IV 

114TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 306 

Recognizing the centennial of the wreck of the USS Memphis and encouraging 

the commemoration of such wreck with appropriate events and activities. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JUNE 10, 2015 

Mr. COHEN submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 

Committee on Armed Services, and in addition to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, 

in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

RESOLUTION 

Recognizing the centennial of the wreck of the USS Memphis 

and encouraging the commemoration of such wreck with 

appropriate events and activities. 

Whereas the USS Tennessee (ACR–10) was launched in 

1906 and renamed in 1916 as the USS Memphis (CA– 

10); 

Whereas the USS Memphis (CA–10) is the third of six Navy 

ships named after Memphis, Tennessee, that provided 

valuable service to the defense of the United States; 

Whereas August 29, 2016, marks the centennial of the wreck 

of the USS Memphis in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic; 


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•HRES 306 IH 

Whereas the wreck of the 16,000-ton armored cruiser USS 

Memphis was caused by a highly unusual 75-foot wave 

event that threw the ship upon the shore of Santo Domingo, resulting in its total destruction and the death of 

44 United States sailors and the wounding of many 

more; 

Whereas three sailors, Chief Machinist Mate George William 

Rudd, Lieutenant Claud Ashton Jones, and Machinist 

Charles Willey, were awarded the Medal of Honor for 

their heroic actions to get up steam in vain to drive the 

ship to the safety of the open ocean, battle broken steam 

lines, and get their fellow sailors to safety; 

Whereas the United States Naval History and Heritage command possesses a collection of photographs taken during 

and after the wave event that destroyed the USS Memphis and the United States Naval Support Activity 

(NAVSUPPACT) Mid-South located in Millington, Tennessee, has a small USS Memphis museum, including the 

original flag recovered from the wrecked USS Memphis; 

Whereas the wreck of the USS Memphis is still a vivid part 

of the history of the Dominican Republic, and her remains graced the shoreline of Santo Domingo for more 

than 20 years before she was finally scrapped; 

Whereas Dominicans consider Emeterio Sanchez a hero for 

risking his life to enter into the raging surf to save the 

lives of American sailors; and 

Whereas several entities in the Dominican Republic, including 

the Dominican Government’s Permanent Commission for 

‘‘Efeme ́rides Patrias’’, the Academy of History of the Dominican Republic, and the Municipality of Santo Domingo are planning to undertake a series of public eduVerDate Sep 11 2014 21:29 Jun 11, 2015 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR306.IH HR306

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•HRES 306 IH 

cation and awareness activities to commemorate the centennial of the United States intervention in the Dominican Republic, including the wreck of the USS Memphis: 

Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) recognizes the centennial of the wreck of the 

3 USS Memphis and the memory of the 44 sailors who 

4 lost their lives, including the three recipients of the 

5 Medal of Honor; 

6 (2) encourages the Department of State, 

7 through its Embassy in Santo Domingo, Dominican 

8 Republic, to collaborate with appropriate entities of 

9 the Dominican Republic to commemorate this event, 

10 which represents an important part of the cultural 

11 and historical heritage between the two countries; 

12 and 

13 (3) encourages the Tennessee State Museum, 

14 the United States Naval History and Heritage Com15 mand, United States Naval Support Activity 

16 (NAVSUPPACT) Mid-South, and the United States 

17 Naval Institute to collaborate together in appro18 priate commemoration and public awareness events 

19 in the United States as well as in the Dominican Re20 public. 

Æ 


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