[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 11]
[Senate]
[Pages 16447-16448]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                       HONORING OUR ARMED FORCES


               Gunners Mate Third Class Joseph Guio, Jr.

  Mr. MANCHIN. Mr. President, today I wish to honor Joseph Guio, Jr., a 
hero who made the ultimate sacrifice saving the lives of his fellow 
crewmembers aboard the USS Monaghan during World War II.
  Gunners Mate Third Class Guio was one of the hundreds of men who were 
lost at sea during Typhoon Cobra, which struck Task Force-38 in 
December of 1944. Task Force-38 consisted of 7 fleet carriers, 6 escort 
carriers, 8 battleships, 15 cruisers, and 50 destroyers that had been 
operating in the Philippine Sea conducting air raids against Japanese 
airfields.
  Survivors of the event reported that Joe freed a raft from the 
sinking ship and was injured in the process. Regardless, he continued 
to pull his fellow men to the safety of the raft and saved many lives. 
Aboard the raft, his grateful comrades tried to comfort Joe in his last 
moments, and he thanked them for doing so before he passed on.
  When the Monaghan sank, 256 crewmembers were lost. Twenty held on to 
the raft for some time, but after days at sea, exhausted, injured, and 
struggling against 50-foot waves, that number dwindled to six. The USS 
Brown rescued the six survivors 3 days later.
  Joe's body was never recovered, but his name is inscribed on the 
Tablets of the Missing at the American Cemetery and Memorial in Manila, 
Philippines. He was 25 years old.
  Born in Hollidays Cove in beautiful Hancock County, WV, no one would 
have expected less from Joe. He died as he lived, helping others with 
the utmost respect for our home State and our Nation.
  West Virginia is great because our people are great--Mountaineers who 
will always be free. In fact, when visitors come to West Virginia, I 
jump at the chance to tell them about our wonderful State. We have more 
veterans per capita than most any State in the Nation. We have fought 
in more wars, shed more blood, and lost more lives for the cause of 
freedom than most any State. We have always done the heavy lifting and 
never complained. We have mined the coal and forged the steel that 
built the guns, ships, and factories that have protected and continue 
to protect our country. I am so deeply proud of what our citizens have 
accomplished and what they will continue to accomplish in the days and 
years ahead. It is with utmost gratitude that I recognize Joseph Guio, 
Jr., and all the servicemembers of today and yesterday.
  Additionally, I am honored to recognize Joe's family who have kept 
his legacy alive--his nephew, Gary Guio, his great-nephews, Mark and 
David, and the entire family, the Northern Panhandle community, and the 
surviving crewmembers who have never

[[Page 16448]]

forgotten Joe's legacy of service and heroism.

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