[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 9] [Extensions of Remarks] [Pages 12527-12528] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]HONORING THE USS McCAWLEY (APA 4) SURVIVORS ASSOCIATION ______ HON. ADAM H. PUTNAM of florida in the house of representatives Wednesday, June 30, 2010 Mr. PUTNAM. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the USS McCawley (APA 4) Survivors Association as they commemorate the 67th anniversary of the sinking of the ``Mighty Wacky Mac.'' Last weekend, these members of America's ``greatest generation'' gathered together for a reunion in Florida to commemorate a fateful day in their lives. Named after the eighth Commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps, the USS McCawley was commissioned in September, 1940 and received five battle stars for its service in World War II. In the summer of 1942, McCawley sailed from the Atlantic Ocean through the Panama Canal and joined the Amphibious Force, South Pacific where she became the flagship of the Force commander, Rear Admiral Richmond K. Turner. On August 7, 1942, McCawley participated in the counterinvasion of Guadalcanal, the first Allied amphibious operation of the Pacific War. McCawley continued to unload needed cargo even as nearby U.S. and Allied ships were lost or damaged and managed to destroy three to four enemy aircraft. According to Naval records, ``over the following six months, McCawley made several transport voyages into the fiercely contested waters near Guadalcanal, taking in personnel and materiel that contributed to securing the island in February, 1943.'' Unfortunately, on the afternoon of June 30, 1943, at the start of a campaign to seize the island of New Georgia, McCawley was attacked by enemy aircraft. McCawley's gunfire brought down four planes; but an aerial torpedo struck McCawley's engineroom, killing 15 of her crew, and shut off all power. Shortly after the crew was rescued by the USS Ralph Talbot (DD 390), McCawley was attacked by dive bombers, but little damage was done after the remaining salvage party manned the guns and successfully struck one of the three attacking planes. Later that afternoon, the salvage party boarded the USS McCalla (DD 488), and pulled away from the damaged ship with all remaining hands safely accounted for. [[Page 12528]] That night, the final blow came when McCawley was again torpedoed and sank 340 fathoms in a matter of seconds. According to the Department of the Navy, ``the following day it was learned that six U.S. motor torpedo boats had torpedoed an `enemy' transport in Blanche Channel, after having been informed there were no friendly forces in the area. USS McCawley's loss to `friendly fire' led to the urgent imposition of measures to reduce the risk of further such accidents.'' June 30th, 1943, was an unforgettable day in the lives of these sailors, and as the remaining survivors gather in Florida this weekend to remember that fateful day, I ask my colleagues in the House of Representatives to join me in honoring their service. ____________________