[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 1]
[House]
[Pages 1134-1135]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




            HONORING THE U.S. COAST GUARD CUTTER ``INGHAM''

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Ros-Lehtinen) is recognized for 5 
minutes.
  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor one of the most 
decorated ships of the United States, the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter 
Ingham. For 52 years, the Ingham protected our shoreline. Entering 
service in 1935, the Ingham delivered critical assistance to the United 
States in World War II, Korea, and Vietnam.
  The Ingham protected Allied ships that were ferrying supplies to 
Great Britain during the Second World War. With the American flag 
flying high on her mast, the Ingham battled stormy weather, dodged 
German U-boats, sank an enemy submarine, and eluded enemy aircraft. The 
Ingham also served in the Pacific, acting as the amphibious flagship 
for four of the Philippine Islands invasions. It was from aboard the 
Ingham that General MacArthur planned and oversaw the critical capture 
of Corregidor.
  More recently and closer to home, in 1980 over 125,000 Cubans fled 
north from the oppressive Castro dictatorship in battered rafts and 
stormy weather. The Ingham was instrumental in rescuing many refugees 
adrift in these makeshift rafts and bringing seven refugee vessels to 
safety, saving 122 lives.
  She is the only ship in our history to receive two Presidential 
citations and has been awarded an astounding 14 Battle Stars and 19 
ribbons. The Ingham and the many crew members who have served both on 
and below her decks are a testament to our great Nation. A total of 912 
casualties are honored on a memorial plaque on her quarterdeck. Having 
paid the ultimate price for our freedom, these men and women earned our 
respect.
  When the Ingham was decommissioned in 1988, she was the second oldest 
American warship afloat. Now a floating museum, it is through the 
exhibits and memorials within the Ingham that we can honor and remember 
all of those 912 service men and women and all that they have done in 
the service of our Nation.
  The Ingham is a national historic landmark and serves as a national 
memorial to all Coast Guard men and women killed in action. It is 
through the leadership of former Key West Commissioner Bill Verge, a 
retired U.S. Coast Guard Reserve member and a Vietnam veteran who 
serves as the executive director of the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Ingham 
Memorial Museum, as well as Beth Nowell, development director for the 
museum, that the residents of Key West and I were able to welcome the 
Ingham to our maritime family with open arms. Towed in to stand tall 
alongside the active USS Mohawk, the Ingham will be open to the public 
as a living and breathing museum.
  This historic ship has saved so many lives and helped shape the 
course of American history. She and her crews have performed every 
mission in the

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best tradition of the United States Coast Guard. I give thanks to the 
unwavering dedication and work of the crew of the Ingham for over half 
a century of service. The Ingham is a demonstration of what it means to 
be an American and why we should always be proud to say so.
  So please come to Key West and see for yourself this beautiful 
museum, a testament to the brave men and women of the U.S. Coast Guard.

                          ____________________