[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 117 (Wednesday, September 27, 2000)]
[House]
[Pages H8278-H8279]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
LANCE CORPORAL HAROLD GOMEZ POST OFFICE
Mr. McHUGH. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
Senate bill (S. 1295) to designate the United States Post Office
located at 3813 Main Street in East Chicago, Indiana, as the ``Lance
Corporal Harold Gomez Post Office.''
The Clerk read as follows:
S. 1295
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. DESIGNATION OF LANCE CORPORAL HAROLD GOMEZ POST
OFFICE.
The United States Post Office located at 3813 Main Street
in East Chicago, Indiana, shall be known and designated as
the ``Lance Corporal Harold Gomez Post Office''.
SEC. 2. REFERENCES.
Any reference in a law, map, regulation, document, paper,
or other record of the United States to the post office
referred to in section 1 shall be deemed to be a reference to
the ``Lance Corporal Harold Gomez Post Office''.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New
York (Mr. McHugh) and the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Fattah) each
will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New York (Mr. McHugh).
General Leave
Mr. McHUGH. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may
have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks
on S. 1295.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from New York?
There was no objection.
Mr. McHUGH. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, we have before us S. 1295 introduced by the
distinguished senator from Indiana, Senator Lugar, on June 6, 1999. The
legislation passed the Senate on November 19, 1999 and was received in
the House soon thereafter.
Mr. Speaker, the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Visclosky) introduced
identical legislation, H.R. 2358, on June 24 of 1999 and, pursuant to
the policy on the Committee on Government Reform, the entire House
delegation of the State of Indiana cosponsored H.R. 2358, and the
committee passed the bill.
Both of these bills has been noted to designate the United States
Post Office located at 3813 Main Street in East Chicago, Indiana as the
Lance Corporal Harold Gomez Post Office.
Mr. Speaker, we have had the opportunity and, indeed, the honor to do
a number of these bills in this session as in previous years, and it is
always truly a pleasure. I want to begin by extending my compliments
both to Senator Lugar and to the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Visclosky)
for their efforts in bringing this worthy nominee to our attention.
One of the true joys of having the opportunity to handle these kinds
of proposals, Mr. Speaker, is that it provides us with the opportunity
to honor the widest possible range of United States citizens and to, in
that fashion, recognize their achievements, and they are the kinds of
achievements that really do span the entire horizon of contributions to
country, contributions to community, and all worthy points in between.
Mr. Speaker, today, we have in Corporal Gomez just such an example.
The corporal was a fire team leader in a rifle company of the Third
Marine Division when in 1967, he was killed by a land mine explosion in
South Vietnam. He was the first citizen from Northwest Indiana to die
of casualties in that war.
Corporal Gomez received numerous awards, including the Purple Heart,
the Combat Action Ribbon, the Presidential Unit Citation, the National
Defense Service Medal, the Vietnam Service Medal, RVN, Military Merit
Medal, RVN Gallantry Cross Medal, the Vietnam Campaign Medal and the
Rifle Sharp Shooters Badge.
Corporal Gomez was posthumously awarded the Silver Star Medal for his
courageous leadership and heroism. As these medals so eloquently
attest, Mr. Speaker, Corporal Gomez was truly a hero.
He was a man who put the needs and the safety of his troops, of his
fellow servicepeople before himself; and through him, we have again
underscored the history of this Nation, a Nation founded upon the
principle that in the pursuit of life and liberty and happiness, there
is no cost too great, no price too high, that citizens like Corporal
Gomez are willingly to extend it, even when that means the loss of
their life. That kind of lesson can never be restated too often, I
would suggest respectfully, Mr. Speaker.
Certainly, his heroism, his example was felt far and wide. And in his
hometown, I think it is important to note that after his death, Central
High School in East Chicago, the place from which Corporal Gomez had
graduated, named and dedicated the library to him and the American GI
Forum of the United States chartered the Harold Gomez Chapters in East
Chicago.
I am proud, Mr. Speaker, to join with Senator Lugar, the gentleman
from Indiana (Mr. Visclosky), with the entire House delegation from
that great State, and in working with, as always, the minority on the
Subcommittee on Postal Service, particularly the gentleman from
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (Mr. Fattah), the ranking member, in
ensuring that these kinds of worthy initiatives are brought quickly to
this floor.
Mr. Speaker, just one final word of urging that all of our colleagues
join us in supporting of this bill.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. FATTAH. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, let me thank the gentleman from New York (Mr. McHugh),
the chairman of our Subcommittee on Postal Service, for his efforts in
helping us bring to the floor this very important legislation.
Mr. Speaker, I want to make a note, even though we act today on a
Senate bill, it was the House bill of the gentleman from Indiana (Mr.
Visclosky) that was introduced, as the gentleman from New York
(Chairman McHugh) has indicated, first and in cooperation with
obviously the entire congressional delegation, we now move this Senate
bill. I want to commend the gentleman from Indiana for introducing this
bill decades after the death of this young man in service to his
country.
The gentleman, my good friend, took it upon himself to introduce this
legislation to acknowledge the sacrifice of Mr. Gomez and his family on
behalf of a grateful Nation.
Mr. Speaker, I yield as much time as he may consume to the gentleman
from Indiana (Mr. Visclosky), my good friend.
Mr. VISCLOSKY. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Pennsylvania
(Mr. Fattah) for yielding the time to me.
Mr. Speaker, I do rise today to urge my colleagues to support S.
1295, a bill that was sponsored in the United States Senate by Senator
Lugar, a bill to rename the Harbor Branch Post Office at 3813 Main
Street in East Chicago in honor of a true hero, Lance Corporal Harold
Gomez.
I did have the privilege of introducing the House version of this
measure, as the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Fattah) mentioned,
H.R. 2358 and would like to thank each of my colleagues from the State
of Indiana, Republican and Democrat alike, for their complete
bipartisan support of the measure.
Mr. Speaker, I would also like to give special thanks to the
gentleman from Indiana (Chairman Burton), chairman of the Committee on
Government Reform, for all of his assistance in bringing this bill to
the floor and would like to thank the gentleman from New York (Chairman
McHugh) and the ranking member, the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr.
Fattah), for all of
[[Page H8279]]
their diligent service in ensuring that this legislation would be
heard.
Mr. Speaker, as the first resident of East Chicago, Indiana to be
killed while in service to his country during the Vietnam war, Corporal
Gomez is a hero and his community would like to honor him in this
special way.
The gentleman from New York has already reiterated on the House floor
the numerous awards and battle ribbons that the corporal has received
and though Harold Gomez' life was tragically cut short, he touched many
lives and was admired by both friends and colleagues alike.
Mr. Speaker, I am deeply honored to offer this legislation to honor a
true hero of Northwest Indiana. Corporal Gomez distinguished himself in
combat and is a source of inspiration to both the residents of East
Chicago and the rest of our Nation.
He is worthy of the recognition. On behalf of all of the citizens of
Northwest Indiana, particularly our young people and our veterans, I am
proud to support this legislation to name the East Chicago Post Office
in honor of Corporal Harold Gomez and do ask my colleagues to support
it.
Mr. FATTAH. Mr. Speaker, let me say in conclusion, because we have no
further speakers on our side, that I thank the gentleman from New York
(Chairman McHugh) and I would hope that the naming of this post office,
even though it is in East Chicago, Indiana, in some symbolic way
represents our appreciation for so many young men who gave their lives
in service to this country in the conflict that we now refer to as the
Vietnam War.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. McHUGH. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time but let me just
state for the Record what many of us understand, but I think it is an
important note, that was very legitimately raised by the gentleman from
Indiana (Mr. Visclosky) who has worked tirelessly on this beginning in
1998, the adoption of the Senate bill today is merely a parliamentary
procedure that in no way reflects his lack of concern and, indeed, I
would suggest that without his hard work and without his ensuring that
indeed the Committee on Government Reform has considered his bill and,
to my recollection, unanimously endorsed it, we may not be here today.
So I want to pay a final compliment to him and to his diligence and a
word of thanks again for his bringing to us a very worthy individual.
With that, Mr. Speaker, I urge all of our colleagues to join us in
support of this initiative.
Mr. ROMERO-BARCELO. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to speak in support of
H.R. 2358, a bill to honor Lance Corporal Harold Gomez, a hero of the
Vietnam War. My colleague, Pete Visclosky, has introduced the bill to
name the East Chicago, Indiana, Post Office for this young hero, the
first resident of East Chicago to be killed during the Vietnam War. It
is appropriate to recognize Corporal Gomez' bravery and gallantly in
battle.
Corporal Gomez was born in East Chicago in 1946 and perished in
action on February 21, 1967, at the young age of 21. His adventuresome
spirit and love for America led him to volunteer in the Marine Corps.
He was sent to Vietnam in 1966, where he became a fire team leader in a
rifle company of the Third Marine Corps. In the brief one year period
he fought in Vietnam, he received numerous military awards, including
the Purple Heart Medal, Combat Action Ribbon, Presidential Unit
Citation, National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Campaign Medal and
the Rifle Sharpshooters Badge. Posthumously, he was awarded the Silver
Star Medal for valiant leadership and bravery during the battle that
took his life.
This young man of Hispanic (Mexican) heritage of the East Chicago
neighborhood represents the best of what it means to be an American.
His heroism is a proud symbol of his love for his country and his
willingness to defend American democratic principles at the expense of
his own life.
His spirit lives on and today we have the opportunity to honor this
young hero, whose audacity and fighting spirit will shine as an example
for his fellow citizens in the East Chicago, Indiana, neighborhood.
In addition, I think it is important to note that Corporal Gomez is
only survived by his mother. She stands as a symbol of the thousands of
parents who share in the ultimate sacrifice of losing their only son.
Nobody can prepare another for battle, however, it is clear that
parents such as Mrs. Gomez ingrained the desire for liberty, courage
and selflessness that was so exemplary in their sons. Of such Americans
is our country made of.
Mr. McHUGH. Mr. Speaker, I y8ield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from New York (Mr. McHugh) that the House suspend the rules
and pass the Senate bill, S. 1295.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor
thereof) the rules were suspended and the Senate bill was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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