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106TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. R. 1865

To authorize the Secretary of Transportation to make grants for the construction of an addition to the American Merchant Marine Memorial Wall

of Honor located in San Pedro, California.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

MAY 19, 1999

Mr. HORN introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee

on Transportation and Infrastructure

A BILL

To authorize the Secretary of Transportation to make grants

for the construction of an addition to the American Merchant Marine Memorial Wall of Honor located in San

Pedro, California.

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘American Merchant

5 Marine Memorial Wall of Honor Expansion Act of 1999’’.

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

7 Congress finds that—
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1 (1) the United States Merchant Marine has

2 served the people of the United States in all wars

3 since 1775;

4 (2) the United States Merchant Marine served

5 as the Nation’s first navy and defeated the British

6 Navy to help gain the Nation’s independence;

7 (3) the United States Merchant Marine kept

8 the lifeline of freedom open to the allies of the

9 United States during the Second World War, mak10 ing one of the most significant contributions made

11 by any nation to the victory of the allies in that war;

12 (4) President Franklin D. Roosevelt and many

13 military leaders praised the role of the United States

14 Merchant Marine as the ‘‘Fourth Arm of Defense’’

15 during the Second World War;

16 (5) more than 250,000 men and women served

17 in the United States Merchant Marine during the

18 Second World War;

19 (6) during the Second World War, members of

20 the United States Merchant Marine faced dangers

21 from the elements and from submarines, mines,

22 armed raiders, destroyers, aircraft, and ‘‘kamikaze’’

23 pilots;
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1 (7) during the Second World War, at least

2 6,830 members of the United States Merchant Ma3 rine were killed at sea;

4 (8) during the Second World War, 11,000

5 members of the United States Merchant Marine

6 were wounded, at least 1,100 of whom later died

7 from their wounds;

8 (9) during the Second World War, 604 mem9 bers of the United States Merchant Marine were

10 taken prisoner;

11 (10) 1 in 32 members of the United States

12 Merchant Marine serving in the Second World War

13 died in the line of duty, suffering a higher percent14 age of war-related deaths than any of the other

15 armed services of the United States; and

16 (11) the United States Merchant Marine con17 tinues to serve the United States, promoting free18 dom and meeting the high ideals of its former mem19 bers.

20 SEC. 3. GRANTS TO CONSTRUCT ADDITION TO AMERICAN

21 MERCHANT MARINE MEMORIAL WALL OF

22 HONOR.

23 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Transportation

24 may make grants to the American Merchant Marine Vet25 erans Memorial Committee, Inc., to construct an addition
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1 to the American Merchant Marine Memorial Wall of

2 Honor located at the Los Angeles Maritime Museum in

3 San Pedro, California.

4 (b) FEDERAL SHARE.—The Federal share of the cost

5 of activities carried out with a grant made under this sec6 tion shall be 50 percent.

7 (c) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is

8 authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section

9 $500,000 for fiscal year 2000.

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