[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 12]
[Senate]
[Pages 16003-16004]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                     REMEMBERING HAROLD JOHN SHIMER

  Ms. CANTWELL. Mr. President, today marks the 75th anniversary of the 
Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. It was during that fateful event that 
more than 2,400 American lives were lost and another 1,100 were 
wounded. While that day took a tragic toll, heroes were made of those 
who rushed to action. I wish to honor the life and memory of one such 
Pearl Harbor hero who went on to serve his country for an additional 20 
years after that day. That man is Harold John Shimer, who passed away 
on October 30, 2016, at the age of 97 in Anacortes, WA.
  Mr. Shimer was born on February 12, 1919, in Wurstboro, NY, the son 
of Harold and Irma Shimer. He attended schools in Wurstboro and 
Middleton, NY, and enjoyed working with his father on their 640-acre 
dairy farm. After graduating high school, Mr. Shimer joined the U.S. 
Navy.
  Mr. Shimer had begun his naval career as a storekeeper third class 
aboard the newly commissioned USS Helena, where the ship's first 
assignment was as neutrality patrol in South America, protecting 
Uruguay and Argentina prior to the United States' entrance into World 
War II. Mr. Shimer had the very unique and rare account of watching the 
famous German Graf Spee warship and its captain, which had sunk nine 
merchant ships, scuttle itself after being pursued by English warships.
  The USS Helena was assigned to the Pacific, where it was at Pearl 
Harbor on December 7, 1941. It was hit by a Japanese torpedo and lost 
23 men. Mr. Shimer and the other surviving crewmembers immediately 
fired back against the attackers. He passed ammunition for the new guns 
that had just been installed that summer. He recalled, ``In a 
superhuman effort we emptied the ammunition locker in less than two 
hours.'' Mr. Shimer and his team were credited with saving the USS 
Pennsylvania, the flagship of the fleet in a drydock just forward of 
the Helena. Following repairs, the Helena went on to win fame for 
sinking a number of Japanese ships before being sunk herself by a 
submarine in 1943.
  Mr. Shimer returned to the States before being reassigned to 
establish a submarine depot in Fremantle, Australia, and was promoted 
to chief warrant officer. In 1947, he was assigned to the Bureau of 
Naval Personnel in Washington, DC, then to Japan Naval Supply Depot, 
Yokosuka, Japan, and finally Naval Depot, Seattle, WA. Mr. Shimer had 
served aboard the USS Philippine Sea, USS Mount McKinley, and USS 
Constellation. He retired from Naval Station Seattle in June 1961, 
after 22 years of patriotic service to his country.
  Mr. Shimer's great pleasure was golfing with all his friends in the 
Similk Men's Golf Club, and he was an active member of Pearl Harbor 
Survivors, life member of VFW and American Legion, and member of the 
Anacortes Elks Lodge.
  Mr. Shimer is survived by his wife, Carolyn; daughters Patricia 
Armstrong, Terrie Hughes, and step-daughter Brenda Eissenstat; 
grandchildren

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Toni Gill and Clayton Hughes and step-grandsons Ethan and Daniel 
Eissenstat; great-grandchildren Mitchell, Jamie, and Katelin Gill and 
Hayley and Brynn Hughes; step-sister Gale Angelostro; sister-in-law 
Blanche Shimer; and numerous nieces and nephews.
  Please join me in extending our warmest gratitude to Mr. Shimer and 
his family for the years of dedicated service to his country and for 
being an upstanding and active member of the Anacortes community. His 
stories, which were described as no less than ``amazing'', will be 
missed, but they will also live on in the memories of family and 
friends that knew him well.

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