 |
Back to Archives - Committee Hearings Index |
| Committee Hearings Date: Wednesday, January 29, 2003 | |
| View Video Coverage | |
| About the Debate: | |
| The Senate Agriculture, General Legislation and Veterans Affairs Committee heard testimony from the "First Shot Naval Vets Club. These World War II veterans served aboard the USS Ward, where they fired at an unknown submarine at 6:45 a.m. on December 7, 1941, which was before the Japanese torpedo bombers attatched the U.S. Pacific Fleet anchored at Pearl Harbor. This act, makes the USS Ward's crew the first to fire shots in World War II. 82 of the 100 crew on the USS Ward at the time, were from St. Paul, Minnesota. It wasn't until August 28, 2002 that the wreckage of the Japanese submarine was found and confirmed. Senator Steve Murphy, chairman of the committe, read a Senate resolution in honor of these men who served our country. |