96th general assembly regular session 1945 1946 H. R No 88 To fighting men and a fighting ship — the glorious crew and the inspiring sight of the staunch aircraft carrier, U. S. S. Franklin, as it steamed past the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor. WHEREAS, The accomplishment of the U. S. S. FrankHn, the 27,000-ton airplane carrier, which in the face of almost unsurmountable difficulties, and when practically sunk, refused to go down, but fought a thrilling battle, sixty miles off the Japanese coast, indelibly carved its name on the scroll of the many illustrious and thrilling sea battles which adorn the pages of American history; and WHEREAS. The U. S. S. Franklin limped back to port under its own power, still flying the Stars and Stripes, and in spite of Japanese bombs, with their accompanying fires and explosions, returned four- teen thousand dangerous miles, though badly damaged, with hundreds of her crew killed or wounded, to the Brooklyn Navy Yard: and WHEREAS, Captain L. E. Gehres, the ship ' s commander, in the immortal words of Captain Lawrence, declared: I ' ll not abandon this ship, and in sticking to his decision added another episode of unforgettable glory- to America ' s sea fighters, saved his ship and two-thirds of her complement of twenty-five hundred men; and WHEREAS, High on the roll of honor for heroic service in the face of fire, is the name of Lt. Com- mander Joseph O ' Callahan, chaplain of the U. S. S. Franklin, whose brave action in moving around a burning and exposed deck, administering to the dying, recruiting damage control parties and leading officers and men into flames to jettison hot bombs and shells, wet down ammunition maga- zines, etc., made one of the ship ' s senior ofTicers remark: He was the bravest man I ever saw ' ; and WHEREAS, Hundreds of Purple Hearts were earned, as men from all walks of life, and race, color, creed, many from the State of Ohio, fought side by side against deadly flame, smoke, bombs and explosions to bring the U. S. S. Franklin home with flags flying; therefore be it RESOLVED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY, That in recognition of this seemingly impossible task of achievement that this resolution be adopted by a rising vote and a copy be spread upon the journal as a testimony of the accomplishments of the American people under fire and the real signifi- cance of lasting victory and its fruition in a permanent peace, when an age of reason will supplant an age of war, when a philosophy of life will supplant a philosophy of death and destruction as exemplified in the devotion of the .American people to the ideals of the brotherhood of man, liberty and justice and the right of every man to li e in dignity and freedom as his conscience dictates: and be it further RESOLVED, That the clerk of the House of Representatives send an authenticated copy of this reso- lution to James Forrestal, Secretary of the Navy; Henry L. Stimson, Secretary of War, and to Captain L. E. Gehres, of the L ' . S. S. Franklin. s Otis R. Johnson Clerk
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