November 20, 2025
Ms. Kaptur (for herself and Mr. Latta) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Armed Services
To express the sense of Congress regarding the naming of a naval vessel for Rear Admiral Alene Duerk, and for other purposes.
Section 1. Short title
This Act may be cited as the Rear Admiral Alene Duerk Ship Renaming Act of 2025
.
Sec. 2. Sense of Congress regarding naming of naval vessel for Rear Admiral Alene Duerk
(a) Sense of Congress
It is the sense of Congress that the Secretary of the Navy should name a vessel of the United States Navy the U.S.S. Rear Admiral Alene Duerk
in honor of Rear Admiral Alene Duerk, for the acts of valor described in subsection (b).
(b) Acts of valor described
The acts of valor described in this subsection are the actions of Alene Duerk, as a member of the United States Navy, as follows:
(1)
Following Rear Admiral Duerk’s birth in Defiance, Ohio and graduation from Toledo Hospital School of Nursing, she received a commission on January 23, 1943, and was appointed as an ensign in the Nurse Corps of the U.S. Naval Reserve.
(2)
During World War II, she was assigned as a Ward Nurse at the Naval Medical Center Portsmouth, Portsmouth, Virginia, and at the Naval Hospital, Bethesda Maryland where she cared for wounded members of the United States Armed Forces. In 1945, she was stationed on the USS Benevolence in the Pacific Theater (AH–13) where she treated casualties from Third Fleet operations until the end of the war.
(3)
After the war, she progressed in rank and served in positions of increasing responsibility in both the Navy Reserves and Active Duty including posts in Michigan, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Illinois, the Philippines, Japan, California, and Washington, DC. Her dedication and inspirational service culminated with her historic selection for the rank of Rear Admiral on April 16, 1972, as the first woman to become a flag officer.
(4)
Rear Admiral Duerk was awarded the Naval Reserve Medal, American Campaign Medal, the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with Bronze Star, the World War II Victory Medal, the Navy Occupation Service Medal, Asia Clasp, and the National Defense Service Medal with Bronze Star.