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Memorial Day is a time for reflecting and remembering the brave men and women who have sacrificed so much for our freedom. In preparation for this holiday, the House this week debated two important pieces of legislation that will help provide vital resources to our service men and women and to our veterans. The Defense Authorization bill, which passed in the House last Wednesday, sets our defense priorities and provides for an additional $49.1 billion in supplemental funding to support the war on terror’s costs. The House also passed the FY06 Military Quality of Life Appropriations Act that increases funding for veteran's medical and health services and other benefits. This bill also provides $5.8 billion for military construction and housing projects.
Because of my position on the powerful Rules Committee, I was able to add an amendment into the Defense Authorization bill that will help establish a memorial for the USS Oklahoma and the service members who lost their lives during the attack on Pearl Harbor.
The USS Oklahoma lost 429 crewmembers when Pearl Harbor was attacked by the Japanese on December 7, 1941. More people lost their lives on the USS Oklahoma, than on any other ship in Pearl Harbor, except the USS Arizona. The USS Oklahoma was hit by a number of Japanese Type 91 aerial torpedoes and was too badly damaged to return to service. Oklahoma was formally decommissioned in September 1944.
In two ways the USS Oklahoma is similar to the USS Arizona, which is the only ship to have a permanent memorial in Pearl Harbor. The first similarity is in the significant loss of life. Roughly two-thirds of the people who lost their lives during that attack, died either on the USS Oklahoma or USS Arizona. Also these two ships were the only two ships that were so severely damaged during the attack that they were never re-commissioned.
It has been over 63 years since the attack at Pearl Harbor and I believe it is time for us to honor the great Americans that served on that ship with a memorial. A provision I was able to add into the Defense Authorization bill will get the ball rolling for the long-overdue creation of a memorial for the USS. Oklahoma. The men aboard this ship served our country proudly. This memorial will honor their service and make sure their sacrifices will not be forgotten. The amendment that I was able to add into the Defense Authorization Act, directs the Secretary of the Navy in consultation with the Secretary of Interior to identify a location for the USS Oklahoma and then submit to Congress within one year a plan to establish a memorial to the USS Oklahoma.
This is the first step in what will most likely be a long process. I will continue to work with the National Park Service, the Secretary of the Interior, the Secretary of the Navy to create a memorial for the Oklahoma and the 429 crew members that lost their lives in the largest foreign military attack on U.S. soil.
On this Memorial Day, please take the time to reflect on the many sacrifices made by not just those aboard the USS Oklahoma but the many servicemen and women in our country's history who have volunteered to protect our freedom. Memorial Day is also to give thanks and pray for the safety of the men and women who serve us on the front lines today, so that future generations of Americans will enjoy the same liberties.
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