[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 142 (Tuesday, November 1, 2005)]
[House]
[Pages H9442-H9443]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
HEINZ AHLMEYER, JR. POST OFFICE BUILDING
Mr. GUTKNECHT. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 3548) to designate the facility of the United States Postal
Service located on Franklin Avenue in Pearl River, New York, as the
``Heinz Ahlmeyer, Jr. Post Office Building''.
The Clerk read as follows:
H.R. 3548
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. HEINZ AHLMEYER, JR. POST OFFICE BUILDING.
(a) Designation.--The facility of the United States Postal
Service located on Franklin Avenue in Pearl River, New York,
shall be known and designated as the ``Heinz Ahlmeyer, Jr.
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 ``Heinz Ahlmeyer, Jr. Post Office
Building''.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Minnesota (Mr. Gutknecht) and the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis)
each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Gutknecht).
General Leave
Mr. GUTKNECHT. 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. 3548.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Minnesota?
There was no objection.
Mr. GUTKNECHT. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 3548, authored by the
distinguished gentleman from New York (Mr. Engel). This bill would
designate the post office in Pearl River, New York, as the Heinz
Ahlmeyer, Jr. Post Office Building. All members of the New York State
delegation have cosponsored this legislation.
Heinz Ahlmeyer, Jr., was a native of Pearl River, New York. He
disappeared on his first day of duty in Vietnam. Ahlmeyer was 23 years
of age when the Marine Corps sent him on a reconnaissance patrol in
Quang Tri province on May 10, 1967, from which he never returned.
Shortly after noon on the day of his death, the patrol came under
heavy fire and many of the soldiers were wounded. After several failed
attempts, a helicopter was able to land and save the wounded soldiers,
although the effort could not retrieve those that had been killed.
Because of the enemy presence in the area of the loss, no ground search
was possible and Ahlmeyer's remains were not able to be recovered. He
was immediately listed as killed in action.
Thirty-eight years later to the day, on May 10, 2005, Heinz Ahlmeyer,
Jr., was buried in Arlington National Cemetery with full military
honors. In May of 1998, a Joint Field Activity search team was able to
find small remnants of American uniforms at the site of the loss in
Quang Tri province. Due to DNA and dental records, a military forensics
laboratory in Hawaii was able to identify Ahlmeyer in January of 2005.
Finally, the vibrant young man who played football and baseball at
Pearl River High School, a hero in every sense of the word, could have
a proper burial. Many who knew Ahlmeyer from his high school days
attended the funeral in Virginia. Over 100 family members and friends
paid respect to the soldier on the 38th anniversary of his death.
I urge my colleagues to come together to honor this brave soldier for
his commitment to preserving our freedoms and his bravery in the face
of danger.
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 Government Reform Committee, I
am pleased to join my colleague in consideration of H.R. 3548,
legislation naming a postal facility in Pearl River, New York, after
the late Heinz Ahlmeyer, Jr. This measure, which was introduced by the
gentleman from New York (Mr. Engel), a Democrat, on July 28, 2005, and
unanimously reported by our committee on October 20, 2005, enjoys the
support and cosponsorship of the entire New York delegation.
Heinz Ahlmeyer, a native of New York, grew up in Pearl River. He
attended Rockland Community College and graduated from New Paltz
College. Upon his graduation, he enlisted in the United States Marine
Corps.
While serving on his first tour of duty in Vietnam, Marine Second
Lieutenant Heinz Ahlmeyer was on a reconnaissance patrol in the Quang
Tri province on May 10, 1967, when he and three other Marines came
under fire. It was presumed he was killed in action, but because of
heavy enemy fire, commanders felt it was too dangerous to retrieve the
bodies.
In January of this year, the military notified his family that,
through DNA, his remains were found, giving family and friends closure.
And on May 10, 2005, Marine Second Lieutenant Heinz Ahlmeyer was
interred with honors at Arlington National Cemetery.
Mr. Speaker, I commend my colleague for seeking to honor the spirit
and legacy of this Marine. Naming a post office in his memory is a
small token of the appreciation that we can show.
Mr. Speaker, I urge swift passage of this bill.
Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may come consume to the
gentleman from New York (Mr. Engel), the sponsor of the bill.
Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I thank my good friend from Illinois for
yielding me time, and I thank my friend from Minnesota for being so
helpful in passing this bill today.
Mr. Speaker, my colleagues have said it all, but I want to add it is
with honor that I stand here today to pay tribute to this brave
American, an exemplary New Yorker, Heinz Ahlmeyer, Jr.
Heinz Ahlmeyer, Jr., grew up in my district in Pearl River, New York,
which is in Rockland County, a suburb of New York City. He was a
popular high school athlete. He played football and baseball at Pearl
River High School. His classmates remember him as a happy-go-lucky guy.
After attending Rockland Community College, Ahlmeyer went on to
graduate from the State University of New York in New Paltz.
Immediately after college, he enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps at just
23 years old in 1967.
As a second lieutenant, he and three other Marines came under heavy
fire from all sides, tragically, on just his first day in Vietnam.
Because of the heavy fire surrounding the incident, the four Marines
were presumed dead, but, sadly, Ahlmeyer's remains were never
recovered, leaving his family and friends without any real closure or
sense of peace.
I must say that in Pearl River and Rockland County, it is a wonderful
community, and people never forgot about Heinz Ahlmeyer, Jr., and wore
tributes to him, wore wristbands and other things to show that the
community has never forgotten him.
So for almost 38 years, friends and family wondered if they would
ever know exactly what happened to Heinz. Then, finally, in January of
this year, they were unexpectedly notified by military officials that,
through DNA samples, his remains were found, giving his family and
friends and the community much-needed closure. This past May,
Ahlmeyer's life was celebrated during his burial at Arlington National
Cemetery.
It is important that America, Mr. Speaker, honors their heroes of
war, not just for their grieving family and friends but for future
generations who might enter into combat. My deepest sympathy goes out
to the Ahlmeyer family who I hope may take small comfort in knowing
that Heinz has a burial place closer to home. The Heinz Ahlmeyer Post
Office in Pearl River
[[Page H9443]]
will be a daily reminder to the community of his great sacrifice to his
country.
I might also add that, at all the parades on Memorial Day and
Veterans' Day, the community has made it very clear that this is so
important to everyone concerned, so important that we do the right
thing, that I really must say I am touched and grateful to my
colleagues for the promptness by which this bill has passed out of
committee and has come to the floor. So I want to thank everyone on
both sides of the aisle who has been involved with this.
We can never bring Heinz Ahlmeyer, Jr., back, but we do always
remember him personally, because he was such an exemplary young man and
for what he stood for.
When I check and see, he was only 3 years older than I am right now,
but, unfortunately, cut down as a very, very young man. Three years
older, if he had lived, he would now be entering his late fifties or
early sixties.
So we remember him. We show that we are a caring community, that we
are a caring country, and this Congress is doing right by Heinz
Ahlmeyer, Jr.
Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I would simply commend again the
gentleman from New York for introducing this legislation.
I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of
my time.
Mr. GUTKNECHT. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from New
York for bringing this bill forward. This clearly is a fitting tribute
to an American hero, and I would urge all Members to support passage of
H.R. 3548.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Gutknecht) that the House suspend the
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 3548.
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. GUTKNECHT. 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 question will
be postponed.
____________________