Bethlehem Steel Foundation Makes Initial Payment On A $100,000 Grant To The National World War II Memorial.
Bethlehem Steel Corporation
For Immediate Release
BETHLEHEM, Pa, June 9, 2000 -- Bethlehem Steel Corporation announced today that the Bethlehem Steel Foundation has made an initial payment of $25,000 as part of a total $100,000 grant in support of the National World War II Memorial being developed in Washington, D.C.
In announcing the grant, Duane R. Dunham, Bethlehem Steel Corporation's chairman, president and chief executive officer said "Bethlehem is proud to honor the 16 million Americans who were in uniform during World War II, nearly 90,000 of which were Bethlehem Steel employees, who fought from the beaches of Normandy to the jungles of Guadalcanal against tyranny and aggression to preserve our way of life."
"This grant also recognizes the efforts of the nearly 300,000 Bethlehem employees, at peak employment, including 25,000 women, who stayed at home and contributed to victory on the homefront by keeping Bethlehem facilities operating at full production."
Senator Bob Dole, national chairman of the memorial campaign, observed that "Few corporations can be as proud of their World War II heritage as Bethlehem Steel. The company's employees literally helped build the world's arsenal of democracy, and now the Foundation has demonstrated that same spirit by helping build the national memorial tribute to America's World War II generation."
Bethlehem Steel Corporation and its employees played a leading role in the successful allied war effort. Perhaps there is no better example of this than the company's shipbuilding program. During World War II, Bethlehem carried out the greatest combined naval and merchant shipbuilding program in history. Already this country's leading producer of heavy ordnance and armor plate, by war's end, Bethlehem had become the world's largest private shipbuilder.
All told, Bethlehem's shipyards churned out a staggering total of 1,121 ships during the conflict. That total included an all time record of "a ship a day" in 1943 alone, when the company delivered 380 ships. As part of the wartime shipbuilding program, Bethlehem produced 19 different classes of ships including every type of fleet, cargo, and troop carrying unit except submarines. Bethlehem's ship repair yards also repaired or converted an additional 30,000 ships. Notable among this array of ships were the battleship USS Massachusetts, five Essex Class aircraft carriers including the USS Lexington and USS Wasp and 384 of the famous "Liberty Ships," so ubiquitous during the conflict.
Bethlehem also produced a wide range of steel products for the allied war effort including tank and ship forgings, aircraft engine cylinder sleeves, bombs, projectiles, armor plate, and ordnance including America's largest ever naval gun -- the 16" gun of the Iowa Class battleships. Not just a producer of wartime matériel, Bethlehem employees also served this country with distinction during the conflict, winning every major decoration including the Congressional Medal of Honor.
"It is fitting that the Bethlehem Steel Foundation is making this grant considering Bethlehem's extraordinary war efforts and the company's historic commitment to National Defense throughout its history," Mr. Dunham said. He added "A memorial to this group of ordinary Americans who became extraordinary heroes is long overdue. The Bethlehem Steel Foundation is honored to support the National World War II Memorial."