IV 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 229 

Expressing support for designation of the month of August as National 

Destroyer Recognition Month. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 14, 2019 

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

Committee on Armed Services 

RESOLUTION 

Expressing support for designation of the month of August 

as National Destroyer Recognition Month. 

Whereas the first United States torpedo boat destroyer was 

the USS Bainbridge (DD–1), placed in full commission 

on December 23, 1903; 

Whereas the United States Navy was the first service to respond in World War I after the United States declared 

war on Germany on April 6, 1917, when six destroyers 

from Destroyer Squadron 8, commanded by J.K. Taussig, arrived in Queenstown, Ireland, in May of that year; 

Whereas, during World War I, American destroyers prevented the loss of life or ship of 2 million men making 

the trans-Atlantic journey; 


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•HRES 229 IH 

Whereas in their 250 battles with German U-boats during 

World War I, American destroyers sunk 1 submarine, the 

U–58, and laid the groundwork for modern antisubmarine warfare; 

Whereas, between June 1942 and February 1945, 175 

Fletcher class destroyers were built, and this class of 

ships is widely recognized as integral to the naval war effort in World War II; 

Whereas, during World War II, 19 Fletcher class destroyers 

were lost and 6 were damaged beyond repair; 

Whereas, during World War II, 44 Fletcher class destroyers 

earned 10 or more battle stars, 19 were awarded the 

Navy Unit Commendation, and 16 received the Presidential Unit Citation; 

Whereas following their service during World War II, 32 

Fletcher class destroyers were transferred to the navies 

of America’s allies, including Argentina, Brazil, Chile, 

Colombia, Germany, Greece, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, 

Peru, Spain, Taiwan, and Turkey; 

Whereas the largest Atlantic operation destroyers participated in during World War II was Operation Neptune, 

the naval component of Operation Overlord, the invasion 

of Europe, on June 6, 1944; 

Whereas, at Utah Beach, destroyers USS Fitch (DD–462), 

USS Corry (DD–463), and USS Hobson (DD–464) were 

the first ships of the invasion force to shell the shore; 

Whereas, at Omaha Beach, destroyers USS Baldwin (DD– 

624), USS Carmick (DD–493), USS Doyle (DD–494), 

USS Emmons (DD–457), USS Frankford (DD–497), 

USS McCook (DD–496), and USS Thompson (DD–627) 

shelled the enemy fortifications; 


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•HRES 229 IH 

Whereas, at the Battle of Leyte Gulf, the largest naval battle 

of World War II, two destroyers, the USS Hoel (DD– 

533) and the USS Johnston (DD–557) were lost; 

Whereas, at the Battle of Okinawa, destroyers were instrumental in providing radar picket protection to Okinawa 

Island, and out of 101 destroyers, destroyer minelayers, 

and destroyer minesweepers assigned to radar pickets, 10 

were sunk and 32 were damaged by kamikaze attacks; 

Whereas a total of 76 United States destroyers were sunk 

during World War II; 

Whereas, during the Korean war, six United States destroyers, USS Collett (DD–730), USS De Haven (DD–727), 

USS Gurke (DD–783), USS Henderson (DD–785), USS 

Lyman K. Swenson (DD–729), and USS Mansfield 

(DD–728), were instrumental in clearing the beachhead 

prior to the amphibious assault at the Battle of Incheon, 

South Korea, in September 1950; 

Whereas, on August 2, 1964, the destroyer USS Maddox 

(DD–731) engaged in fire with North Vietnamese Navy 

torpedo boats and became the impetus for the Gulf of 

Tonkin Resolution; 

Whereas the USS Arleigh Burke (DDG–51) was commissioned on July 4, 1991, named after Admiral Arleigh 

Burke, the longest serving Chief of Naval Operations in 

the history of the United States Navy, and is the lead 

ship of the Arleigh Burke class of guided missile destroyers; 

Whereas, on October 12, 2000, the USS Cole (DDG–67) was 

attacked by terrorists while at anchor in Aden, Yemen, 

and 17 crewmembers were lost and 39 injured; 


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•HRES 229 IH 

Whereas, on November 29, 2003, the USS Cole (DDG–67) 

redeployed on its first overseas deployment following the 

attack; 

Whereas, on April 7, 2017, destroyers USS Ross (DDG–78) 

and USS Porter (DDG–71) fired a total of 59 Tomahawk land attack missiles on Syria’s air base at alShayrat, from the eastern Mediterranean Sea in response 

to Syria’s use of banned chemical weapons; 

Whereas destroyers remain a critical component of United 

States naval capability around the world, serving to protect the free flow of commerce, reassure America’s allies 

and partners, and deter acts of aggression against American and allied forces; and 

Whereas the establishment of the month of August as National Destroyer Recognition Month will recognize the important contributions that United States destroyers and 

those sailors serving aboard them have made to naval 

warfare and American military success: Now, therefore, 

be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) supports the designation of National De3 stroyer Recognition Month; 

4 (2) supports those who have served and cur5 rently serve aboard United States destroyers; 

6 (3) supports the role of destroyers in the naval 

7 war arsenal and their importance to America’s na8 tional security; and 

9 (4) calls on the people of the United States, in10 cluding veteran groups, State and local officials, and 


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•HRES 229 IH 

1 interested groups to observe National Destroyer Rec2 ognition Month with appropriate programs and ac3 tivities that promote awareness of the contribution 

4 of United States destroyers and their crews. 

Æ 


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