[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 4]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 5642]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                        HONORING JACK BERITZHOFF

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. JARED HUFFMAN

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, May 10, 2016

  Mr. HUFFMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of Jack Beritzhoff, 
who passed away on Thursday, April 21 in San Rafael, California at the 
age of 97. A Merchant Marine who served in both World War II and the 
Korean War, Mr. Beritzhoff advocated for the federal government to 
recognize his service and the service of nearly a quarter million other 
WWII Merchant Mariners.
  After a sea accident curtailed his Navy service, Mr. Beritzhoff 
joined the war effort as a Merchant Marine, a civilian sailor on ships 
carrying military cargo and supplies. During the war, he and his fellow 
Mariners delivered 203 million tons of materials, including bombs, 
guns, tanks, and troops, at great personal risk. Although the WWII 
Merchant Marines faced the second highest casualty rate, they were not 
officially recognized as Veterans. During the war, President Franklin 
Roosevelt had promised that the Mariners would receive full Veterans' 
benefits, but when he passed away that promise died with him. Mr. 
Beritzhoff and his fellow mariners were left out of the G.I. Bill, and 
it was not until an act of Congress in 1988 that they became eligible 
for Veteran status, which allowed them to enter VA hospitals, among 
other services.
  In the years since, Mr. Beritzhoff was a fierce advocate for 
recognizing the Mariners' contributions to the war, lobbying the White 
House and Congress and writing a book about his experience at sea. Last 
year, my colleagues Janice Hahn and John Duncan introduced H.R. 563, 
the World War II Merchant Mariners Act. If passed, the bill would 
recognize the 3,000-5,000 eligible WWII Merchant Marines ``for their 
bravery and sacrifice,'' and award them $25,000 each.
  A lifelong Californian, Mr. Beritzhoff will be remembered for his 
sense of humor, love for his family, and steadfast devotion to his 
cause. It is therefore appropriate that we pay tribute to him today and 
express our deepest condolences to his surviving family and friends.

                          ____________________