2009 -- S 0965 ======LC02743 ======STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2009 ______

S E N A T E R E S O L U T I O N

HONORING THE ANNUAL REUNION OF THE WORLD WAR II NAVY SHIP THE USS BUSH AND ITS SHIPMATES

Introduced By: Senator William A. Walaska

Date Introduced: June 04, 2009

Referred To: Recommended for Immediate Consideration

1 WHEREAS, From June 24-28, 2009 the annual reunion of the shipmates (and their

2 families) of the World War II Fletcher Class , the USS Bush, will be taking place in

3 downtown Providence at the World War II Memorial; and

4 WHEREAS, The USS Bush was commissioned on May 10, 1943 in the midst of the

5 Second World War. The USS Bush spent late 1943 patrolling Alaska and early 1944 patrolling

6 waters near China and the ; and

7 WHEREAS, The USS Bush first saw combat action in support of the United States

8 military landing in in late January of 1944. Following in quick succession, the USS

9 Bush supported American landings elsewhere in New Guinea and at Leyte in the Philippines. She

10 survived many attacks by Japanese planes and shot down more than a few of them. In addition,

11 while maintaining an anti-submarine screen in Suraigo Strait, she withstood an air attack in which

12 four torpedoes and two bombs were dropped near her. In response, she shot down two Japanese

13 planes; and

14 WHEREAS, The USS Bush spent the rest of 1944 and early 1945 supporting the United

15 States Military invasion of the Philippines. More than once she had to avoid suicide attacks by

16 Japanese "" planes. In February of 1945 the USS Bush supported the American

17 invasion of Iwo Jima, serving as an inner and outer transport screening ship and firing at Japanese

18 installa tions in support of the American landings; and

19 WHEREAS, In early April of 1945, the USS Bush rushed to Okinawa in support of the 1 American military landings. From April 3-5 1945, she furiously fought off Japanese Kamikaze

2 suicide plane attacks until tragic ally a kamikaze plane crashed into her at deck level on the

3 starboard side. The crew fought valiantly and furiously to save the ship and at one point the fires

4 were put out by the fire control crews and watertight integrity was preserved sufficiently to keep

5 the vessel afloat. However, shortly thereafter, two more Japanese suicide planes crashed into her,

6 and the ship was lost; and

7 WHEREAS, Altogether, ninety-four sailors who served on the USS Bush perished while

8 bravely serving our nation at her greatest hour of need. Numerous other sailors were wounded. As

9 we honor the surviving veterans of the USS Bush, those who have passed away since the end of

10 World War II, and those who perished during the Second World War serving aboard the USS

11 Bush, let us never forget their service and sacrifice to our nation in support of freedom and in

12 opposition to tyranny; now, therefore be it

13 RESOLVED, That this Senate of the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations

14 hereby honors the annual reunion of the World War II Navy ship the USS Bush, and its

15 shipmates; and be it further

16 RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and he hereby is authorized and directed to

17 transmit a duly certified copy of this resolution to Rebecca Collinson Cox, Esq.

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