[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 11]
[House]
[Page 15241]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




             COMMEMORATING THE BOMBING OF THE USS ``COLE''

  (Mr. RIGELL asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. RIGELL. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor the 39 wounded and the 
memory of the 17 killed who were aboard the USS Cole when it was 
attacked by terrorists this day 11 years ago. I have the privilege of 
representing Norfolk Naval Station, the home port of the USS Cole.
  On the morning of October 12, 2000, the USS Cole was moored off the 
coast of Aden, Yemen. At around 11:18 a.m., a small craft approached 
the port side of the ship and exploded, ripping a 40-by-40-foot gash 
through the steel of the destroyer. The ship's galley, where the crew 
was gathering for lunch, took a direct hit.
  The attack was organized and executed and planned by Osama bin Laden. 
In his death, justice was served, but at the dinner table of 17 
American families, there sits an empty chair. What should be a joyous 
family gathering is tempered by the loss of a loved one.
  So we pause today, and rightly so, to honor and remember those who 
stand boldly in defense of America, in defense of freedom. We must meet 
our deep obligation to them, to our veterans, and to the families of 
the fallen.
  May God forever bless the crew and families of the USS Cole, past and 
present, and may God forever bless the United States of America.

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