps.
  With that, Mr. Speaker, I want to close by asking God to please bless 
our men and women in uniform and to bless their families. I ask God to 
please bless the families who have given a child dying for freedom in 
Afghanistan or Iraq.
  Mr. Speaker, I close by asking God three times, please, God, please, 
God, please, God, continue to bless America.

                          ____________________