[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 14]
[House]
[Pages 19474-19475]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                 HONORING JOE GEORGE, AN AMERICAN HERO

  (Mr. BANKS of Indiana asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute.)
  Mr. BANKS of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Joe George, 
a sailor who showed exceptional bravery during the attack on Pearl 
Harbor. Joe defied direct orders from his superior officer and saved 
the lives of six men trapped on the embattled USS Arizona.
  Mr. Speaker, for years, Joe's family and two veterans he saved have 
petitioned the Navy to acknowledge his bravery. I first heard his story 
from Warsaw, Indiana, middle school students Keller Bailey, Jason 
Benyousky, Ryun Hoffert, Geoffrey Hochstetler, and their adviser, 
Richard Rooker, regarding the National History Day project.

[[Page 19475]]

  I introduced a resolution that highlights Joe's courage and calls for 
the Navy to recognize his selfless actions during the attack. Mr. 
Speaker, I am pleased that the Navy has recently announced that Joe 
George will be posthumously awarded the Bronze Star for his heroism. 
Joe George was an American hero and a shining example of the courage of 
the Greatest Generation.

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