| 41 | | - | WHEREAS, United States Navy ships have traditionally been named by the Secretary of the Navy, under the direction of the President of the United States and in accordance with rules prescribed by Congress; and WHEREAS, multiple members of Congress, including Representative Ed Case of Hawaii and Representative Sara Jacobs of California, signed a letter authored by Jacobs and dated May 26, 2021, to the Acting Secretary of the Navy in strong support of naming a Navy surface combatant ship after United States Navy Fireman Second Class Telesforo Trinidad, who received the Congressional Medal of Honor in 1915; and WHEREAS, the May 26, 2021, letter cited numerous reasons for the request, including the following: (1) The Medal of Honor highlights the importance of service and sacrifice for shipmates and country both in times of war and in day-to-day operations; (2) Trinidad was awarded the Medal of Honor in accordance with General Order Number 142, which was signed by Secretary of the Navy Josephus Daniels on April 1, 1915; (3) Trinidad earned the Medal of Honor for showing extraordinary heroism in the line of duty in response to boiler explosions aboard the USS San Diego (ACR-6) that occurred when the ship was in the Gulf of California on January 21, 1915; more specifically, Trinidad brought two crewmembers to safety despite being physically injured by the explosions; (4) One hundred and six years later, Trinidad continues to hold the distinction of being the only Asian American and only Filipino American in the United States Navy to have received a Medal of Honor; (5) The naming of a Navy ship in honor of Trinidad would demonstrate the Navy's leadership and commitment to diversity, equality, and inclusion amid current racial tensions and unwarranted violence against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders nationwide, and would also mark the seventy-fifth anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the United States and the Republic of the Philippines and the seventieth anniversary of the Mutual Defense Treaty between the two countries; and (6) The naming of a Navy ship after Trinidad would also honor the faithful and loyal service, since 1901, of tens of thousands of Filipinos and Filipino Americans in the United States Navy; would result in the first-ever Navy ship bearing the name of an American national of Filipino descent; and would evidence the long-standing military and political alliance that has existed between the United States and the Philippines since 1898; now, therefore, BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Thirty-first Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2022, that this body supports the naming of a United States Navy surface combatant ship after Fireman Second Class and Congressional Medal of Honor recipient Telesforo Trinidad; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Secretary of the United States Navy and members of the Hawaii congressional delegation. Report Title: United States Navy Ship; Naming; Asian Americans; Filipino Americans; Telesforo Trinidad |
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| 41 | + | WHEREAS, United States Navy ships have traditionally been named by the Secretary of the Navy, under the direction of the President of the United States and in accordance with rules prescribed by Congress; and WHEREAS, multiple members of Congress, including Representative Ed Case of Hawaii and Representative Sara Jacobs of California, signed a letter authored by Jacobs and dated May 26, 2021, to the Acting Secretary of the Navy in strong support of naming a Navy surface combatant ship after United States Navy Fireman Second Class Telesforo Trinidad, who received the Congressional Medal of Honor in 1915; and WHEREAS, the May 26, 2021, letter cited numerous reasons for the request, including the following: (1) The Medal of Honor highlights the importance of service and sacrifice for shipmates and country both in times of war and in day-to-day operations; and (2) Trinidad was awarded the Medal of Honor in accordance with General Order Number 142, which was signed by Secretary of the Navy Josephus Daniels on April 1, 1915; and (3) Trinidad earned the Medal of Honor for showing extraordinary heroism in the line of duty in response to boiler explosions aboard the USS San Diego (ACR-6) that occurred when the ship was in the Gulf of California on January 21, 1915; more specifically, Trinidad brought two crewmembers to safety despite being physically injured by the explosions; and (4) One hundred and six years later, Trinidad continues to hold the distinction of being the only Asian American and only Filipino American in the United States Navy to have received a Medal of Honor; and (5) The naming of a Navy ship in honor of Trinidad would demonstrate the Navy's leadership and commitment to diversity, equality, and inclusion amid current racial tensions and unwarranted violence against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders nationwide, and would also mark the seventy-fifth anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the United States and the Republic of the Philippines and the seventieth anniversary of the Mutual Defense Treaty between the two countries; and (6) The naming of a Navy ship after Trinidad would also honor the faithful and loyal service, since 1901, of tens of thousands of Filipinos and Filipino Americans in the United States Navy; would result in the first-ever Navy ship bearing the name of an American national of Filipino descent; and would evidence the long-standing military and political alliance that has existed between the United States and the Philippines since 1898; now, therefore, BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Thirty-first Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2022, that this body supports the naming of a United States Navy surface combatant ship after Fireman Second Class and Congressional Medal of Honor recipient Telesforo Trinidad; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Secretary of the United States Navy and members of Hawaii's congressional delegation. OFFERED BY: _____________________________ Report Title: United States Navy Ship; Naming; Asian Americans; Filipino Americans; Telesforo Trinidad |
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