Political Quotes

“Mr. President, on August 21, 1944, laden with precious cargo for the Pacific theatre, the USS Mount Hood, the lead ship of her class for the U.S. Navy, departed Norfolk on her first mission. On board were 296 sailors and 22 officers. The USS Mount Hood reached Manus Island, a province of Papua, New Guinea, on September 22 and commenced with dispensing ammunition and explosives to ships preparing for the Philippine offensive. On the morning of November 10, 1944, a young Naval Reserve lieutenant and 17 enlisted men climbed over the side of the USS Mount Hood and boarded boats to go ashore. After reaching the beach, they saw an enormous flash followed by two explosions, and the men were knocked to the ground. They scrambled back to the boats and headed to where the Mount Hood had been anchored, but found only debris where the ship had once been. The entire ship, and all aboard, were gone. Over 400,000 Americans lost their lives in World War II. In the deserts of North Africa, the jungles of the Pacific islands, on the beaches in Normandy, and everywhere in between, these brave men and women sacrificed their lives to preserve the freedom and individual liberties we all enjoy. We owe them all an immense debt of gratitude for the sacrifices they made to defend our Nation. They should never be forgotten. The only surviving officer of the USS Mount Hood, LT Lester Wallace, is now 95 years old and resides in Pensacola, FL.…”