May 25, 1995 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks E 1125

HONORING THE METRO-DADE

URBAN SEARCH AND RESCUE

TEAM FOR THEIR HEROIC RESCUE EFFORTS AT THE OKLAHOMA CITY BOMBING ON APRIL

19, 1995

HON. E. CLAY SHAW, JR. OF FLORIDA

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Wednesday, May 24, 1995

Mr. SHAW. Mr. Speaker, recently, America

has been faced with great tragedy. America as

a whole has been greatly affected by the

bombing of the Edward R. Murrah federal

building in Oklahoma City. I am sure you all

join me in mourning the loss of those Americans whom we lost, and praying for this tragedy’s survivors to recover as best they can

from this injustice.

The Metro Dade Urban Search and Rescue

Team has been a great aid to the unfortunate

victims of the Oklahoma City bombing, and I

would like to take this time to thank them. As

you may remember this is the same group of

fearless workers who gave us Floridians so

must support in recovering from Hurricane Andrew.

Oftentimes, while grieving the loss of disaster’s victims, we forget how courageous and

fearless these team members are. I am not

only grateful but very proud that you are member of my community. Thank you.

TRIBUTE TO RHODES COLLEGE

MOCK TRIAL TEAM

f

HON. HAROLD E. FORD OF TENNESSEE

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Wednesday, May 24, 1995

Mr. FORD. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and pay tribute to members of the

Rhodes College Mock Trial Team for winning

the 1995 National Intercollegiate Mock Trial

Tournament. Rhodes College, a prestigious

four year liberal arts college in my congressional district, has for six consecutive years,

sent a group of students to the National Intercollegiate Mock Trial Tournament. For four out

of six years, the Rhodes College Mock Trial

Team has captured this distinguished award.

These undergraduates deserve special

mention because they have developed the

vital skills of communication, advocacy and

rhetoric. Mastery of these skills will make them

well qualified for careers in public service, the

professions or business. Led by Political

Science Professor Marc Pohlman and Memphis Attorney Whit Gurkin, the team consisted

of the following Rhodes students: Melissa

Berry of Searcy Arkansas, Ryan Feeney of

Marietta, Georgia, Jenny Hall of Bartlett, Tennessee, Mike Hart of Monroe, Louisiana, Nikki

Holzhauer of Columbus, Mississippi, Karen

Jones of Collierville, Tennessee and Gina

Yannitell of Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The team

participated in a trial involving a train which

struck an automobile. Because evidence existed that both parties were negligent, the

court had to decide proportional responsibility

what damages would be awarded.

This year, the team competed in the regional tournament which qualified it to compete in the national tournament in Des

Moines, Iowa on April 5, 1995. A distinguished

panel of Iowa Supreme Court Justices and

federal judges judged the competition. The

jury was comprised of prominent state and

local citizens including Iowa Governor Robert

Ray. Rhodes joined 72 other colleges and universities in Des Moines and defeated St.

Johns University, Northwestern University,

University of Minnesota, Dayton University and

Loras College to win the national championship. Among the prominent schools that participated in the competition were Brown, Cornell, Duke, Grinnell, Johns Hopkins, Northwestern, and Yale.

The Rhodes Mock Trial Team is carrying on

the college’s tradition of advocacy and debate.

Its continued success is a tribute to the quality

of higher education in Tennessee’s Ninth Congressional District. I am proud and honored to

recognize this important milestone.

IN TRIBUTE TO THE U.S. MERCHANT MARINE IN THE SECOND

fWORLD WAR

HON. NORMAN Y. MINETA OF CALIFORNIA

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Wednesday, May 24, 1995

Mr. MINETA. Mr. Speaker, today, we observe National Maritime Day to pay honor and

tribute to those who served our country in the

merchant marine during the Second World

War.

We have observed this day since 1945,

when President Franklin D. Roosevelt, by

proclamation, designated this day. For our observance this year, the 50th since the end of

the war, the Administrator of the Maritime Administration, Vice Adm. Albert J. Herberger,

has written a moving tribute to the merchant

mariners who gave of themselves a half-century ago. It is my pleasure to share this tribute

with my colleagues:

THE MERCHANT MARINE DURING WORLD

WAR II

By Maritime Administrator Albert J.

Herberger)

Fifty years ago, America celebrated National Maritime Day in inland cities such as

Kansas City, Akron and Salt Lake City, as

well as in the Nation’s Capitol and many

port cities.

Governors of West Virginia, Nebraska, New

Mexico and Indiana joined their coastal colleagues in issuing proclamations or statements honoring those who built and sailed

the merchant ships so vital to the war effort.

The President, too, asked the people of the

United States to observe May 22, 1945 as National Maritime Day. It was the last proclamation issued by Franklin D. Roosevelt.

In his Maritime Day proclamation, President Roosevelt saluted the ‘‘. . . many thousands of patriotic men and women [who] are

toiling through the long hours of the day and

night in the construction of the great fleets

of vessels that carry the goods of victory to

the distant battlefronts of the United Nations . . .

‘‘Our ships, sailing every ocean, have been

manned by courageous officers and seamen

all of whom have left the security of their

firesides and many of whom have given their

lives for the land of their allegiance. . . .’’

Many civilian American seafarers made

the ultimate sacrifice; more than 6,000 were

killed, and 733 American cargo ships were

lost to enemy action.

Thousands were injured during attacks.

Many were forced to wait aboard lifeboats

and rafts, hoping for rescue after their vessels were lost.

The story of Capt. James F. Harrell, master of the SS GULF STATES, was told in

this contemporary account:

‘‘Proceeding in convoy through an area of

enemy submarine activity, he sighted, at a

great distance, two drifting lifeboats heavily

loaded with survivors apparently too exhausted to signal. Though fully aware of the

danger to his own ship, he obtained permission from the Commodore to leave the protection of the convoy and succeeded in taking aboard 106 survivors of a torpedoed

Dutch ship in a rescue operation which required three hours to effect.

‘‘On a subsequent voyage, his ship, carrying 78,000 barrels of crude oil, was hit by two

torpedoes. Fire immediately enveloped the

entire after part of the ship trapping all but

the Master and eleven of his crew.

‘‘Captain Harrell directed the launching of

the one remaining life raft, ordered the men

with him over the side, and chose to give his

life in a heroic attempt to rescue the trapped

men.’’

Capt. Harrell was one of nine officers and

seamen of the nation’s wartime merchant

fleet who were awarded the merchant marine

distinguished Service Medal during May 1945.

His was presented posthumously to his wife,

Alice Harrell, of Port Arthur, Texas.

Another recipient was Paul Irwin Valentine, of Tiffin, Ohio. He served as second

cook and baker aboard the SS DANIEL

HUGER. Following is his story, as recounted

in 1945:

‘‘His ship was subjected to a two-hour high

level bombing attack by seventeen enemy

planes. As a result of a near miss, bomb fragments pierced the hull and the cargo of high

octane gasoline exploded.

‘‘Despite heroic efforts to combat the

flames two to three hundred feet high, the

fire was soon out of control and the ship was

abandoned.

‘‘Upon arrival of the shore fire brigade it

was decided to try to save the ship with

foamite. It was necessary to have a few men

return to the ship, enter the adjacent hold,

and play a hose on the heated bulkhead to

prevent the raging fire from spreading.

‘‘Second Cook and Baker Valentine was

one of four who volunteered to risk his life in

an attempt to save part of the cargo, which

was so necessary to the continuance of war

operations. That the fire was eventually

brought under control and most of the cargo

saved, was due in no small measure to his

outstanding bravery.’’

As the citation issued to him 50 years ago

said, ‘‘His willingness to risk his life to save

his ship, and his heroic conduct during the

fire are in keeping with the finest traditions

of the sea.’’

These are just two examples of the heroism

of America’s civilian seafarers. From the beginning of the war to May 31, 1945, awards to

merchant mariners included 113 Distinguished Service Medals, 11 Meritorious Service Medals, 3,893 Mariner’s Medals, 32 congratulatory letters, 192,282 Merchant Marine

emblems, 84,697 combat bars, 5,957 defense

bars and 363,292 was zone bars for service in

the Atlantic, Pacific, or Mediterranean-Middle East war zone bars.

Merchant mariners came from all parts of

the country to serve the nation. Those receiving awards in May 1945 represented the

states of Alabama, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana,

Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi,

Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New

York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma,

Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina,