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CONGRESSIONAL RECORD— Extensions of Remarks E2214 HON. JAMES A. BARCIA HON. WALTER B. JONES

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CONGRESSIONAL RECORD— Extensions of Remarks E2214 HON. JAMES A. BARCIA HON. WALTER B. JONES E2214 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD Ð Extensions of Remarks November 7, 1997 by the FDA for use by children. Unless the Mr. Speaker, the loss of a loved one is a the ``United States Navy Asiatic Fleet Memo- FDA's proposal is changed, Tommy could lose tragedy for any family. The loss of a caring, rial Day.'' I call upon my colleagues to join me access to the medicine he needs to breathe committed individual like Kent is a devastating today in this effort to give these forgotten he- and live. Why should Tommy, and 5 million one for the community. Kent Huber will be roes Congress' support for long awaited rec- kids like him, have to face this dilemma? missed by all of us who knew him, and by ognition. In my view, any plan to remove safe and ef- those who benefited from his willingness to The battles fought by the U.S.S. Houston in fective medications from the marketplace give so unselfishly of himself. I ask you and all her service to the Asiatic Fleet are best told in needs to place the interests of children like of our colleagues to join me in offering our the Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Tommy Farese first and foremost. Sadly, the heartfelt sympathies to his family, and our Ships. I would ask that the history of the FDA plan fails in this regard. Indeed, the FDA wishes that the way Kent Huber lived his life U.S.S. Houston be printed following my re- plan presumes that CFC-free inhalers serve all will serve as a sterling example for others in marks. patient subpopulationsÐsuch as children and our community. DICTIONARY OF AMERICAN NAVAL FIGHTING the elderlyÐequally well, despite the fact that f SHIPS children have special needs and many drug VOLUME IIIÐNAVY DEPARTMENT, OFFICE OF THE therapies are not interchangeable. JOINT RESOLUTIONÐNAVY CHIEF OF NAVAL OPERATIONS, NAVAL HISTORY Mr. Speaker, I call upon the FDA to stop ASIATIC FLEET DIVISION, WASHINGTON their proposed ban of asthma inhalers and put With the outbreak of war between China forward a new proposed rule only after Con- HON. WALTER B. JONES and Japan in 1932, Houston got underway 31 January for Shanghai to protect American gress reconvenes. In addition, I urge the con- OF NORTH CAROLINA lives and property. She landed Marine and ferees to H.R. 1411 to include legislative lan- IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Navy gun platoons to help stabilize the situ- guage that will stop the FDA from implement- Thursday, November 6, 1997 ation and remained in the area, with the ex- ing this terribly flawed and environmentally ception of a good will cruise to the Phil- marginal proposal. If the FDA insists on mov- Mr. JONES. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to ippines in March and one to Japan in May ing forward with their antipatient plan anyway, rise today to introduce legislation commending 1933, until being relieved by Augusta 17 No- Congress should debate and pass the the sailors and marines who served in the vember 1933. The cruiser sailed to San Fran- Sterans-Smith billÐHR 221Ðto allow asthma U.S. Navy Asiatic Fleet. I commend the ac- cisco to join the Scouting Force, and for the years preceding World War II participated in patients like Tommy Farese retain access to tions of Senator WARNER who first heard and responded to the call of these forgotten he- Fleet Problems and maneuvers in the Pa- their medicine. cific. During this period Houston made sev- f roes with his introduction of Senate Joint Res- eral special cruises. President Roosevelt olution 30. came on board 1 July 1934 at Annapolis, Md., KENT L. HUBER While many of my colleagues may not be for a cruise of almost 12,000 miles through familiar with the efforts waged by the Asiatic the Caribbean and to Portland, Oreg., by way HON. JAMES A. BARCIA Fleet, I am here today to tell you of their criti- of Hawaii. Houston also carried Assistant Secretary of the Navy Henry L. Roosevelt on OF MICHIGAN cal role in American security interests. From the early 1900's until just after Pearl Harbor, a tour of the Hawaiian Islands, returning to IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES San Diego 15 May 1935. After a short cruise the fleet sailed courageously across the coast- Thursday, November 6, 1997 in Alaskan waters, the cruiser returned to al waters between China and the Philippines, Seattle and embarked the President again 3 Mr. BARCIA. Mr. Speaker, the people of as well as in Russian waters and on the straits October 1935 for a vacation cruise to the Bay County suffered a tremendous loss this and narrows of Malaysia and Indonesia during Cerros Islands, Magdalena Bay, Cocos Is- week with the unfortunate accident that took this very dynamic period in history. lands, and Charleston, S.C. Houston also cele- the life of Kent L. Huber, a gentleman who The Asiatic Fleet had originally been estab- brated the opening of the Golden Gate bridge was a professional pilot who offered his skills lished in August 1910 as a successor of the at San Francisco 28 May 1937, and carried to those in need. Memorial services are being Asiatic Station, to protect American lives and President Roosevelt for a Fleet Review at the same city 14 July 1938. held tomorrow, and I want to extend my deep- property in the Philippines and in China. The Houston became flagship of the U.S. Fleet est sympathies to his wife Sue Carol, their Asiatic Fleet sailed the seas in defense of 19 September 1938, when Rear Admiral Bloch four daughters, and friends. American interests in the Southeast Asian wa- broke his flag on board her, and maintained This tragedy reminds us of the limits that ters until 1942. that status until 28 December; when she re- each of us face. We may take every day, In the final years of the Asiatic Fleet oper- turned to the Scouting Force. Continuing every month, and every year for granted, even ations, these sailors and marines distinguished the now-familiar routine of training exer- though we never know how many more we themselves by defending against the tidal cises, she got underway for Fleet Problem 20, truly have remaining. We keep thinking that wave of Japanese aggression. Fighting 4 January 1939 from San Francisco, sailed to Norfolk and Key West, and there embarked we can correct tomorrow, what we should against the larger modern Japanese naval the President and the Chief of Naval Oper- have corrected today. Given enough time, we forces were the fleet's 3 cruisers, 13 WWI-vin- ations, Admiral Leahy, for the duration of might remember to appreciate what people did tage destroyers, 29 submarines, and a handful the problem. She arrived Houston, Tex., 7 for us, or people might forget what we did to of gunboats and patrol aircraft. In all, the fleet April for a brief visit before returning to Se- them. lost 22 ships. 1,826 were killed and over 500 attle, where she arrived 30 May. I am sure that Kent Huber was fortunate were said to be placed in prison camps. Assigned as flagship Hawaiian Detach- enough to not have had those regrets be- Sadly, many of these sailors taken prisoner ment, the cruiser arrived Pearl Harbor after her post-overhaul shakedown 7 December cause of the way he lived his life. We all have were beaten, tortured, and killed in the most 1939, and continued in that capacity until re- demands on our time, and carefully guard gruesome of manners. turning to Mare Island 17 February 1940. whatever portion we have for ourselves. Kent Regrettably, Congress and the American Sailing to Hawaii, she departed 3 November Huber was most generous with his free mo- people have never risen to recognize the val- for the Philippine Islands as the world situa- ments, making sure that people who needed iant actions of this Asiatic Fleet, the precursor tion grew darker. Arriving Manila, 19 No- air transport for medical care had the benefit to today's 7th Fleet. I rise today dedicated to vember 1940, she became flagship of Admiral of his services. As a pilot for the national orga- granting long overdue recognition of the heart- Hart, Commander Asiatic Fleet. As the war crisis deepened, Admiral Hart nization Wings of Mercy, he often provided breaking struggles of the fleet that fought deposed his fleet in readiness. On the night transport, just as he did this past Sunday alone against the overwhelming modern Japa- of the Pearl Harbor attack, Houston got un- when he brought someone back from the nese Navy. It is altogether fitting and appro- derway from Penay Island with fleet units Mayo Clinic. He also each Fourth of July of- priate that this Nation pause and reflect upon bound for Darwin, Australia, where she ar- fered a round-trip flight to Mackinac Island as the noble actions of these fine sailors and ma- rived 28 December 1941 by way of Balikpapan a grand prize at the Bay City Fireworks Fes- rines of the Asiatic Fleet. and Surabaya. After patrol duty she joined tival. It is for these reasons that today I will join the ABDA (American-British-Dutch-Aus- tralian) naval force at Surabaya. Air raids His family was very important to him, espe- my colleague in the Senate, Senator WARNER, were frequent in the area, and Houston's gun- cially his concern for children. He carried this to introduce a resolution calling for the rec- ners splashed four planes 4 February as Ad- special love forward in his service on the Ban- ognition of the 56th anniversary of the sinking miral Doorman, RNN, took his force to en- gor Township Board of Education, where he of the Asiatic Fleet's flagship, the U.S.S.
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