The publication is reproduced in full below:
HONORING THE LIFE AND SERVICE OF NAVY FIREMAN FIRST CLASS PAUL E.
SAYLOR
______
HON. DIANA HARSHBARGER
of tennessee
in the house of representatives
Monday, August 23, 2021
Mrs. HARSHBARGER. Madam Speaker, I rise to recognize Navy Fireman First Class Paul E. Saylor, who, as a 21-year-old, was assigned to serve on the USS Oklahoma. The Oklahoma was moored at Ford Island in berth Fox 5 on Battleship Row of Pearl Harbor on the morning of Dec. 7, 1941, when it was attacked by Japanese aircraft. The ship sustained multiple torpedo hits, which caused it to quickly capsize and resulted in the death of 429 crewman, including Saylor. His remains were recovered, but not identified and accounted for until Nov. 24, 2020.
Saylor was born in 1920 in the First District of Tennessee in Bluff City to the Reverend Samuel and Mary Saylor. Reverend Saylor was a Free Will Baptist minister whose ministry took the family to both Unicoi and Carter Counties in Tennessee as well as Mitchell County, North Carolina before they settled in Johnson City, Tennessee. Paul was the third of four sons born to the Saylors.
Saylor's legacy included not only service to his country but his admirable character, as well. Letters that he wrote to his family during his year in the United States Navy revealed his intelligence, his strong work ethic, and his generous spirit.
Growing up the son of a Free Will Baptist minister during the Great Depression gave Paul a deeply personal understanding of the financial burden his family faced. Lower enlisted men received very little pay during the early 1940s however, Paul's letters indicated that he was sending money home to his parents showing a strong sense of responsibility. He also was driven to succeed as his writings revealed that he figured out early that if he studied hard and passed his exams he could be promoted. His time of service was just over a year, but he was quickly promoted to Fireman First Class.
Paul Saylor's remains were unidentified, like many others, until modem analysis revealed his identity, allowing him to be brought home for a proper burial on August 20, 2021. Although his life was tragically cut short, his memory will continue to live and generations to come will see his name recorded on the Walls of the Missing at the Punchbowl, along with the others who are missing from WWII. A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Madam Speaker, please join me in honoring Navy Fireman First Class Paul E. Saylor's legacy and ultimate sacrifice to our Nation. He represents the spirit and sacrifice that has made the First District of Tennessee as well as these United States, great.
____________________
SOURCE: Congressional Record Vol. 167, No. 149
The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
House Representatives' salaries are historically higher than the median US income.
Alerts Sign-up