WHEREAS, The U.S.S. Oliver Hazard Perry is due to be decommissioned by the United States Navy in March 1997; and

WHEREAS, The 185th anniversary of Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry's crucial victory in the Battle of Lake Erie in the War of 1812 against England will be commemorated in 1998; and

WHEREAS, Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry was born in South Kingstown, Rhode Island, and descendants of his family still live in the area; and

WHEREAS, There is currently a highway in South Kingstown dedicated to Commodore Perry; and

WHEREAS, The bells of both the U.S.S. Chepachet and the U.S.S. Newport are now kept in their respective namesake towns here in Rhode Island, and to place the ship's bell from the Perry in South Kingstown (if not permanently, then during 1998) would be in keeping with this spirit and tradition; now therefore be it

RESOLVED, That this House of Representatives of the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations hereby memorializes the President and the Congress of the United States to recommend to the Secretary of the Navy that he approve the placing of the ship's bell of the U.S.S. Oliver Hazard Perry in South Kingstown, Rhode Island, and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and he hereby is authorized and directed to transmit a duly certified copy of this resolution to the President, the Rhode Island delegation in the Congress of the United States and the Secretary of the Navy.