[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 1]
[House]
[Page 1221]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




             MERCHANT MARINERS ARE OWED A DEBT OF GRATITUDE

  (Ms. HAHN asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Ms. HAHN. Madam Speaker, in World War II, more than 200,000 brave 
Americans answered the call of duty by joining the merchant marine, 
braving troubled seas to deliver crucial supplies to the battlefields 
of Europe and the Pacific. They faced enemy attack. Thousands perished 
at sea, and hundreds more were captured.
  Unfortunately, the veterans of the merchant marine who risked their 
lives in the service of this Nation were never eligible for the 
provisions of the GI bill that helped millions of veterans go to 
college, secure a home, and transition seamlessly into civilian life.
  To right this wrong, I am introducing the Honoring Our World War II 
Merchant Mariners Act of 2015. This bill would provide the one-time 
payment of $25,000 to fewer than 5,000 surviving World War II mariners.
  With many of these forgotten heroes well into their nineties, time is 
running out to repay this debt of gratitude. I encourage my colleagues 
to act quickly in cosponsoring this important legislation.

                          ____________________