,,iv #aafth ,,congress #ast ,session ,h4 ,,res4 #bbi ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of ,,representatives ,march #ad1 #bjai,mr4 ,williams submitted the following resolution2 which was referred to the ,committee on ,armed ,services ,,resolution ,expressing support for designation of the month of ,august as ,national ,destroyer ,recognition ,month4 ,whereas the first ,united ,states torpedo boat destroyer was the ,,uss ,bainbridge 7,,dd-#a71 placed in full commission on ,december #bc1 #aijc2 ,whereas the ,united ,states ,navy was the first service to respond in ,world ,war ,i after the ,united ,states declared war on ,germany on ,april #f1 #aiag1 when six destroyers from ,destroyer ,squadron #h1 commanded by ,j4,k4 ,taussig1 arrived in ,queenstown1 ,ireland1 in ,may of that year2 ,whereas1 during ,world ,war ,i1 ,american destroyers prevented the loss of life or ship of #b million men making the trans-,atlantic journey2 ,whereas in their #bej battles with ,german ,u-boats during ,world ,war ,i1 ,american destroyers sunk #a submarine1 the ,u-#eh1 and laid the groundwork for modern antisubmarine warfare2 ,whereas1 between ,june #aidb and ,february #aide1 #age ,fletcher class destroyers were built1 and this class of ships is widely recognized as integral to the naval war effort in ,world ,war ,,ii2 ,whereas1 during ,world ,war ,,ii1 #ai ,fletcher class destroyers were lost and #f were damaged beyond repair2 ,whereas1 during ,world ,war ,,ii1 #dd ,fletcher class destroyers earned #aj or more battle stars1 #ai were awarded the ,navy ,unit ,commendation1 and #af received the ,presidential ,unit ,citation2 ,whereas following their service during ,world ,war ,,ii1 #cb ,fletcher class destroyers were transferred to the navies of ,america's allies1 including ,argentina1 ,brazil1 ,chile1 ,colombia1 ,germany1 ,greece1 ,italy1 ,japan1 ,korea1 ,mexico1 ,peru1 ,spain1 ,taiwan1 and ,turkey2 ,whereas the largest ,atlantic operation destroyers participated in during ,world ,war ,,ii was ,operation ,neptune1 the naval component of ,operation ,overlord1 the invasion of ,europe1 on ,june #f1 #aidd2 ,whereas1 at ,utah ,beach1 destroyers ,,uss ,fitch 7,,dd-#dfb71 ,,uss ,corry 7,,dd-#dfc71 and ,,uss ,hobson 7,,dd-#dfd7 were the first ships of the invasion force to shell the shore2 ,whereas1 at ,omaha ,beach1 destroyers ,,uss ,baldwin 7,,dd-#fbd71 ,,uss ,carmick 7,,dd-#dic71 ,,uss ,doyle 7,,dd-#did71 ,,uss ,emmons 7,,dd-#deg71 ,,uss ,frankford 7,,dd-#dig71 ,,uss ,mc,cook 7,,dd-#dif71 and ,,uss ,thompson 7,,dd-#fbg7 shelled the enemy fortifications2 ,whereas1 at the ,battle of ,leyte ,gulf1 the largest naval battle of ,world ,war ,,ii1 two destroyers1 the ,,uss ,hoel 7,,dd-#ecc7 and the ,,uss ,johnston 7,,dd-#eeg7 were lost2 ,whereas1 at the ,battle of ,okinawa1 destroyers were instrumental in providing radar picket protection to ,okinawa ,island1 and out of #aja destroyers1 destroyer minelayers1 and destroyer minesweepers assigned to radar pickets1 #aj were sunk and #cb were damaged by kamikaze attacks2 ,whereas a total of #gf ,united ,states destroyers were sunk during ,world ,war ,,ii2 ,whereas1 during the ,korean war1 six ,united ,states destroyers1 ,,uss ,collett 7,,dd-#gcj71 ,,uss ,de ,haven 7,,dd-#gbg71 ,,uss ,gurke 7,,dd-#ghc71 ,,uss ,henderson 7,,dd-#ghe71 ,,uss ,lyman ,k4 ,swenson 7,,dd-#gbi71 and ,,uss ,mansfield 7,,dd-#gbh71 were instrumental in clearing the beachhead prior to the amphibious assault at the ,battle of ,incheon1 ,south ,korea1 in ,september #aiej2 ,whereas1 on ,august #b1 #aifd1 the destroyer ,,uss ,maddox 7,,dd-#gca7 engaged in fire with ,north ,vietnamese ,navy torpedo boats and became the impetus for the ,gulf of ,tonkin ,resolution2 ,whereas the ,,uss ,arleigh ,burke 7,,ddg-#ea7 was commissioned on ,july #d1 #aiia1 named after ,admiral ,arleigh ,burke1 the longest serving ,chief of ,naval ,operations in the history of the ,united ,states ,navy1 and is the lead ship of the ,arleigh ,burke class of guided missile destroyers2 ,whereas1 on ,october #ab1 #bjjj1 the ,,uss ,cole 7,,ddg-#fg7 was attacked by terrorists while at anchor in ,aden1 ,yemen1 and #ag crewmembers were lost and #ci injured2 ,whereas1 on ,november #bi1 #bjjc1 the ,,uss ,cole 7,,ddg-#fg7 redeployed on its first overseas deployment following the attack2 ,whereas1 on ,april #g1 #bjag1 destroyers ,,uss ,ross 7,,ddg-#gh7 and ,,uss ,porter 7,,ddg-#ga7 fired a total of #ei ,tomahawk land attack missiles on ,syria's air base at al-,shayrat1 from the eastern ,mediterranean ,sea in response to ,syria's use of banned chemical weapons2 ,whereas destroyers remain a critical component of ,united ,states naval capability around the world1 serving to protect the free flow of commerce1 reassure ,america's allies and partners1 and deter acts of aggression against ,american and allied forces2 and ,whereas the establishment of the month of ,august as ,national ,destroyer ,recognition ,month will recognize the important contributions that ,united ,states destroyers and those sailors serving aboard them have made to naval warfare and ,american military success3 ,now1 therefore1 be it ,that the ,house of ,representatives-- 7#a7 supports the designation of ,national ,destroyer ,recognition ,month2 7#b7 supports those who have served and currently serve aboard ,united ,states destroyers2 7#c7 supports the role of destroyers in the naval war arsenal and their importance to ,america's national security2 and 7#d7 calls on the people of the ,united ,states1 including veteran groups1 ,state and local officials1 and interested groups to observe ,national ,destroyer ,recognition ,month with appropriate programs and activities that promote awareness of the contribution of ,united ,states destroyers and their crews4