House Proceeding 05-12-09 on May 12th, 2009 :: 1:13:15 to 1:18:45
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1:13:02 to 1:13:22( Edit History Discussion )

Bob Filner: service during world war ii. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from california, mr. filner, and the gentleman from control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from california. mr. filner: thank you, madam speaker. i yield myself such time as i may consume. and i ask

1:13:15 to 1:18:45( Edit History Discussion )
Speech By: Bob Filner

1:13:23 to 1:13:43( Edit History Discussion )

Bob Filner: all members may have five legislative days in which to revise and extend their rarbgs and include extraneous material on h.r. 23 as amended. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. filner: madam speaker, i rise in strong support of h.r. 23, the belated thank you to the merchant mariner ners of world war ii act of 2009. a measure whose package is six decades overdue.

1:13:44 to 1:14:04( Edit History Discussion )

Bob Filner: i think today we are on the verge of doing a great deed, providing a which to finally give the heroic merchant measure nar -- marins of world war ii the compensation they deserved. congress has a responsibility to correct the wrongs of the past and this is one of the grave injustices that deserve

1:14:05 to 1:14:28( Edit History Discussion )

Bob Filner: rectifying. i thank all the co-sponrs of the bill and i know that many of you were trying to be added as co-sponsor after the report was filed. i just would like to name for the record mr. tierney, mr. meek, mr. jenkins and mr. kildee. for the remaing members of the house who are not co-sponsors, the amendmented version of which passed unanimously, let me tell

1:14:29 to 1:14:49( Edit History Discussion )

Bob Filner: you the sad history of these forgotten heroes. they were part of the atlantic and pacific, faced down many attacks from many aircraft and was instrumental in every theater of war by carrying 95% of the all the tanks, supplies and troops during world war ii.

1:14:50 to 1:15:11( Edit History Discussion )

Bob Filner: as a result, they suffered the highest casualty rate of any of the military branches. it is indisputable that the allied forces would not have been able to sustain or end world war ii without their valiant and selfless service. it is also indisputable that these men now are entitled to be compensated for that service. after the war they did not

1:15:12 to 1:15:33( Edit History Discussion )

Bob Filner: receive recognition as veterans that they deserved or the benefits of the unprecedented g.i. bill of 1944 which they had earned and were promised. military families were able to take advantage of that g.i. bill, entering the middle class, the merchant marins were not.

1:15:34 to 1:15:55( Edit History Discussion )

Bob Filner: when the g.i. bill was signed in 1944, as i said which gave unprecedented education, housing, small business loans and health benefits to world war ii service members, president roosevelt declared after losing the fight to have the merchant mariners included in the original bill i trust congress will soon provide similar opportunities to

1:15:56 to 1:16:19( Edit History Discussion )

Bob Filner: members of the merchant marine who have risked their lives time and time again during the war for the welfare of their country. congress never did. my friends, promises made should be promised kept. their inequity continued when

1:16:20 to 1:16:40( Edit History Discussion )

Bob Filner: -- shue maker, edward aldridge jr. helped. as the jud ruled in that case the mariners had every reasonable expectations that they would be treated as veterans, entitled to the g.i. bill of rights of 1944 based on the services they performed, not happened to perform. history supports that

1:16:41 to 1:17:01( Edit History Discussion )

Bob Filner: conclusion. i had the distinct privilege of receiving the heartwrenching testimony during a full committee hearing of one of the named pa merchant marine named stanley wilmer. he was beaten, starved as a p.o.w. for three years. weighs actually one of the unfortunate group of allied

1:17:02 to 1:17:24( Edit History Discussion )

Bob Filner: forces forced to build the bridge over the quai. he weighed 74 pounds. when he returned home even his wife did not recognize him an neither did his country. he rec medical care and little else for his service. what a miscarriage of justice. madam speaker, it was only due to the sad confluence of powerful events after the war

1:17:25 to 1:17:45( Edit History Discussion )

Bob Filner: that they did not bestow them with veteran status until 1988. i think that if mariners would be on the floor would say they would not have been subject to a process -- they would not have been subject to a process to determine whether they were veterans. the mariners and many others thought they would get these benefits since they were

1:17:46 to 1:18:06( Edit History Discussion )

Bob Filner: enlisting for status. they were in violation of the assurances that they would partake in the g.i. bill of 1944. their valiant service was recognized by all of the services of the allied

1:18:07 to 1:18:27( Edit History Discussion )

Bob Filner: services be inserted into the record. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. filner: there is one quote that is telling of the broken promise made by dwight d. eyeden hour delivered on may 8, 1945, day. the truly heroic man is g.i. joe on account of the air, navy

1:18:28 to 1:18:45( Edit History Discussion )

Bob Filner: and merchant marine. madam speaker, how do you measure the loss of the g.i. bill benefits that helped build the middle class of the united states, the missed opportunities and the dreams unrealized? that is what h.r. 23 will do, create a semblance of equity for the mariners of world war ii.