Recognizing Mickey Ganitch
Floor Speech
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Mr. SWALWELL of California. Madam Speaker, I rise to recognize Mickey Ganitch, World War II (WWII) Navy veteran and survivor of the attack on Pearl Harbor, who celebrated his 100th birthday on November 18, 2019.
Mr. Ganitch proudly refers to his younger self as, ``just a country boy from Ohio.'' He was born into a large family and had 13 brothers and sisters. As a young man, Mr. Ganitch's curiosity resulted in a close following of world events and he began to see the deterioration of the situations in Europe and Asia. His concern about the human condition drove him to join the Navy in January 1941, less than 11 months before the Pearl Harbor attack.
When December 6, 1941 arrived, Mr. Ganitch was going about his business on the USS Pennsylvania in a football jersey. He was on the ship's team and was supposed to play a game against those serving on the USS Arizona that day. Shortly before a practice, the ship's phone rang, alerting the crew of an incoming attack. With rounds bombarding the ship and its crew, Mr. Ganitch climbed the main mast to the crow's nest. From there he was able to alert the gunners below of further incoming enemies, allowing them to bring them down and saving the lives of those on the decks beneath him.
While his experience in Pearl Harbor was certainly a defining moment in his life, Mr. Ganitch continued to serve throughout WWII and the Korean War. He was later assigned to a recruitment post in Oakland, California, right back where his military career began, before retiring as a Senior Chief Quartermaster on October 10, 1963.
Mr. Ganitch is a fixture in our community. He is immediately recognizable by his vivid and extensive wardrobe of Hawaiian shirts and larger-than-life smile. He was also known for how well he ``cut a rug'' during the musical numbers at every Veterans Day event. Even today, Mr. Ganitch devotes his time to volunteering with veterans' organizations in the Bay Area and educating school children about the war in an effort to never let the events at Pearl Harbor be forgotten.
I thank Mr. Ganitch for his selfless service to our country. I hope to continue learning from his example of a century-long life well- lived.
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