Political Quotes

“First I would like to thank Congressman DeSaulnier for bringing this important issue up and highlighting, one, the contribution made by the sailors; two, the challenges they faced during this ordeal; and, three, the remarkable sense of patriotism that each one of them exhibited and their desire to serve our country. Not often do we bring up things that happened 71 years ago, especially things that have not gained a lot of media attention. But the sacrifice of every man and woman in this country, whether Black, White, or otherwise, deserves recognition. So I am honored to be a part of this hour tonight, and I feel really privileged that I get a chance to talk about a few of my constituents' families that really exemplified what is best in America and what is best about the American people. So the first sailor I will start with is Ernest Joseph Gaines. He was a native of New Orleans. He enlisted in the Navy in 1942, when he was only 20 years old. Before enlisting, he worked as a helper, doing sheet metal work in a machine shop. At Port Chicago, he was a winch operator and worked loading the E.A. Bryan, one of the ships that was destroyed in the explosion at the base. At the mutiny trial, Gaines testified that he had ``a lot of trouble'' controlling the winch he was operating. After the explosion, he said he became afraid of loading ammunition because he knew he could not control the winch.…”