A resolution recognizing Lieutenant Commander Louis A. Conter, the last living survivor of the USS Arizona during the December 7, 1941, attack on Pearl Harbor and the United States Territory of Hawaii.

Whereas Lieutenant Commander Louis A. Conter was born on September 13, 1921, in Ojibwa, Wisconsin; Whereas Lieutenant Commander Conter enlisted in the United States Navy in 1939; Whereas Lieutenant Commander Conter served as a Quartermaster and reported to the USS Arizona in 1940; Whereas Lieutenant Commander Conter was aboard the USS Arizona when the Japanese began their attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on December 7, 1941, at 7:48 a.m.; Whereas Lieutenant Commander Conter was on the stern of the USS Arizona when the sirens announced the Japanese attack; Whereas a bomb hit the ammunition magazine located between the turrets on the USS Arizona at 8:05 a.m.; Whereas Lieutenant Commander Conter was knocked forward to the deck after the bomb went off; Whereas Lieutenant Commander Conter recovered from the explosion and immediately began helping other wounded sailors onto lifeboats; Whereas Lieutenant Commander Conter was able to escape the USS Arizona before it ultimately sank; Whereas 1,177 officers and crew members lost their lives aboard the USS Arizona on December 7, 1941; Whereas 2,403 Americans in total lost their lives during the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941; Whereas following the attack on Pearl Harbor, Lieutenant Commander Conter attended flight school and served as a Patrol Bomber (PBY) Catalina Pilot in the Pacific Theater; Whereas Lieutenant Commander Conter served for the duration of World War II and was shot down twice during his time as a pilot in the Pacific Theater; Whereas Lieutenant Commander Conter continued his military service beyond World War II and participated in combat missions as an intelligence officer during the Korean war; and Whereas Lieutenant Commander Conter retired from the United States Navy in 1967 after 28 years of service to the Nation: Now, therefore, be it That the House of Representatives— (1) recognizes and honors the heroism and service of Lieutenant Commander Louis A. Conter for his actions aboard the USS Arizona during the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, and during World War II; (2) recognizes and honors the 1,177 officers and crew members who perished aboard the USS Arizona; (3) recognizes and honors those who survived the attack on the USS Arizona and have since passed away; (4) recognizes and honors those who survived the attack on Pearl Harbor and the United States Territory of Hawaii that are still alive today; and (5) commends all who served in the United States Armed Forces during the attack on Pearl Harbor and during World War II.

Summary: This resolution recognizes and honors Lieutenant Commander Louis A. Conter for his actions aboard the USS Arizona during the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, and during World War II. The resolution also recognizes and honors the 1,177 officers and crew members who perished aboard the USS Arizona, those who survived the attack and have since passed away, and those who survived the attack on Pearl Harbor and Hawaii and are still alive today. Finally, the resolution commends all who served in the Armed Forces during the attack on Pearl Harbor and during World War II.