August 6, 2019 - Issue: Vol. 165, No. 133 — Daily Edition116th Congress (2019 - 2020) - 1st Session

[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1040]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





  CELEBRATING THE 75TH ANNIVERSARY OF FORT ONTARIO EMERGENCY REFUGEE 
                                SHELTER

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. JOHN KATKO

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, August 6, 2019

  Mr. KATKO. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 75th 
anniversary of the Fort Ontario Emergency Refugee Shelter located in 
Oswego, New York. Fort Ontario holds historical significance as the 
only shelter for European Holocaust victims in the United States during 
World War II. At the time, the Fort was America's first exposure to the 
damaging extent of the Holocaust and today serves as an important 
reminder of our nation's responsibility to defend the freedoms and 
rights of all individuals.
  On July 17, 1944, 982 European refugees from 18 different countries 
boarded the USNS Henry Gibbons in Naples, Italy to cross the Atlantic 
Ocean as they fled Nazi persecution. The refugees arrived at the Fort 
Ontario Emergency Refugee Shelter on August 5 following the 19-day 
journey, which marked the beginning of their ten month stay at the 
fort.
  Fort Ontario, which was also known as Safe Haven, shielded the 
refugees from violent persecution and tyranny in Europe. The shelter 
was closed in June 1945 and many refugees became American citizens, 
while some returned to Europe. Although it was open for less than a 
year, the Fort Ontario Emergency Refugee Shelter played a critical role 
in saving the lives of the 982 refugees who resided in the fort.
  Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues in the House to join me in 
celebrating Fort Ontario Emergency Refugee Shelter's 75th anniversary. 
Since serving as a shelter for European refugees, Fort Ontario has been 
recognized as a significant site by the U.S. National Register of 
Historic Places. Thousands of visitors travel to Fort Ontario each 
year, and they are reminded of the Holocaust victims who took refuge 
there and America's role in protecting these vulnerable individuals.

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