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 For-
eign Affairs, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, 
in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the juris-
diction 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 Re-
public; 
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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 Do-
mingo, 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 com-
mand possesses a collection of photographs taken during 
and after the wave event that destroyed the USS Mem-
phis and the United States Naval Support Activity 
(NAVSUPPACT) Mid-South located in Millington, Ten-
nessee, 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 re-
mains 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 Do-
minican Republic, and the Municipality of Santo Do-
mingo are planning to undertake a series of public edu-
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•HRES 306 IH 
cation and awareness activities to commemorate the cen-
tennial of the United States intervention in the Domini-
can Republic, including the wreck of the USS Memphis: 
Now, therefore, be it 
Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 
(1) recognizes the centennial of the wreck of the 
USS Memphis and the memory of the 44 sailors who 
lost their lives, including the three recipients of the 
Medal of Honor; 
(2) encourages the Department of State, 
through its Embassy in Santo Domingo, Dominican 
Republic, to collaborate with appropriate entities of 
the Dominican Republic to commemorate this event, 
which represents an important part of the cultural 
and historical heritage between the two countries; 
and 
(3) encourages the Tennessee State Museum, 
the United States Naval History and Heritage Com-
mand, United States Naval Support Activity 
(NAVSUPPACT) Mid-South, and the United States 
Naval Institute to collaborate together in appro-
priate commemoration and public awareness events 
in the United States as well as in the Dominican Re-
public. 
Æ 
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