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[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 119 Introduced in House (IH)]

106th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. CON. RES. 119

Expressing the sense of the Congress that a commemorative postage stamp 
 should be issued in honor of the U.S.S. New Jersey and all those who 
                           served aboard her.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 26, 1999

 Mr. Franks of New Jersey (for himself, Mr. LoBiondo, Mr. Smith of New 
  Jersey, Mr. Frelinghuysen, Mr. Saxton, Mr. Rothman, Mr. Payne, Mr. 
  Pascrell, Mr. Pallone, Mr. Menendez, Mr. Andrews, and Mrs. Roukema) 
 submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred to 
                   the Committee on Government Reform

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

 
Expressing the sense of the Congress that a commemorative postage stamp 
 should be issued in honor of the U.S.S. New Jersey and all those who 
                           served aboard her.

Whereas the Iowa Class Battleship, the U.S.S. New Jersey (BB-62), is the most 
        decorated warship in United States naval history, with 16 battle stars 
        and 20 citations, medals, and ribbons during her 56 years of service;
Whereas the U.S.S. New Jersey was launched on December 7, 1942, by the 
        Philadelphia Naval Shipyard; sponsored by Mrs. Charles Edison, wife of 
        then-Governor Edison of New Jersey, former Secretary of the Navy; and 
        commissioned at Philadelphia on May 23, 1943, Captain Carl F. Holden in 
        command;
Whereas her first action as a flagship for Admiral William ``Bull'' Halsey's 
        Third Fleet was a bold 2-day surface and air strike by her task force 
        against the supposedly impregnable Japanese fleet base on Truk in the 
        Caroline Islands, thereby interdicting Japanese naval retaliation in 
        response to the conquest of the Marshall Islands;
Whereas the U.S.S. New Jersey provided crucial firepower for the assault on Iwo 
        Jima;
Whereas the U.S.S. New Jersey gave the same crucial service for the first major 
        aircraft carrier raid on Tokyo;
Whereas the U.S.S. New Jersey's guns opened the first shore bombardment in Korea 
        at Wonsan, and served with distinction throughout the remainder of the 
        Korean conflict;
Whereas the U.S.S. New Jersey participated in bombardment and fire support 
        missions along the Vietnamese coast during the Vietnam era;
Whereas the U.S.S. New Jersey earned the Navy Unit Commendation for Vietnam 
        service, received 9 battle stars for World War II, 4 for the Korean 
        conflict, and 3 for the Vietnam era;
Whereas the U.S.S. New Jersey supported the Marine operation with the 
        Multinational Peacekeeping Force in Beirut, Lebanon;
Whereas, in 1991, the U.S.S. New Jersey became the first United States 
        battleship to enter and operate in the Persian Gulf; and
Whereas the U.S.S. New Jersey, after being decommissioned on February 8, 1991, 
        and due in no small part to the efforts of the U.S.S. New Jersey 
        Battleship Foundation, will be heading home in the fall of 1999 to 
        become a floating monument and an educational museum: Now, therefore, be 
        it
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), 
That it is the sense of the Congress that--
            (1) a commemorative postage stamp should be issued by the 
        United States Postal Service in honor of the U.S.S. New Jersey 
        and all those who served aboard her; and
            (2) the Citizens' Stamp Advisory Committee should recommend 
        to the Postmaster General that such a postage stamp be issued.
                                 <all>
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