[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 125 (Wednesday, October 6, 2004)]
[House]
[Pages H8271-H8272]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

[[Page H8271]]

House of Representatives

       LIEUTENANT GENERAL JAMES V. EDMUNDSON POST OFFICE BUILDING

  Mr. DUNCAN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 4847) to designate the facility of the United States Postal 
Service located at 560 Bay Isles Road in Longboat Key, Florida, as the 
``Lieutenant General James V. Edmundson Post Office Building''.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                               H.R. 4847

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

     SECTION 1. LIEUTENANT GENERAL JAMES V. EDMUNDSON POST OFFICE 
                   BUILDING.

       (a) Designation.--The facility of the United States Postal 
     Service located at 560 Bay Isles Road in Longboat Key, 
     Florida, shall be known and designated as the ``Lieutenant 
     General James V. Edmundson 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 Lieutenant General James V. Edmundson Post 
     Office Building.

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


                             General Leave

  Mr. DUNCAN. 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 H.R. 4847, the bill under 
consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Tennessee?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. DUNCAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 4847, a bill that 
designates the facility of the U.S. Postal Service located at 560 Bay 
Isles Road, in Longboat Key, Florida, as the Lieutenant General James 
V. Edmundson Post Office Building.

                              {time}  1730

  All Members of the Florida congressional delegation have cosponsored 
this legislation, and I am pleased to join with them today in urging 
the passage of this bill.
  Lieutenant General James Valentine Edmundson was an American hero and 
veteran of World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. General 
Edmundson flew more than 10,000 hours, including 107 combat missions 
during World War II. In 1973, after 35 years of highly distinguished 
service in the United States Air Force, General Edmundson retired as 
Deputy Commander in Chief of the U.S. Readiness Command at MacDill Air 
Force Base, Florida. General Edmundson's incredible list of 
distinctions includes the Army Distinguished Service Medal, the Air 
Force Distinguished Service Medal, the Silver Star, the Legion of 
Merit, the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Bronze Star, and the Purple 
Heart.
  Mr. Speaker, I strongly support H.R. 4847, a bill that honors the 
valor and achievements of Lieutenant General James Valentine Edmundson. 
I thank the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Harris) for her work on H.R. 
4847.
  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, I am pleased to join in consideration and urge strong 
support for H.R. 4847, to designate the facility of the United States 
Postal Service located at 560 Bay Isles Road in Longboat Key, Florida, 
as the Lieutenant General James V. Edmundson Post Office Building.
  Lieutenant Edmundson was an outstanding pilot during the early days 
of the Army Air Corps and helped lay the groundwork for the United 
States Air Force to become the entity that it is today. It is fitting 
and proper that we would name a postal facility in his honor. I urge 
the passage of the bill.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. DUNCAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the 
gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Harris).
  (Ms. HARRIS asked and was given permission to revise and extend her 
remarks.)
  Ms. HARRIS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of legislation that honors 
a true American hero. Lieutenant General James V. Edmundson served in 
the United States Army Air Corps and the United States Air Force for 
nearly 4 decades. During his career of selflessness and service, he 
flew a total of 181 combat air missions; 107 of these missions occurred 
during World War II, 32 transpired during the Korean War, and 42 took 
place in Vietnam.
  Surviving Pearl Harbor, General Edmundson fought in the pivotal 
Pacific theater battles of Midway and Guadalcanal. During his 
distinguished career, he earned seven Distinguished Flying Crosses, 
eight air medals, three Legions of Merit, the Silver Star, and the 
Bronze Star. In his own words, however, the highlight of his career was 
``flying as lead pilot in the formation of 500 B-29s over Tokyo Bay as 
the Japanese signed the surrender.''
  General Edmundson retired from the Air Force in 1973, but his 
contributions to his community and to his Nation never ceased. Settling 
in southwest Florida in the town of Longboat Key, he served as mayor, 
vice mayor and town commissioner. Moreover, General Edmundson remained 
active in several community organizations, most notably the Kiwanis 
Club, which elected to him to its board of directors.

[[Page H8272]]

  Sadly, General James V. Edmundson passed away on June 19, 2001, at 
the age of 86. He embodied the adage: ``It is not how they died that 
made them heroes, but how they lived.''
  Mr. Speaker, in honor of this profile of courage and the values he 
cherished, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 4847, which 
redesignates the U.S. postal facility located at 560 Bay Isles Road in 
Longboat Key, Florida, as the Lieutenant General James V. Edmundson 
Post Office Building.
  Mr. DUNCAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Shimkus). The question is on the motion 
offered by the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Duncan) that the House 
suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 4847.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor 
thereof) the rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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