Political Quotes

“I rise to honor a true pioneer of American military history, Rear Admiral Alene B. Duerk of Defiance, Ohio, the first woman in the United States Navy to achieve the rank of admiral. I join my Lake Erie colleague, Representative Kennedy of Buffalo, in requesting the Secretary of the Navy name a naval vessel in her honor. Admiral Duerk began her journey of service after graduating from the Toledo Hospital School of Nursing in 1941. Soon after becoming a registered nurse, she entered the United States Navy Nurse Corps during World War II, and she treated wounded at the naval hospital in Portsmouth, Virginia. She later cared for the newly liberated American POWs aboard the USS Benevolence in the Pacific. She continued her service during the Korean War as a nursing instructor. In 1970, she was appointed director of the United States Navy Nurse Corps. Her 32-year career was marked by fierce advocacy for improved medical care, equitable pay, and expanded roles for women in our Armed Forces. Naming a Navy ship in her honor would pay tribute not only to her personal achievements but to the doors she opened for countless others. I urge the Secretary of the Navy to ensure Rear Admiral Duerk's legacy of service, sacrifice, excellence, and patriotism are commemorated.”