[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 145 (1999), Part 14] [House] [Pages 19551-19552] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]TRIBUTE IN HONOR OF OFFICIAL DESIGNATION OF GRAND HAVEN, MICHIGAN, AS COAST GUARD CITY, USA, AND CELEBRATING 75 YEARS OF COAST GUARD TRADITION The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Hoekstra) is recognized for 5 minutes. Mr. HOEKSTRA. Mr. Speaker, this weekend marks a very special time in the history of one of the communities in the Second Congressional District of Michigan. For the past 75 years, Grand Haven, Michigan has celebrated its relationship with the U.S. Coast Guard and the contributions of the Coast Guard to our country as a whole. Since 1934, the city has hosted the Coast Guard Festival, which has included a major parade, displays of various Coast Guard vessels, and a variety of ceremonies that focus on the special relationship, the special partnership between the Coast Guard and the community of Grand Haven. Since 1963, when then-U.S. Coast Guard Admiral Richard Schmidtman attended one of these celebrations to dedicate the city's famous Musical Fountain, Grand Haven has proudly displayed the unofficial title of ``Coast Guard City, U.S.A.''. This designation was taken directly from Admiral Schmidtman's remarks. Ever since, signs near the entrances of the city have informed visitors that they were entering Coast Guard City, U.S.A. As I said, that designation has been unofficial. That is until this year. As part of the Coast Guard reauthorization act of 1999, this Congress made it possible for the Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard to officially declare an American town as ``Coast Guard City U.S.A.''. I am happy to report to this House that, on this coming Saturday, August 7, 1999, U.S. Coast Guard Commandant Admiral James Loy will be in Grand Haven to make it official. Grand Haven will be Coast Guard city U.S.A. {time} 2310 He will do that this week at the 1999 Coast Guard festival. I have worked with several Members of the House and the other body for several years to make this designation a reality. I would like to thank all the people who worked with me to get this legislation approved, including Senators Abraham and Levin, the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Ehlers), the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Gilchrest), and the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Shuster), who were especially helpful. I also want to thank the local officials in Michigan, especially Coast Guard festival executive director Jerry Smith. Also various people at the U.S. Coast Guard, including former Commandant Admiral Robert Kramek. And Members of my staff, especially Todd Sutton and Chris LaGrand. I would like to thank all of these people for their patience and for their hard work. Most of all, I congratulate the people of Grand Haven and their dedication and respect for the men and women of the U.S. Coast Guard. For more than 75 years, this community on the shores of Lake Michigan at the mouth of the Grand River has welcomed the Coast Guard personnel with open arms. They have celebrated their relationship with the Coast Guard since the first community Coast Guard picnic way back in 1924. In 1943, the city's residents also shared the Coast Guard's pain. They shared the Coast Guard's pain with a memorial service honoring the crew and the crew members of the Coast Guard cutter Escanaba, which had been based in Grand Haven from 1932 to 1940. One hundred and one men were lost when the ship was sunk by a German U-boat in the North Atlantic during World War II on June 13, 1943. The city shared its pain, but also its resources. The city showed its commitment to the U.S. Coast Guard by raising funds to build a replacement, which was named the Escanaba II. The mast of the original Escanaba was saved and [[Page 19552]] erected as a monument to those fallen heroes in Grand Haven's Escanaba Park, where it still remains today. Mr. Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I congratulate Grand Haven, which from Saturday and henceforth will be known officially as Coast Guard City USA. ____________________