[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 12]
[House]
[Pages 16171-16172]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                  CHANGING THE DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY

  Mr. JONES of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent 
that I might speak for 5 minutes.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Without objection, the gentleman from North 
Carolina is recognized for 5 minutes.
  There was no objection.
  Mr. JONES of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I have the privilege of 
representing Camp Lejeune Marine Base and also Cherry Point Marine Air 
Station, and for 3 years this House of Representatives, in a bipartisan 
way, has offered and accepted and passed legislation that would create 
the opportunity to rename the Department of Navy to be Navy and Marine 
Corps.
  I do not need to speak today on the history of the great Marine 
Corps, just like the United States Army, the United States Navy, and 
the United States Air Force, but, Mr. Speaker, I will say that I am 
hoping this year in the conference between the House and the Senate 
that the Senate will accept the House position.
  Let me just take a couple of moments to read a comment. Again, this 
bill has been introduced for 3 years and the bill number has changed 
for 3 years, but this statement I want to read is from the Honorable 
Wade Sanders, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Reserve 
Affairs from 1993-1998. This is what the Honorable Wade Sanders said.
  ``As a combat veteran and former Naval officer, I understand the 
importance of the team dynamic, and the importance of recognizing the 
contribution 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.''
  Mr. Speaker, there has been an Internet site that has been 
established, not by me or by my office, but by an independent entity. 
Today, I went on that Internet site and I want to read, again for the 
record, a statement from First Lieutenant Marine Corps Retired General 
Merna.
  He said, ``I am one of five brothers who served in the military: 
Three Marines, all Korean War veterans; I am also a Vietnam veteran; 
two Navy brothers, one a Korean War veteran and the other paid the 
supreme sacrifice in World War II when his LST-577 was sunk by a 
Japanese submarine. Our uncle was a World War II Marine, and even our 
Dad spent a brief time in the Army Air Corps in World War II. It may be 
difficult for non-Marine families to understand why this long overdue 
legislation is such a burning issue for Marines; it is of paramount 
interest to our community of Marines.
  The reasoning for this legislation comes close to explaining why this 
needs to be done. Simply put, Marines have earned the right to their 
own identity, while loving and recognizing our brothers and sisters in 
arms from all of the military services who already have this 
distinction.''
  The point that he was making is, if you think about it, we have a 
Department of Army and a Secretary of Army. Think about it, we have a 
Department of the Air Force with a Secretary of the Air Force. You 
think about the Department of Navy, which the Navy and the Marines are 
a team, and yet it is a Department of Navy and a Secretary of Navy.
  Mr. Speaker, I have to my left orders for a citation of a Silver Star 
for a Marine that was killed in Nasiriyah during this war in Iraq.

                              {time}  1700

  And it is so ironic to me that this Marine, who gave his life for 
this country, when his family received the letter from the Secretary of 
the Navy, what does it say at the top, Mr. Speaker, but the Secretary 
of the Navy, Washington, D.C., with the Navy flag, recognizing that 
Michael Bitz gave his life for this country and that Michael Bitz was a 
Marine, a proud Marine.
  Mr. Speaker, what we are trying to do in this House of 
Representatives, in a bipartisan way, is to say that this is a 
partnership and has been for the history of the Navy and Marine Corps, 
and that both should be recognized equally as a team.
  And I bring to the floor again to show you what could happen, and 
would happen if Michael Bitz's family had received this citation of his 
bravery in Iraq, and that we had a Department of Navy and Marine Corps, 
what you would have, Mr. Speaker, and what it says here is, the 
Secretary of the Navy and Marine Corps, and it has the Navy flag and it 
has the Marine flag. That is what we are trying to do in this House of 
Representatives is to pay respect to the team. The team is a Navy and 
Marine Corps team. And I hope that the Senate this year, after 3 years 
will accept the House position.

[[Page 16172]]

  Mr. Speaker, with that, before I yield back my time, I want to please 
ask God to bless our men and women in uniform, to please bless the 
families of our men and women in uniform, and to ask God to continue to 
bless America.

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