King Announces Passage of Resolution Honoring USS Forrestal Crew

Press Release

U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) today announced that last night the Senate unanimously passed a resolution honoring the Sailors and Marines of the USS Forrestal, an aircraft carrier that caught fire following a series of ammunition explosions on July 29, 1967 while in the Gulf of Tonkin during the Vietnam War. The fire claimed the lives of 134 servicemembers and injured 161 others. Among the survivors was now-Senator John McCain (R-AZ). Senator King joined a bipartisan group of his colleagues to introduce the resolution in July.

"The Sailors and Marines aboard the USS Forrestal should be recognized and honored for their service in the Gulf of Tonkin, and must not be forgotten," said Senator King. "They made enormous sacrifices and assumed incredible risk to fight the fire and try to save their fellow servicemembers. I am proud to recognize their bravery, including that of my friend John McCain, a man who has shown true honor and courage during his lifetime of service."

Senator King introduced this resolution along with Senators Joni Ernst (R-IA), Jack Reed (D-RI), James Inhofe (R-OK), Bill Nelson (D-FL), Roger Wicker (R-MS), Claire McCaskill (D-MO), Deb Fischer (R-NE), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Tom Cotton (R-AR), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Mike Rounds (R-SD), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Joe Donnelly (D-IN), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Dan Sullivan (R-AK), Tim Kaine (D-VA), David Perdue (R-GA), Ted Cruz (R-TX), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Ben Sasse (R-NE), Gary Peters (D-MI), and Luther Strange (R-AL) during the week of the 50th anniversary of the fire in July.

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