[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 9]
[House]
[Pages 11958-11959]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                      HONORING DR. LEWIS L. HAYNES

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Florida (Mr. Bilirakis) is recognized for 5 minutes.


                             General Leave

  Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks on the 
subject of this Special Order.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Florida?

[[Page 11959]]

  There was no objection.
  Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and legacy 
of a true World War II hero, Dr. Lewis L. Haynes. Dr. Haynes was the 
physician aboard the ill-fated USS Indianapolis, the ship that carried 
integral components of the weapon that brought about the end of World 
War II. However, the Indy, as she was called by her crew, has been 
immortalized in history for another distinction. On July 30, 1945, she 
was sunk by a Japanese submarine. It would take nearly 5 days of wading 
in the shark-infested Pacific Ocean for the survivors to be rescued.
  During the closing weeks of World War II, Captain Charles McVay, III, 
Dr. Haynes, and the rest of the crew of the USS Indianapolis were 
charged, albeit unknowingly, with the daunting task of transporting key 
components of the atomic bomb from San Francisco Bay to the island of 
Tinian.

                              {time}  2030

  After completing their mission and dropping off their cargo, the Indy 
set sail for the Philippines where she was to meet up with the rest of 
the Pacific Fleet to prepare for what everyone believed was going to be 
an invasion of mainland Japan. Very few people knew about the top 
secret weapon that could potentially end the war, including Captain 
McVay.
  Just 3 days into their voyage to the Philippines, a Japanese 
submarine spotted the Indy just after midnight. The submarine then 
fired six torpedoes at her, two of which struck the battleship and 
would prove her undoing. Amid the chaos, Dr. Haynes tried to do 
everything he could to help the survivors stay alive to make it off the 
ship. As the Indy sank, he treated as many of the ship's crew as he 
could with morphine and wrapped them with bandages. Realizing he was 
running out of time, he began fastening life vests around the men, 
directing them off the ship into the dark, unknowing water below. 
Simultaneously, a radio distress signal from the Indy was received on 
the island of Leyte. Although it was reported, no action was taken to 
save the crew.
  It took only 12 minutes for the USS Indianapolis to sink into the 
Pacific Ocean. About 300 men died in the attack, leaving 900 more to 
fend for their lives in the deadly water. In the midst of the 
pandemonium, the crew of the Indy was scattered throughout the ocean. 
Some groups were lucky enough to have a lifeboat and some supplies. 
Others were fortunate enough to have life vests. However, some had 
nothing to help keep them alive.
  Dr. Haynes found himself in charge of the largest group of survivors. 
Although they did not have a lifeboat, the group, called the 
``swimmers'' by Dr. Haynes, was fortunate enough to have life vests and 
belts. Dr. Haynes and Father Conway, the ship's chaplain, would swim 
around to the crew to treat the sick and injured and to round up the 
lone men floating adrift.
  Days would go by, and Dr. Haynes would watch helplessly as more of 
the young crew passed away from disease, dehydration, and shark 
attacks. He did what he could to ease their pain and suffering. He 
fought off attacks when the men went mad from hallucination. He gave 
those men hope and a reason to live when all seemed lost. However, with 
no food, water, or medical supplies, Dr. Haynes was no longer a 
physician but more of a coroner. After Father Conway died, Dr. Haynes 
would give the dead their last rights by reciting the Lord's Prayer. He 
knew he had to stay alive. His boys depended upon him.
  Finally, on August 3, 1945, after 4\1/2\ days in the deadly ocean, 
the survivors would be rescued. In the end, only 317 of the 1,196 crew 
survived the catastrophe. Those who did survive would go through weeks 
of intense therapy for their injuries. It would take Dr. Haynes a month 
of convalescence before he could walk again. Additionally, he suffered 
third-degree burns on his face and hands from the explosions aboard the 
Indy.
  Because of the bravery of the crew of the USS Indianapolis in 
transporting the atomic bomb across the ocean, they helped end World 
War II and subsequently saved countless American lives. We will forever 
be grateful to those men for their contributions to freedom. Moreover, 
we should acknowledge the individual heroism of men like Dr. Lewis 
Haynes who helped save lives by keeping hope.
  Mr. Speaker, although Dr. Haynes' life ended on March 11, 2001, when 
he died at his home in Florida, his legacy will live forever. May we 
never forget the sacrifices made by our greatest generation and all of 
the members past and present of our Armed Forces. It is because of 
their selflessness that we enjoy the freedom we have today.

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