27148 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS November 2, 1993 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS WHEN REMEMBERING OUR BRAVE months, she limped off stateside for exten­ summer. Dense fogs roam the Aleutians from HEROES OF WORLD WAR II­ sive overhaul in February 1945. Along with Unalaska to Attu in May, June and July. Re­ DON'T FORGET THE COAST Albuquerque, Everett (PF-8) stayed the long lated to Aleutian weather, St. Elmo's Fire, GUARD haul upon arriving at Adak 22 April 1944. resembling flashing fluorescent light shoot­ Hoquiam (PF-5) showed her colors at Kodiak ing up the mast and along the yardarm is a on 27 August, Sausalito (PF-4) dropped her common phenomena occurring at sea. HON. ROBERT K. DORNAN hook in Sweepers Cove, Adak, on 5 October, Escort Division 27's routine consisted OF CALIFORNIA and Pasco (PF-6) logged in at Kodiak on 15 mainly of plodding endlessly from boredom to tedium to apathy and back (Dutch Har­ IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES October, only to slip away to Seattle in Jan­ uary 1945, on orders to guard the northern bor, Adak, Attu), with convoys reduced to Tuesday, November 2, 1993 Pacific coast. After 1945 mid-summer refits, eight knots in heavy weather. Wallowing Mr. DORNAN. Mr. Speaker, as we celebrate one by one all six steamed into Cold Bay along in storm-plagued winter seas, laden old near the tip of the Alaskan Peninsula for de­ fleet oilers Ramapo and Rapidan would sur­ the 50th anniversary of World War II, I ask my face occasionally awash in foam before colleagues and the citizens of this country to commissioning and transfer to the USSR under Lend-Lease. Each ran up the Russian plunging into the next giant sea. On the remember a specific branch of service whose flag on 17 August 1945. crest of wind-heightened seas, Liberty ship courage and sacrifice have gone greatly unno­ From commissioning on 20 December 1943, sterns would lift out of water revealing an ticed over the past half century. This branch of to shakedown in San Diego, to Mare Island aimlessly turning propeller whose blades service is the U.S. Coast Guard. for additional deck reinforcement, to Pier 41 upon digging in on the downslope would slap I will include for the RECORD an example of in Seattle, Albuquerque could avoid her fate the water with a pow! pow! pow!, sounding like the distant firing of a 40mm gun. Albu­ such service and sacrifice-an article from no longer. "Loose lips sink ships," cried the posters. The warning unheeded, secrecy of querque escorted once with 165 foot USCGC Sea Classics magazine describing the exploits Onandaga, dubbed the " Rolling O" and said of a Coast Guard frigate patrolling the frigid our destination leaked out. As the last line was let go, a voice from Pier 41 bellowed. to dip green water down her stack in a flat waters of the Bering Sea. I urge everyone to "You're gonna love it in the Aleutians. sea. Before leaving Onandaga at Unimak read this article in order to have some appre­ You'll find an Aleut gal behind every tree Pass, both ships hove to briefly to pass mail. ciation for the courage and dedication of thou­ waiting for you!" Seven days later Scotch Albuquerque posed sedately in modest swells sands of other Coast Guardsmen who served Cap light guarding Unimak Pass arose to while Onandaga 's stack described a 30-degree arc from port to starboard. our Nation during World War II. We must starboard, announcing our arrival to the April 19, 1944-0745 Departed Dutch Harbor bleak and barren Aleutian islands. The date never again forget these heroes of the sea: to assist Liberty ship John Straub reported was 11 April 1944. Albuquerque's long tour A SEA So COLD-A SEA So LONEL y began upon standing into Dutch Harbor breaking up east of Unimak Pass. 0908 (By David H. Hendrickson) where her first convoy awaited departure for Scotch Cap light to port. 1031 Maneuvering in vicinity of SS Taloa which reported she "Forgotten" accurately identifies the 75 Adak, 450 miles westward along the chain. To port squatted pulpit-like Priest Rock, had no survivors to Straub. 1204 Derelict Coast Guard manned patrol frigates of World sighted, stern half of Straub afloat. Searched War II (Sea Classics-February, May, 1992). warning those who dared a last look when homeward bound the certainty of return to for survivors. 1251 one capsized boat, two life The Aleutian Islands, where a number of jackets, life rafts and lumber debris sighted. frigates served, was "The Forgotten Front" the Bering Sea. To starboard the channel 1349 Launch lowered and away under CBM according to Air Force Magazine, February bordered a long, low sandy spit protecting a lagoon, across which could be seen Ballyhoo Hewitt to investigate derelict. 1420 Launch 1984. In keeping with this testimony to the alongside, derelict boarded, no sign of life, "forgotten," USS Albuquerque (PF-7) quali­ and ABD docks at the foot of snow-draped Ballyhoo Mountain. Nearby, huddled the launch returned. 1547 Derelict sunk with fies as the "Forgotten Frigate" of World War three-inch gun fire. Proceeded to Kimzaroff II. What else, other than being forgotten by gray buildings of Navy town and in the dis­ tance, reached by a short cable ferry, lay Un­ Lagoon, Cold Bay for anchorage. Captain and Navy command, world account for Albuquer­ Lt. Beck ashore in launch to report findings. que logging the longest tour of duty in the alaska Village strung out along a sloping The boarding party reported that the Bering Sea-4 April 1944 to 16 August 194&­ beach. We would get to know Dutch Harbor Straub had parted aft of the engine room of any warship venturing into these northern as home port, but first visit ashore would bulkhead and that the forward section had waters after 7 December 1941? Fighting ended wait another day. A formed up convoy of Al­ apparently sunk quickly. A new ship on her with the Japanese defeat on Attu in May buquerque, two destroyer escorts, five third voyage for the Alaska Steamship Com­ 1943. Two months earlier the Battle of the freighters and USAT Wm. L. Thompson pany, the Straub went down with her captain Komandorski Islands ended Japanese naval cleared port plowing westward into a rising and all ship's officers, 40 merchant seamen, threat to the Aleutians. But the weather lin­ sea and wind and slashing rain, conditions 14 Navy men and the cargo security officer. • gered on as the enemy of all ships exiled to we would soon appreciate as ordinary in the Returning to Dutch Harbor, Albuquerque duty along the 1200 fog-bound, windswept and breeding grounds for North American maneuvered off Scotch Cap preparatory to storm-plagued miles of the volcanic and storms. taking a dory alongside to board a light­ treeless Aleutian Island chain. Known for the world's lousiest weather­ house person en route to the States. Scotch Albuquerque and eleven other Coast Guard­ wind, snow, rain, sleet, fog, and eternal cloud Cap lighthouse, firmly grounded on a shelf 40 manned patrol frigates were laid down by cover-the great arc of the Aleutian chain or more feet above high tide, was swept away Kaiser Cargo Inc., at Richmond on San Fran­ forms the battle front where moist, unstable with loss of all hands by the great tsunami of cisco Bay. First down the ways, 7 July 1943, Pacific air warmed by the subtropical 1946 that sped across the Pacific to wipe out Tacoma (PF-3) provided the class name and Kuroshio (Japan) Current clashes with cold, much of Hilo, Hawaii. statistics-304 feet in length, twin screws dry Siberian air sweeping south across the April 23, 1944-Underway at dawn in search powered by triple-expansion steam engines chilled Bering Sea. General Simon B. of downed Navy weather plane. Returned to capable of cranking out 21 knots at flank Buckner of Alaska Defense Command once Dutch Harbor after ten hours fruitless speed and armed with three-inch, 40mm and described the Aleutians as "Inhabited by a search. 20mm guns, depth charge racks and K-guns ferocious monster forever breathing fogs and April 25, 1944-With USS Austin (DE-15) on the fantail and a nest of hedgehogs for­ coughing up 'williwaw' winds that blow the bound for Adak escorting USS Ramapo, USS ward. In short order, like eggs from a mother unfortunate mariner onto uncharted rocks." Spies, USAT Chirikoff, SS Weeks, SS James turtle, number 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 plopped into Shemya, near A ttu, has experienced winds of Burke. the bay at Kaiser Yard 4, all destined for Es­ estimated 139 mph (wind recorder pen could May 7, 1944-Emergency departure for sub­ cort Division 27 in the Bering Sea. record only to 128 mph) and suffers a July marines sighted on surface in Pumicestone Tacoma, a troubled ship plagued by unsuc­ average cloud cover of 30 days with 24 days of Bay, Unalaska. Hunter-killer group with cessful sea trials, a boiler room fire and hot dense ·fog. Winds over 50 mph and sudden 80 USS Engstrom (DE-50), USS Doherty (DE-14), bearings, avoided duty in the Aleutians until mph "williwaws" raising mountainous seas USS Candid (AM-154). Returned to Dutch 21 October 1944. Ailing again after four are common all year except for the brief Harbor 8 May. e This "bullet" symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by a Member of the Senate on the floor. Matter set in this typeface indicates words inserted or appended, rather than spoken, by a Member of the House on the floor.