[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 11]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 15932-15933]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




RECOGNIZING THE LATE CAPTAIN ANN BERNATITUS AS A MEMORIAL IS DEDICATED 
                  IN HER HONOR IN EXETER, PENNSYLVANIA

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. PAUL E. KANJORSKI

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 14, 2007

  Mr. KANJORSKI. Madam Speaker, I rise today to ask you and my esteemed 
colleagues in the House of Representatives to pay tribute to the late 
CAPT Ann Bernatitus of Exeter Borough, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, on 
the occasion of the placement of a monument in her memory in front of 
her hometown municipal building.

[[Page 15933]]

  Captain Bernatitus is being honored by the people of Exeter because 
of her extraordinary service as a United States Navy nurse during the 
battles of Bataan and Corregidor in the Pacific theater of combat 
during World War II and also because she was the first person to 
receive the prestigious Legion of Merit award that was authorized by 
Congress in 1942. Others who were awarded the Legion of Merit include 
Dwight D. Eisenhower, George Patton, and Colin Powell.
  Captain Bernatitus served as a nurse in the Philippines at the 
outbreak of the war, always on the front lines of combat. In the 
citation that accompanied the Legion of Merit award, it was noted that 
``Nurse Bernatitus courageously withstood the dangers and rigors of 
tropical combat, rendering efficient and devoted service during the 
tense days of the prolonged siege and evacuation.''
  Then a Navy lieutenant, she gained nationwide attention because of 
her dramatic rescue aboard a U.S. Navy submarine from Corregidor 
shortly after Japanese forces occupied the island.
  Her epic journey aboard the USS Spearfish began on May 3, 1942, when 
Bataan had fallen and Corregidor's fall was imminent. She and 12 other 
nurses were evacuated and as soon as they were on board the vessel, it 
was forced to dive to escape the searching lights of the invading 
Japanese.
  During their 17-day saga, the submarine continually ran on the 
surface from dusk to dawn and submerged during the day to avoid the 
threat of Japanese surface warships.
  Following her arrival in Australia, she was sent home aboard a troop 
ship, arriving in the United States in July 1942. She was then assigned 
to Bethesda Naval Hospital in Maryland, eventually working with the 
Navy's public relations department assisting in bond drives.
  After 22\1/2\ years in the Navy, she retired April 1, 1959, with the 
rank of captain after which she returned to her home in Exeter. She 
died in March 2003 at the age of 91.
  Captain Bernatitus exemplified a life of fearless and selfless 
devotion to country and compassion for her fellow Americans. Her 
personal determination, coupled with her highly skilled nursing 
ability, was responsible for saving the lives of many American 
warfighters committed to answering the call to duty following the 
horrific events at Pearl Harbor.
  Madam Speaker, please join me in remembering the many sacrifices made 
by Captain Bernatitus on behalf of a grateful Nation and in celebrating 
her life of service.

                          ____________________