H.R. 23, THE ‘‘BELATED THANK YOU TO THE MERCHANT MARINERS OF WORLD WAR II ACT OF 2007’’ HEARING BEFORE THE COMMITTEE ON VETERANS’ AFFAIRS U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ONE HUNDRED TENTH CONGRESS FIRST SESSION APRIL 18, 2007 Serial No. 110–12 Printed for the use of the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs ( U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 35–631 WASHINGTON : 2008 For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office Internet: bookstore.gpo.gov Phone: toll free (866) 512–1800; DC area (202) 512–1800 Fax: (202) 512–2104 Mail: Stop IDCC, Washington, DC 20402–0001 VerDate Aug 31 2005 20:09 Feb 01, 2008 Jkt 035631 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 5011 Sfmt 5011 E:\HR\OC\35631.XXX 35631 hsrobinson on PROD1PC76 with HEARING COMMITTEE ON VETERANS’ AFFAIRS BOB FILNER, California, Chairman CORRINE BROWN, Florida STEVE BUYER, Indiana, Ranking VIC SNYDER, Arkansas CLIFF STEARNS, Florida MICHAEL H. MICHAUD, Maine JERRY MORAN, Kansas STEPHANIE HERSETH SANDLIN, South RICHARD H. BAKER, Louisiana Dakota HENRY E. BROWN, JR., South Carolina HARRY E. MITCHELL, Arizona JEFF MILLER, Florida JOHN J. HALL, New York JOHN BOOZMAN, Arkansas PHIL HARE, Illinois GINNY BROWN-WAITE, Florida MICHAEL F. DOYLE, Pennsylvania MICHAEL R. TURNER, Ohio SHELLEY BERKLEY, Nevada BRIAN P. BILBRAY, California JOHN T. SALAZAR, Colorado DOUG LAMBORN, Colorado CIRO D. RODRIGUEZ, Texas GUS M. BILIRAKIS, Florida JOE DONNELLY, Indiana VERN BUCHANAN, Florida JERRY MCNERNEY, California ZACHARY T. SPACE, Ohio TIMOTHY J. WALZ, Minnesota Malcom A. Shorter, Staff Director Pursuant to clause 2(e)(4) of Rule XI of the Rules of the House, public hearing records of the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs are also published in electronic form. The printed hearing record remains the official version. Because electronic submissions are used to prepare both printed and electronic versions of the hearing record, the process of converting between various electronic formats may introduce unintentional errors or omissions. Such occur- rences are inherent in the current publication process and should diminish as the process is further refined. ii VerDate Aug 31 2005 20:09 Feb 01, 2008 Jkt 035631 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 0486 Sfmt 0486 E:\HR\OC\35631.XXX 35631 hsrobinson on PROD1PC76 with HEARING C O N T E N T S April 18, 2007 Page H.R. 23, the ‘‘Belated Thank You to the Merchant Mariners of World War II Act of 2007’’ .......................................................................................................... 1 OPENING STATEMENTS Chairman Bob Filner ............................................................................................... 1 Prepared statement of Chairman Bob Filner ................................................. 46 Hon. Steve Buyer, Ranking Republican Member .................................................. 2 Prepared statement of Congressman Buyer ................................................... 53 Hon. Harry E. Mitchell, prepared statement of .................................................... 54 Hon. Michael F. Doyle, prepared statement of ..................................................... 54 Hon. Carol Shea-Porter, prepared statement of .................................................... 54 WITNESSES U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Bradley G. Mayes, Director, Compensa- tion and Pension Service, Veterans Benefits Administration .......................... 39 Prepared statement of Mr. Mayes ................................................................... 83 American Merchant Marine Veterans, Inc.: Francis J. Dooley, Esq., National President, West Orange, NJ ................... 12 Prepared statement of Mr. Dooley ........................................................... 60 Gloria Flora Nicolich, Public Relations Director and Regional Vice Presi- dent, Northeast Region, Brooklyn, NY ........................................................ 10 Prepared statement of Ms. Nicolich ......................................................... 59 James Burton ‘‘Burt’’ Young, Regional Vice President, Central Region, Lincoln, NE .................................................................................................... 7 Prepared statement of Mr. Young ............................................................ 57 Felknor, Bruce, Evanston, IL, Author, ‘‘U.S. Merchant Marine at War, 1775– 1945,’’ as presented by the Hon. Janice D. Schakowsky, a Representative in Congress from the State of Illinois ................................................................. 25 Prepared statement of Mr. Felknor ................................................................ 71 Gleeson, Mark S., Oakmont, PA ............................................................................. 29 Prepared statement of Mr. Gleeson ................................................................ 75 Herbert, Brian, Bainbridge Island, WA, Author, ‘‘The Forgotten Heroes: The Heroic Story of the United States Merchant Marine’’ ...................................... 33 Prepared statement of Mr. Herbert ................................................................ 77 Jackson, William, Oakland, CA, Chief Engineer, SS Red Oak Victory Ship ...... 8 Prepared statement of Mr. Jackson ................................................................ 58 Just Compensation Committee: Ian T. Allison, Co-Chairman, Santa Rosa, CA ............................................... 5 Prepared statement of Mr. Allison ........................................................... 56 Herman ‘‘Hank’’ Rosen, Co-Chairman, San Diego, CA ................................. 31 Prepared statement of Mr. Rosen ............................................................ 76 Schakowsky, Hon. Janice D., a Representative in Congress from the State of Illinois, presenting the statement of Bruce Felknor, Evanston, IL, Au- thor, ‘‘U.S. Merchant Marine at War, 1775–1945’’ ............................................ 25 Starnes, H. Gerald, St. Augustine, FL ................................................................... 15 Prepared statement of Mr. Starnes ................................................................ 64 Willner, Stanley, New York, NY ............................................................................ 17 Prepared statement of Mr. Willner ................................................................. 66 iii VerDate Aug 31 2005 20:09 Feb 01, 2008 Jkt 035631 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 0486 Sfmt 0486 E:\HR\OC\35631.XXX 35631 hsrobinson on PROD1PC76 with HEARING Page SUBMISSIONS FOR THE RECORD American Maritime Officers, Thomas Bethel, President; Timothy A. Brown, President, International Organization of Masters, Mates and Pilots; Ron Davis, President, Marine Engineers’ Beneficial Association; and Michael Sacco, President, Seafarers International Union, joint letter .......................... 85 American Merchant Marine at War, Tamara Horodysky, Webmistress, Berke- ley, CA, statement ................................................................................................ 86 American Veterans (AMVETS), Kimo S. Hollingsworth, National Legislative Director, statement .............................................................................................. 92 Beaumont, Dean, Scottsdale, AZ, statement ......................................................... 93 Brown, Hon. Corrine, a Representative in Congress from the State of Florida, statement .............................................................................................................. 96 Chomsky, Joseph, East Meadow, NY, statement .................................................. 97 Coughlin, Francis R., M.D., JD, New Canaan, CT, statement ............................ 98 Flury, William B., Eagle Point, OR, statement ..................................................... 103 International Organization of Masters, Mates and Pilots, Timothy A. Brown, President; Thomas Bethel, President, American Maritime Officers; Ron Davis, President, Marine Engineers’ Beneficial Association; and Michael Sacco, President, Seafarers International Union, joint letter .......................... 85 Marine Engineers’ Beneficial Association, Ron Davis, President; Thomas Bethel, President, American Maritime Officers; Timothy A. Brown, Presi- dent, International Organization of Masters, Mates and Pilots; and Michael Sacco, President, Seafarers International Union, joint letter .......................... 85 Leback, Capt. Warren G., San Francisco, CA (former Deputy Maritime Ad- ministrator, Maritime Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation, 1985), letter .......................................................................................................... 104 Mineta, Hon. Norman Y., Washington, DC (former Secretary, U.S. Depart- ment of Transportation, 2001–2006), (former Secretary, U.S. Department of Commerce, 2000), (former Representative in Congress from the State of California, 1975–1996), statement .................................................................. 105 National Association for Uniformed Services, Springfield, VA, statement ......... 107 Nelson, Hon. E. Benjamin, a United States Senator from the State of Ne- braska .................................................................................................................... 109 Seafarers International Union, Michael Sacco, President; Thomas Bethel, President, American Maritime Officers; Timothy A. Brown, President, International Organization of Masters, Mates and Pilots; and Ron Davis, President, Marine Engineers’ Beneficial Association, joint