Rep. Kaptur Secures Commitment to Help Protect Perry’s Victory Memorial
House Appropriations leaders agree: “Don’t Give up the Ship!”
WASHINGTON, D.C.— Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (D-OH) spoke out on the House floor today against possible consolidation and staffing reductions at Perry’s Victory and International Peace Memorial at Put-In-Bay, Ohio. Earlier this year Rep. Kaptur learned of an internal review process taking place within NPS that could potentially lead to the elimination of a full-time supervisor at the site. Kaptur spearheaded a joint letter to the National Park Service (NPS) with other members of the Ohio Congressional delegation to oppose any consolidation at Perry’s Memorial.
Rep. Kaptur’s floor statement:
I appreciate the Chairman and Ranking Member for working with me to include important language relative to the National Park Service.
Specifically, the report addresses a threat to a significant part of the history of the region I represent. The Battle of Lake Erie that paved the way for America’s expansion beyond 13 colonies, commemorated by Perry’s Victory and International Peace Memorial in Put-In-Bay, Ohio.
Perry’s Memorial is at the heart of coastal tourism in Ohio, attracting 130,000 visitors just last year, and more than double as many people reached through educational activities
Despite its popularity, this site has been unnecessarily targeted for consolidation.
The idea that resources, and more importantly, management of this popular site would shift to a non-contiguous, smaller installation in a different state is both concerning and frankly quite puzzling.
Reporting requirements included with the bill are there to ensure that Perry’s Memorial will continue operating as a stand-alone site.
I would also ask the Chairman to continue working with me to address this need moving forward—to ensure that this misguided consolidation plan is stopped.
In addition to her efforts to maintain staffing and service levels at Perry’s Memorial, Rep. Kaptur also helped secure federal support to repair the observation deck last year, ensuring the park would be fully accessible for Bicentennial commemoration events.
The phrase “Don’t Give Up the Ship” was popularized when Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry won the Battle of Lake Erie decisively while flying a bright blue banner displaying the phrase. The victorious ship was the USS Lawrence named for Captain James Lawrence to whom the quote is attributed. “Don’t Give Up the Ship” was regarded as the unofficial motto of the U.S. Navy for many years.
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