Roscoe Bartlett: “Mr. Speaker, today the House undertakes a solemn task. House Concurrent Resolution 408 remembers the loss of 1,015…”

“Mr. Speaker, today the House undertakes a solemn task. House Concurrent Resolution 408 remembers the loss of 1,015 American soldiers who died when the British troop transport ship HMT ROHNA was tragically sunk off the coast of North Africa on November 26, 1943, during World War II. This resolution recognizes that the sinking of the ROHNA was a major catastrophic event of World War II. Mr. Speaker, this recognition is long overdue. We owe recognition to the men who gave their lives that day. We owe recognition to the men who survived the sinking and went on to fight bravely in the China- Burma-Indian theater and other combat theaters. We owe recognition to the families of both groups of men. The high price paid by families is often made worse by the absence of information about their loss caused by the demands for secrecy during war. The sinking of the ROHNA was just such a case. Many of the families of those killed were not aware of the details of the sinking until recently. When they asked for more information, they found that there were very few records available. Mr. Speaker, House Concurrent Resolution 408 puts the sinking of the ROHNA in proper perspective by outlining the details of the attack and rescue.”