[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 16 (Tuesday, February 15, 2005)]
[House]
[Pages H596-H597]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              ARTHUR STACEY MASTRAPA POST OFFICE BUILDING

  Mr. DENT. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill 
(H.R. 324) to designate the facility of the United States Postal 
Service located at 321 Montgomery Road in Altamonte Springs, Florida, 
as the ``Arthur Stacey Mastrapa Post Office Building''.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                                H.R. 324

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

     SECTION 1. ARTHUR STACEY MASTRAPA POST OFFICE BUILDING.

       (a) Designation.--The facility of the United States Postal 
     Service located at 321 Montgomery Road in Altamonte Springs, 
     Florida, shall be known and designated as the ``Arthur Stacey 
     Mastrapa 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 Arthur Stacey Mastrapa Post Office 
     Building.

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


                             General Leave

  Mr. DENT. 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. 324.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Pennsylvania?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. DENT. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 324, a bill to designate the 
U.S. postal facility at 321 Montgomery Road in Altamonte Springs, 
Florida, as the Arthur Stacey Mastrapa Post Office Building. I thank 
the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Feeney) for sponsoring this legislation 
to honor Sergeant Mastrapa, a courageous American hero whom our Nation 
lost in the war on terror.
  Sergeant Arthur Mastrapa of Apopka, Florida, an Army Reservist and 
military police officer, was killed in a rocket attack at a logistics 
support facility in Balad, Iraq, on June 16,

[[Page H597]]

2004. He was 35 years old. His loss was made more tragic because it 
came just 2 days before he was due to return home with his comrades in 
the 351st Military Police Company, based in Ocala, Florida. He is 
survived by his loving wife, Jennifer, and his two loving children, 
Marisa and Reese.
  Nothing could be more appropriate or fitting than to name this post 
office after Sergeant Mastrapa. Mastrapa was a Reservist and a postal 
letter carrier who worked full time at this post office on Montgomery 
Road in Altamonte Springs. I hope and pray that the dedication of this 
facility in Altamonte Springs will be a meaningful reminder of Arthur's 
life and service to his family, friends, colleagues, and neighbors. The 
Mastrapa family needs to know that the heartfelt thoughts and prayers 
of all the Members of the House of Representatives are with them. We 
join them in mourning their loss.
  The United States of America owes its security and freedom to people 
like Arthur Mastrapa. Sergeant Mastrapa and our Armed Forces have 
helped to prevent another attack against America since September 11, 
2001, by taking the war on terror straight to where our enemies live 
and plot. Certainly, the wonderful democratic election in Iraq on 
January 30 was in no small part possible to Sergeant Mastrapa's 
heroism.
  I know the Iraqi people, like all Americans, would thank Arthur if 
they could.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank the House leadership for selecting this bill for 
floor consideration, and I greatly thank my distinguished colleague 
from Florida for working on H.R. 324. I urge all Members to support 
this honor for Sergeant Arthur Mastrapa.
  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 House Committee on Government Reform, 
I am pleased to join my colleague in consideration of H.R. 324, 
legislation naming the postal facility in Altamonte Springs, Florida, 
after Arthur Stacey Mastrapa. This measure, which was introduced by the 
gentleman from Florida (Mr. Feeney) on January 25, 2005, and 
unanimously reported by our committee on February 9, 2005, enjoys the 
support and co-sponsorship of the entire Florida delegation.
  Mr. Mastrapa was a city letter carrier at the Arthur Springs Post 
Office who served in the United States Army Military Police in Iraq 
when he was killed in action on June 16, 2004. He was 35 years old and 
due to return home the week that he was killed.
  Arthur Stacey Mastrapa joined the U.S. Army in 1992 and served at the 
Redstone Arsenal in Alabama and later in Germany. He left active duty 
in 1998 and joined the U.S. Army Reserve. He became a letter carrier 
casual in Altamonte Springs and soon earned a career appointment.
  Sergeant Mastrapa was called back to active duty in 2003 to serve in 
Operation Enduring Freedom. During his military service, he earned 
medals for good conduct and service in the national defense. He 
received two Army Achievement medals and ribbons for service in 
military law enforcement.
  Sergeant Mastrapa was a loving family man. He left behind a wife and 
two children and many, many relatives in the central Florida area, 
Cuba, Michigan, and Australia. He was also loved and respected by his 
co-workers at the post office.
  Designating the post office in Altamonte Springs, Florida, is an 
excellent way to honor the memory of Arthur Stacey Mastrapa.
  Mr. Speaker, I commend my colleague for sponsoring this measure. I 
urge swift passage of the bill.
  Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers at this time, and I yield 
back the balance of my time.
  Mr. DENT. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the 
gentleman from Florida (Mr. Feeney), my distinguished colleague, the 
sponsor of H.R. 324.
  Mr. FEENEY. Mr. Speaker, I thank my friends from Pennsylvania and 
Illinois who did a great job describing the sacrifice that Mr. Mastrapa 
gave to his country on behalf of the citizens of Iraq and, actually, 
freedom throughout the world.
  Mr. Speaker, today we honor a man who honored us and dedicated his 
life to serving others. I thought I would take a few minutes to share 
some of the hometown effects of the loss of Sergeant Mastrapa.
  Arthur Stacey Mastrapa put country and others above self. He 
possessed a unique calling for both service and optimism that left a 
mark on the lives of all he met.
  His sister-in-law, Tracy Mastrapa, described this calling: ``He 
dedicated his life to public service, first in active duty as a 
military police officer, then as a postal worker, and finally as a 
Reserve MP. He was called to serve his country, which he did proudly 
with the utmost integrity.''
  His calling led him to join the Army in 1992 and then as he left the 
Army, to reenlist in the Army Reserves after his active duty years 
ended.
  His career outside the Reserve was also in service of his fellow 
citizens, this time in central Florida. As a postal worker in Altamonte 
Springs, Florida, he earned the respect of those around him. One of his 
colleagues said of his work, ``I respected him for his positive outlook 
and his level head. Also, his customers remarked how much they liked 
him and appreciated his dedication. He was a hard worker and good 
family man.''
  Two years ago, Sergeant Mastrapa answered the call to serve for what 
turned out to be the final time. He and his Reserve unit, the 351st 
Military Police, were deployed to Iraq. Last June in Iraq, Sergeant 
Mastrapa made the ultimate sacrifice.
  All human beings strive to occupy a valued place. One observer has 
offered this definition for this desire: ``You occupy a valued place if 
other people would miss you if you were gone.''
  Mr. Speaker, Arthur Mastrapa occupied a valued place. He left behind 
a wife, Jennifer, and two children Marisa and Reese. They, along with 
the rest of his family, miss him terribly.
  His co-workers miss him as well. One described Sergeant Mastrapa as a 
man who ``loved his job, loved his family, loved his country.''
  Another said, ``I only knew him a short time but it was long enough 
to know what a great guy he was. Arthur was a family man. He loved his 
kids and wanted them with him all of the time.''

                              {time}  1445

  So in an attempt to honor a man who occupied a valued place, his 
coworkers requested that a special place be named for him, the post 
office in Altamonte Springs, Florida, the very place Sergeant Mastrapa 
worked prior to leaving for Iraq for what turned out to be his final 
journey.
  Today, we are here to carry out his colleagues' wish so they are 
reminded of Arthur Mastrapa when they arrive for work each new day, and 
so his wife, his children, his family and his friends can come to see 
his name and remember his service, his sacrifice and his decency.
  In closing, I would like to borrow from the words of President Harry 
Truman who said, ``We know that helping others is the best way, 
probably the only way to achieve a better future for ourselves.''
  Arthur Stacey Mastrapa's desire to help others and serve his country 
has made the future a better place to live. I urge my colleagues to 
approve H. Res. 324 and create a lasting memorial to Sergeant 
Mastrapa's name.
  Mr. DENT. Mr. Speaker, I urge all Members to support H. Res. 324, and 
I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Terry). The question is on the motion 
offered by the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Dent) that the House 
suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 324.
  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. DENT. 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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