Mr. President, I rise today in tribute to the men and women who participated in a little known covert operation in World War II—Operation Ivory Soap. During World War II, "island hopping" was a critical element in the U.S. Pacific strategy. The idea was to capture Japanese-held islands of tactical or strategic importance and bypass any far-flung or inconsequential bases. Once an island was taken, it was used as a forward airfield for aircraft returning from long-range missions where they were repaired, rearmed, and made ready for the next vital mission.
General Henry H. "Hap" Arnold, commander of the Army Air Forces, recognized the need for forward-based, mobile air depots to support American bombers and fighters in the Pacific war. General Arnold and a panel of military officers determined the need for converting naval repair ships into hybrid aircraft depot ships. Eventually, six 440-foot-long Liberty ships and 18 smaller 180-foot- long auxiliary vessels would be modified into Aircraft Repair Units, carrying 344 men, and Aircraft Maintenance Units, manned by 48 troops. Everything from the smallest aircraft parts to complete fighter wings was carried on these ships. The repair and maintenance facilities were manned 24- hours a day and the Liberty ships included platforms to land the "new" helicopter for quick ship-to-shore repair transport.
The Army Air Force crews that manned these ships had to be trained to understand the nautical aspect of life at sea. Colonel Matthew Thompson of the Army Air Force was given the mission to turn airmen into seamen. Called back from Anzio in Italy, the colonel had less than two weeks to organize the training program.
The Grand Hotel in Point Clear, Alabama, was the focal point for "Operation Ivory Soap" training. Colonel Thompson contacted the then owner, Mr. Strat White-Spunner, regarding the use of the hotel as his base of operations where he intended to instill basic seamanship, marine, and aquatic training in the Army officers and men of the aircraft repair and maintenance units. As a donation to the war effort, Mr. Roberts turned the Grand Hotel and its facilities over to the U.S. Army Air Force to be used as its Maritime Training School. Operation Ivory Soap training began on July 10, 1944.
Using the Grand Hotel, officers and men moved in and began living in "Navy style." All personnel referred to the floors as decks, kept time by a ship's bell and indulged in the use of tobacco only when the "smoking lamp" was lit. The courses included swimming, special calisthenics, marching, drill, navigation, ship identification, signaling, cargo handling, ship orientation, sail making, amphibious operations, and more. Two men from each ship were also trained to be underwater divers. During a five-month period, the school turned out 5,000 highly trained Air Force seamen. When they and their ships went to war, so did Colonel Thompson. The men of the operation participated in the landings in the Philippines, Guam, Tinian, Saipan, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa. Fighter aircraft and B-29s taking off from these bases flew continuous missions over Japan. Many lives, as well as aircraft, were saved because of the men of the aircraft repair and maintenance units.
Perhaps the greatest tribute I can make to the exploits of these sea-going airmen is to paraphrase the Merchant Marines who worked with them and who praised them as "equal to any sea-going combatants they had ever served with." This is a testament to their skill and professionalism and the ability of this nation to adjust its resources to defeat the enemy. The Grand Hotel still stands elegantly on the banks of the Mobile Bay. A hotel whose rich southern history embodies the best traditions of this country.
