United States Submarine Force

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. BOOZMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H. Res. 773, a resolution expressing the sense of the House of Representatives with respect to the valiant service of the United States Submarine Force during World War II.
As we approach Veterans Day, it is fitting that the House honor Americans who serve their country under the most unique of circumstances.

Earlier this year, we honored those servicemembers who participated in the D-day operations. Yet there is another group who faced incredible challenges and danger to ensure that victory would be possible for the United States and our allies during World War II, the United States Submarine Force.

Mr. Speaker, it is a special individual who will climb into a tightly confined space and willingly go deep underwater to serve the Nation. Today's nuclear submarines are a high-tech marvel, able to submerge for months at a time, cruise beneath the polarized caps, and carry strategic and tactical weapons of unbelievable power. But that was not always the case.

The first submarine used for military purposes was built in 1776 by David Bushnell. His Turtle was a one-man wooden submarine powered by hand-turned propellers and was used during the American Revolution against British warships.

During the Civil War, the use of submarines came into play again when the Union fielded the French-designed Alligator, which was the first U.S. Navy submarine to feature compressed air for air supply. The Confederacy also fielded several human-powered submarines, including the Hunley in Charleston Harbor.

Submarines saw much greater use during World War I, but it wasn't until World War II that the technological development of submarines enabled them to become a capable and feared weapons system.

During the Second World War, 314 submarines served in the United States Navy, including many built at the end of World War I. This force comprised less than 2 percent of the U.S. Navy ships, but they sank over 30 percent of Japan's navy, including eight aircraft carriers. More important, American submarines virtually strangled the Japanese economy by sinking almost 5 billion tons of shipping, over 60 percent of the Japanese merchant marine. Serving in many of the hardest fought battles of the war as part of the ``silent service,'' the submarine crews rescued unlucky carrier pilots who ended up in the sea, like the future President of the United States, George H.W. Bush.

But victory at sea did not come cheaply. The Submarine Force lost 52 boats and 3,506 men during World War II. Just a few weeks ago, I had the good fortune of meeting a number of our World War II veterans from northwest Arkansas as they left the airport to visit Washington, DC, as part of the Honor Flight program. These brave men, many of whom were just boys at the time, answered the call of duty and changed the course of history through their selfless action and love for their country.

It was also a great honor to be able to attend the decommissioning ceremony for World War II Submarine Veterans, Diamond Chapter, hosted by the USS Snook Base of the United States Submarine Veterans in Rogers, Arkansas, last month. There, I had the privilege to recognize many of Arkansas' surviving submarine veterans and thank them for their efforts firsthand.

A special thanks goes to former submariner Pete Rathmell for making the event happen.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank Chairman Filner and Ranking Member Buyer for the opportunity to honor the ``silent service'' of World War II. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Mr. Sestak for his leadership in working with me on this legislation, and express my appreciation for the support of all the other cosponsors of the resolution.

I urge all of my colleagues to support H. Res. 773.

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