[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 177 (Wednesday, December 19, 2001)]
[House]
[Pages H10364-H10365]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
MAJOR LYN McINTOSH POST OFFICE BUILDING
Mrs. JO ANN DAVIS of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the
rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1432) to designate the facility of the
United States Postal Service located at 3698 Inner Perimeter Road in
Valdosta, Georgia, as the ``Major Lyn McIntosh Post Office Building''.
The Clerk read as follows:
H.R. 1432
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. MAJOR LYN MCINTOSH POST OFFICE BUILDING.
(a) Designation.--The facility of the United States Postal
Service located at 3698 Inner Perimeter Road in Valdosta,
Georgia, shall be known and designated as the ``Major Lyn
McIntosh Post Office Building''.
(b) References.--Any reference in a law, map, regulation,
document, paper, or other record of the United States to the
facility referred to in subsection (a) shall be deemed to be
a reference to the Major Lyn McIntosh Post Office Building.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from
Virginia (Mrs. Jo Ann Davis) and the gentleman from Illinois (Mr.
Davis) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Virginia (Mrs. Jo Ann
Davis).
General Leave
Mrs. JO ANN DAVIS of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent
that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and
extend their remarks on H.R. 1432.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentlewoman from Virginia?
There was no objection.
Mrs. JO ANN DAVIS of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time
as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, H.R. 1432 would designate the post office located at
3698 Inner Perimeter Road in Valdosta, Georgia, as the Major Lyn
McIntosh Post Office Building.
Lyn Davis McIntosh was born in Valdosta, Georgia, on October 11,
1946. He went to school in Valdosta, graduating from Valdosta State
College in 1968. He taught mathematics at Valdosta Junior High School.
He enlisted in the Air Force and served overseas in Thailand. After
returning to the United States, he was stationed at Travis Air Force
Base, California, serving as a National Security Officer.
Major McIntosh returned to flying, joining the 8th Special Operations
Squadron as an aircraft commander in 1979. On November 4, 1979,
Iranians seized the U.S. Embassy in Tehran, taking 66 Americans
hostage. Major McIntosh volunteered for the rescue mission. This
extremely dangerous and complex rescue attempt ended in disaster in an
Iranian desert on April 25, 1980. Major McIntosh was among those who
lost their lives during this rescue mission.
In 1969, Major McIntosh married Ann Dixon and they had three sons,
Scott, Mark and Stewart. Ann Dixon passed away on February 17, 2001.
This bill is a fitting tribute to this American patriot. I commend
the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Bishop) and the other members of the
Georgia delegation for sponsoring this bill.
Mr. Speaker, I urge adoption of this bill.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, as a member of the Committee on Government Reform, I am
pleased to join my colleague in the House consideration of H.R. 1432,
which names a Post Office in Valdosta, Georgia, after Major Lyn
McIntosh. H.R. 1432 was introduced by my good and colleague, the
gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Bishop) on April 4, 2001. This bill, which
meets the committee policy, is cosponsored by the entire Georgia
delegation.
{time} 1045
I commend the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Bishop) for seeking to
honor Major McIntosh.
Major McIntosh grew up in Valdosta and received his education in his
hometown. He enlisted in the United States Air Force and completed his
pilot training. As a member of the Eighth Special Operations Squadron,
he commanded an MC-130 aircraft. He later volunteered for a rescue
mission to recover the hostages seized in Iran at the U.S. embassy in
Tehran, Iran, in 1979. Sadly and unfortunately, he was killed on a
ground aircraft collision on April 25, 1979. Here is another example of
an individual who was willing to give all that he had for his country;
and I think it is certainly fitting, proper and appropriate that we
honor him by naming a post office for him. I urge my colleagues to vote
in the affirmative for the passage of this resolution.
Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman
from Georgia (Mr. Bishop), the author of this legislation.
Mr. BISHOP. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this
time. I thank the committee for the hard work on both sides that have
been done to bring this bill to the floor. It is a very, very important
and emotional piece of legislation for the people of south Georgia.
If one visits the city of Valdosta in deep central south Georgia and
happens to be on the corner of North Ashley Street and Woodrow Wilson
Drive, one will see a memorial that includes an F-86 fighter plane and
a plaque commemorating the life of Major Lyn David McIntosh.
Lyn McIntosh was an extraordinary American.
He was raised in Valdosta; and he attended the public schools there,
where he was involved in football and tennis, drama and student
government, and as sports editor of the school paper. He graduated from
Valdosta State College; and for a while, he taught math at Valdosta
Junior High School. Later, he would earn a master's degree from the
University of California.
Moody Air Force Base is located in Valdosta, and this outstanding
young man decided that military service is what he wanted to do with
his life. In 1969, two big things happened: he was married to Ann Dixon
of Valdosta, and he joined the Air Force. In the years that followed,
he became the father of three sons; and he served as an Air Force pilot
and a commander throughout much of the world, and he earned a long list
of commendations, including the Air Force Commendation Medal
[[Page H10365]]
with two Oak Leaf Clusters. He flew with the Eighth Special Operations
Squadron as an MC-130 aircraft commander in June of 1979.
As my colleagues know, on November 4, 1979, the Iranians seized the
United States Embassy in Tehran, taking 66 Americans hostage. An
extremely complex rescue mission was formed and Lyn volunteered for the
mission. The rescue attempt began April 24, 1980; and it ended in a
disaster in an Iranian desert on April 25. Lyn was among those who lost
their lives in an on-the-ground aircraft collision. Unfortunately, this
mission was aborted; and Lyn, unfortunately, was among those who died
in this very, very tragic accident.
But today, we are here, grateful for Lyn's service to his country,
grateful for his commitment, and we want to say ``thank you'' to his
family; we want to say ``thank you'' in the way that Americans will
always do for eternal gratitude for those who give that last full
measure of devotion for our country.
Today, I would like to urge my colleagues to pass H.R. 1432, a bill
to name the United States Post Office on the Inner Perimeter Road in
Valdosta, Georgia, as the Major Lyn McIntosh Building in memory of a
brave American. Lyn was indeed a great American. Greater love hath no
man but that he lay down his life for his friends. Lyn was a friend to
all Americans. He gave himself for those 66 hostages; and for that, we
will be forever grateful.
Mr. Speaker, I urge passage of this resolution as a memorial to Lyn
and his family and to all those who knew and all Americans who
benefited from his service to our great country.
Mrs. JO ANN DAVIS of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of
my time.
Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for
time, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Mrs. JO ANN DAVIS of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 1
minute to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Kingston), my distinguished
colleague.
Mr. KINGSTON. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding me
time.
I wanted to say that the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Bishop), my good
friend, has introduced a very timely resolution for a great American
patriot. As somebody who will be representing Valdosta, Georgia, or
part of Valdosta, Georgia, I look forward to participating in this. I
do not know the McIntosh family personally, as does the gentleman from
Georgia (Mr. Bishop), but if one looks at the history of the United
States of America in the last 10 or 15 years, it is clear that Mr.
McIntosh has been a part of that history and has served his country
well. During that very trying period in 1979 when Americans faced the
ignominious situation in Iran, for somebody to step forward and
volunteer on a rescue mission I think speaks volumes of his patriotism,
love, and devotion for our country.
I look forward to supporting my colleague on this and working with
him and the folks in the Senate to get this thing passed. I also look
forward to getting to know the McIntosh family. I thank the gentleman
from Georgia for introducing this piece of legislation.
Mrs. JO ANN DAVIS of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, having no other speakers,
I urge all of my colleagues to join me in supporting the passage of
H.R. 1432.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Isakson). The question is on the motion
offered by the gentlewoman from Virginia (Mrs. Jo Ann Davis) that the
House suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 1432.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds of
those present have voted in the affirmative.
Mrs. JO ANN DAVIS of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas
and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be
postponed.
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