[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 55 (Tuesday, April 27, 2004)]
[House]
[Pages H2384-H2385]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               RHODE ISLAND VETERANS POST OFFICE BUILDING

  Mr. CANNON. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 3942) to redesignate the facility of the United States 
Postal Service located at 7 Commercial Boulevard in Middletown, Rhode 
Island, as the ``Rhode Island Veterans Post Office Building''.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                               H.R. 3942

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. RHODE ISLAND VETERANS POST OFFICE BUILDING.

       (a) Redesignation.--The facility of the United States 
     Postal Service located at 7 Commercial Boulevard in 
     Middletown, Rhode Island, is hereby redesignated as the 
     ``Rhode Island Veterans 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 Rhode Island Veterans Post Office 
     Building.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Utah (Mr. Cannon) and the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis) each will 
control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Utah (Mr. Cannon).


                             General Leave

  Mr. CANNON. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may 
have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks 
and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Utah?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. CANNON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, as a member of the Committee on Government Reform, I 
rise in support of H.R. 3942. This legislation redesignates the U.S. 
Postal Service facility at 7 Commercial Boulevard in Middletown, Rhode 
Island, as the Rhode Island Veterans Post Office Building.
  Mr. Speaker, our Nation's Armed Forces are comprised of dedicated, 
skilled, and courageous individuals from all 50 States and every 
territory. Today, I am pleased to take time along with my colleagues to 
honor those who have served our Nation from the State of Rhode Island.
  According to the 2000 census data, over 102,000 veterans live in 
Rhode Island, comprising 13 percent of the adult population of the 
State. This post office designation in Middletown is intended as a 
tribute to those 102,000 Rhode Islanders.
  As we all know, U.S. military men and women remain engaged today in 
the war on terror in faraway places like Afghanistan and Iraq. Here at 
home we can never give too much back to our brave active duty personnel 
or our veterans to whom we owe our Nation's freedom. That is why I am 
pleased that the House is considering H.R. 3942 today. I ask all 
Members to support its swift passage.
  Mr. Speaker, I commend the gentleman from Rhode Island (Mr. Kennedy) 
for his work to honor our Nation's military service veterans from the 
great State of Rhode Island.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he might 
consume to the gentleman from Rhode Island (Mr. Kennedy), who is also 
the sponsor of this legislation.
  Mr. KENNEDY of Rhode Island. Mr. Speaker, I thank my good friend and 
colleague from Illinois (Mr. Davis) for allowing me this time. I also 
want to thank my colleague, the gentleman from Utah (Mr. Cannon), for 
also acknowledging me and recognizing this piece of legislation, and 
also my friend, the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Kennedy) from the 
other side of the aisle for being here as well.

                              {time}  1415

  As the gentleman from Utah (Mr. Cannon) mentioned, there are over 
100,000 veterans living in my State of Rhode Island; and we are proud 
to support a few veterans from World War I and almost 40,000 from World 
War II. Rhode Island has close to 30,000 from Vietnam and roughly 
20,000 from the Korean War. And more recently, Rhode Island is home to 
4,000 veterans from the Persian Gulf War. Just a few weeks ago, 300 
soldiers from Rhode Island's Military Police returned from Iraq.
  These men and women come from different backgrounds and they live in 
different cities and towns and many of them are still working and also 
many of them are retired. But the one thing that they have in common is 
they have fought for this country to preserve the freedom of our 
Nation. They have all put their lives on the line in the name of 
democracy, and if they were not standing post in the front lines, they 
signed up and they could well have been put on the front lines. So all 
veterans, whether serving stateside or overseas, deserve our 
recognition.
  Our Nation's veterans have answered the call to duty and have served 
our country in times of greatest need.
  During my time in Congress I have had the honor to meet with several 
of Rhode Island's veterans, and I discovered that every time I sit down 
with one of them, I hear another fascinating story. Like Ray's story, a 
World War II veteran living in Lincoln, Rhode Island. He was the only 
man from an 11-member crew to survive. He remembers falling from the 
plane and landing in his parachute in a group of trees on a snowy 
mountainside, but he does not remember anything after that. Next

[[Page H2385]]

thing he knew he was in a German prisoner of war camp.
  Sixty years later he comes back to Czechoslovakia to return to the 
place in Europe where he had been shot down. When he arrived not only 
was he welcomed by the mayor but he was given a key to the city, and 
all the local townsfolk held a big parade on his behalf, in addition to 
all wanting his autograph and wanting his picture.
  It was during this trip, 60 years later, that he learned how he 
survived. He learned from the villagers how they had found and taken 
him to a nearby facility for treatment. They discussed how they were 
going to hide him. At that point, the German authorities were already 
on their way and they were able to apprehend him.
  After 60 years someone from the town handed Ray the gloves that were 
on his hands 60 years before when he had parachuted to safety and then 
later on put in the prisoner of war camp.
  As we can imagine, there are many stories like this that are all too 
frequent for those who occupy the VFW posts and American Legions and 
all of those places where our veterans congregate.
  One of those places that all people congregate are the post offices, 
and that is why for millions of Americans who are not familiar in their 
daily lives with the sacrifices of our Nation's veterans, when they go 
into the post office, they are going to have to see once again that 
they owe everything in their lives to our Nation's veterans, and that 
is why I believe that our local post office back at home in Rhode 
Island is a perfect memorial to celebrate our veterans in Middletown 
and in Newport. Newport is one of the great homes of our Nation's Navy, 
and I know it will be appreciated by all of those who have served our 
country in uniform to be able to see that their post office is named 
for their fellow veterans.
  We have wonderful memorials here in Washington, D.C. and, thanks to 
this legislation, we are going to have a wonderful memorial in our own 
backyard.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me time, and I urge 
my colleagues to vote in favor of this legislation.
  Mr. CANNON. Mr. Speaker, I support the passage of H.R. 3942.
  Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back 
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 House Committee on Government Reform, 
I am pleased to join with my colleagues in consideration of H.R. 3942, 
legislation naming the postal facility in Middletown, Rhode Island, 
after Rhode Island veterans.
  This measure which was introduced by the gentleman from Rhode Island 
(Mr. Kennedy) on March 11, 2004, and unanimously reported by our 
committee on April 1, 2004, enjoys the support and co-sponsorship of 
the entire Rhode Island delegation.
  Beginning with World War I through the Persian Gulf War, veteran 
Rhode Islanders from the First Congressional District in Rhode Island 
have bravely defended this great Nation from the great World War II, 
the Korean War, Vietnam War, the Persian War. There are over 45,000 
veterans living in the First District. Statewide over 93,000 men and 
women have returned home to Rhode Island after serving in the military.
  Designating the post office in Middletown, Rhode Island is an 
excellent way to honor Rhode Island veterans for their service to our 
country and to remember the enormous sacrifice the soldiers and their 
families have made and continue to make.
  To the veterans of America, for your unselfish service and devotion 
to our country and your unwavering defense of our freedom, we thank 
you. I also want to commend the gentleman from Rhode Island (Mr. 
Kennedy) for introducing this legislation. I urge its swift passage.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Schrock). The question is on the motion 
offered by the gentleman from Utah (Mr. Cannon) that the House suspend 
the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 3942.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds of 
those present have voted in the affirmative.
  Mr. CANNON. 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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