[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 58 (Monday, April 14, 2008)]
[House]
[Pages H2231-H2234]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  TEXAS MILITARY VETERANS POST OFFICE

  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and 
pass the bill (H.R. 5517) to designate the facility of the United 
States Postal Service located at 7231 FM 1960 in Humble, Texas, as the 
``Texas Military Veterans Post Office''.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 5517

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

     SECTION 1.  TEXAS MILITARY VETERANS POST OFFICE.

       (a) Designation.--The facility of the United States Postal 
     Service located at 7231 FM 1960 in Humble, Texas, shall be 
     known and designated as the ``Texas Military Veterans Post 
     Office''.
       (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 ``Texas Military Veterans Post Office''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Illinois (Mr. Davis) and the gentlewoman from North Carolina (Ms. Foxx) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Illinois.


                             General Leave

  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all 
Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their 
remarks.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Illinois?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Now, Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as 
I might consume.
  As a member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government 
Reform,

[[Page H2232]]

I join Representative Poe and his fellow colleagues from the Lone Star 
State of Texas in considering H.R. 5517, which renames the postal 
facility at 7231 FM 1960 in Humble, Texas as the Texas Military 
Veterans Post Office.
  As stated, the measure at hand was first introduced by Congressman 
Ted Poe on February 28, 2008 and is cosponsored by all members of the 
Texas congressional delegation. The measure was referred to the 
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, where it was considered 
and passed by voice vote on March 13, 2008.
  H.R. 5517 is intended to remember the lives, service and legacy of 
hundreds of military men and women from the State of Texas who have 
served or loss their lives in service to our great country. By renaming 
this particular Humble, Texas post office, H.R. 5517 will set into 
motion the creation of a living tribute to the sacrifices made by so 
many of Texas' sons and daughters, who gave their lives in service and 
honor abroad in order to ensure our protection here at home, an honor 
befitting the thousands of military men and women past and present, 
from every State of the Union that have unselfishly given of themselves 
in service and in battle for America.
  H.R. 5517 will help memorialize the memory of generations of Texas' 
servicemen and women for years to come by designating the 7231 FM 1960 
Humble, Texas postal facility as the Texas Military Veterans Post 
Office.
  Mr. Speaker, I would reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I yield as much time as he may consume to my 
distinguished colleague from the State of Texas (Mr. Poe).
  (Mr. POE asked and was given permission to revise and extend his 
remarks.)
  Mr. POE. I thank the gentlewoman for yielding. Appreciate the 
comments by both sides on this very important piece of legislation.
  The Post Office that we wish to name today is in my congressional 
district, it's in Humble, Texas, and it's a part of Southeast Texas 
where a great number of people continue to volunteer to be in our 
United States military.
  Texans have always, when called upon by their country to go into 
service, have met that call with overwhelming numbers. And, in fact, 
today, serving somewhere in the world in a military uniform, one out of 
10 people wearing the American uniform is from the State of Texas.
  And it goes all the way back to 1836 when the first Texas veteran by 
the name of William Barrett Travis came to Texas from the State of 
South Carolina. He was a young lawyer, 27. And he was passionate about 
liberty and freedom. And he found himself at a beat-up old Spanish 
church in Central Texas that we now call the Alamo. The Alamo was over 
100 years old at the time that he and 186 other brave Texans defended 
freedom. They were really from all States in the United States, six 
foreign countries as well, many of them, Mr. Speaker, from the State of 
Tennessee.
  And he, like those defenders of the Alamo, were determined to seek 
liberty for the Republic of Texas. And as we all know, all of those 
first veterans gave their lives in that word that we praise today, that 
word of freedom. He was the first veteran that I wish to mention. And I 
will continue to mention just a few more so we know the importance of 
naming buildings after these wonderful people who have gone before us.
  Of course, in that same struggle, all Texas armies were led by 
another Tennesseean by the name of Sam Houston. Sam Houston became the 
general of all Texas forces after the battle of the Alamo. He serves as 
the unique distinction of the only person in American history being 
governor of two different states, the governor of Tennessee and the 
governor of Texas.
  But before he became governor of Texas he was president of the 
Republic of Texas. And because of the fact that on April 21, which we 
celebrate a week from today, in 1836, General Sam Houston, leading a 
ragtag army of volunteers, once again from all over the United States, 
several foreign countries, defeated the enemy, Santa Ana and his 
overwhelming army at the banks and the marshes of San Jacinto on April 
21, 1836. After that battle was over with Texas became a Republic and 
remained a free nation for over 9 years, and we owe much of that to 
General Sam, another veteran of Texas.
  It's interesting to note that General Sam Houston's last words before 
he died, he mentioned to his wife 2 words, ``Texas, Texas.'' And then 
he died as a great military veteran of our State of Texas.
  In World War I, there was an individual by the name of Kenneth Myers 
that served. In 1889 he was born. He joined the Navy in 1917, and he 
served on the battleship Oklahoma in World War I. And after the ``War 
to End All Wars'' was over with, he went ahead and became an 
agricultural expert in the State of Texas. He lived to be 107 before he 
died and became the third oldest survivor of that ``War to End All 
Wars,'' World War I.
  In World War II there were many great Texans who served, but probably 
the most notable was a young individual who was a cotton farmer from 
Farmersville, Texas. Audie Murphy was too little and too small, they 
said, to join the Marine Corps, so he got into the United States Army, 
and he fought in the Army in World War II and he served 27 months in 
combat. He is the most decorated U.S. combat soldier in United States 
military history. He had received the Medal of Honor, of course the 
highest U.S. military award, along with 32 other medals from the United 
States, five medals from France and one from Belgium.
  Audie Murphy symbolizes the great tradition of folks who joined the 
military, another wonderful veteran from the State of Texas.
  A little-known veteran from Texas was an individual by the name of 
Doris Miller. That was his name, although he was a male, and he didn't 
even want his friend calling him Dorrie because his name was Doris.
  He found himself, on December 7 on the USS West Virginia. He was a 
cook. Because of his race he was not allowed to be in combat, but when 
that battleship was attacked, he found himself behind a 50 caliber 
machine gun and shot down two, maybe three Japanese planes on December 
7, 1941. And he was honored later as becoming the first African 
American to receive the Navy cross because of his heroism on that 
fateful day, that day of infamy, December 7, 1941.

                              {time}  1445

  Doris Miller later died in combat, and he was from the City of Waco, 
Texas.
  A friend of mine who recently died was a Pearl Harbor survivor by the 
name of Luke Trahan from Beaumont, Texas, served in the United States 
Navy, a wonderful person and was a symbol of everything that is good 
and right about the veterans from our great State.
  And, of course, having been the son of one of those individuals of 
the Greatest Generation, my father, Virgil Poe, served in Europe during 
World War II. He didn't say anything about his service in the United 
States Army because he went when he was a teenager, and after 50 years, 
he finally started talking about his service there after he and my 
mother went to that place in France that we call Normandy, where over 
9,000 Americans are buried. He, along with both of my uncles, James 
Hamilton and Charles Willis, all three teenagers, served in that great 
war, World War II.
  Also serving in World War II was Oveta Culp Hobby. She was a lawyer, 
and although she was a lawyer, she found herself in Washington, D.C., 
and when the war broke out, she became the director of the Women's Army 
Auxiliary Corps which was later called and referred to as the Women's 
Army Corps. She has the distinction of being the highest ranking woman 
to serve in World War II and was awarded the Distinguished Service 
Medal for her contributions in the war effort, becoming the first woman 
in American history to receive such award.
  We're proud of the fact that Admiral Chester Nimitz is from 
Fredericksburg, Texas. Fredericksburg, Mr. Speaker, is a landlocked 
place. It's a long way from water. It is in the central part of the 
Hill Country of Texas; but Admiral Nimitz ended up being in the United 
States Navy, and during World War II, he was the Commander in Chief of 
all Pacific naval forces for the United States and Allied forces where 
he served with distinction. Even a high school is named for him in my 
congressional district.

[[Page H2233]]

  Sometimes we forget the fact that Dwight David Eisenhower was born in 
Denison, Texas, in 1890; although he later moved to Kansas, and he 
served in World War II as a 5-star general in the Army, also being the 
first Allied commander in all of Europe, a great distinction for him.
  In 1943, a young man was commissioned as a teenager in the United 
States Naval Reserves, and he was assigned to the United States Ship 
San Jacinto; and on this ship he was assigned to become a pilot for the 
TMB Avengers. And while piloting one such mission in Chi Chi Jima off 
the Japanese coast, this individual was shot down and rescued later by 
a submarine in the area. This individual flew 58 combat missions. He 
received the Distinguished Flying Cross, three Air Medals and the USS 
San Jacinto was awarded the Presidental Unit Citation. That individual, 
of course, was former President of the United States, George H.W. Bush.
  Mr. Speaker, there were many others who have served in the history of 
the State of Texas, but 12 individuals were remarkable in that these 
individuals, 12 brothers, these Band of Brothers, from a little town of 
Dayton, Texas, named the Ripkowsky brothers, all served in World War II 
and Korea. They served in all branches of the service. They served all 
over the United States and in foreign countries in combat, and after 
the wars were over, all 12 of them had the unique history of returning 
home to Dayton, Texas, where all of them lived except one who moved six 
miles away to the small town of Liberty. A great family that has served 
our country and veterans in their own right.
  During the Korean War, Joseph Rodriguez from El Paso was drafted into 
the United States Army, although he later made the Army his career. 
Colonel Rodriguez, during the Korean War, received the Medal of Honor 
from President Truman because he attacked a Communist foxhole and then 
went on to attack four more Communist foxholes destroying all five 
emplacements and saving the lives of several of his comrades.
  We have the unique distinction in this House of having a lot of great 
people who have served in our military in all branches of the service, 
both on this side and the other side, in this House and in the Senate. 
But one of those individuals grew up in Dallas, Texas, and he served in 
the United States Air Force for 29 years. He was the director of the 
Air Force Fighter Weapons School and flew with the Air Force 
Thunderbirds. He was a highly decorated fighter pilot who flew combat 
missions both in the Korean War and Vietnam, and in Korea he flew F-86s 
in 62 combat missions. In Vietnam, he flew F-4s.
  And in 1966 while flying his 25th combat mission, our own Sam Johnson 
was shot down over North Vietnam. He was a prisoner of war in the Hanoi 
Hilton for 7 years, including 42 months in solitary confinement. During 
that time, he was repeatedly tortured.
  He is a decorated war hero. He was awarded two Silver Stars, two 
Legions of Merit, the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Bronze Star with 
Valor, two Purple Hearts, four Air Medals, and three Outstanding Unit 
Awards as well. We are honored to have him not only from the State of 
Texas but to serve in this House of Representatives as many other 
veterans do as well.


                   World War II--DR. MICHAEL DEBAKEY

   Born September 7, 1908 in Louisiana.
   With the outbreak of World War II, he volunteered for service, 
eventually becoming the Director of the Surgical Consultants' Division 
in the United States Army Surgeon General's Office.
   His experience on the Surgeon General's staff taught him that more 
needed to be done for our veterans.
   He recommended changes in staged management of war wounds.
   He also created mobile army surgical hospitals or ``MASH'' units, 
which saved a countless number of American lives.
   He also recommended medical follow-ups for veterans, and the 
Veterans Affairs Medical Center System.
   He's received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the National Medal 
of Science, and will soon receive the Congressional Medal of Freedom.


                    VIETNAM--PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH

   Accepted into Texas Air National Guard in May 1968 at the height of 
ongoing Vietnam war.
   After training, assigned to duty in Houston, flying Convair F-102s 
out of Ellington Air Force Base.


                                  IRAQ

   This post office will also honor those brave Texans who fought and 
who are fighting in Iraq.
   Like Captain David Fraser, a native of Spring, Texas, and West Point 
graduate.
   Captain Fraser was killed in Baghdad on November 26, 2006 by an 
improvised explosive device, an IED.
   For his valor in combat, Captain Fraser was awarded the Bronze Star 
and the Purple Heart, among many other awards and honors.
  One of the most remarkable stories in American military history is 
the story of an orphan by the name of Roy Benavidez born in Cuero, 
Texas. Roy Benavidez was a migrant farmer, and he decided in 1955 to 
join the United States Army. He later became a Green Beret after being 
trained at Special Forces Ft. Bragg.
  On May 2, 1962, his 12-man Special Forces team was in Cambodia to 
observe a large-scale North Vietnamese troop movement, but the enemy 
had discovered them and they were all ambushed. Roy Benavidez was 
behind those lines and he jumped on a helicopter to help rescue his 
men. He was in such a hurry the only thing that he armed himself with 
to go rescue his fellow comrades was a Bowie knife. And after he 
arrived at the scene, he started moving his fellow warriors to those 
helicopters so that they could be rescued and taken back to safety.
  Roy Benavidez, Master Sergeant Roy Benavidez, was wounded 37 times: 
seven gunshot wounds and mortar shrapnel in his back along with two 
bayonet wounds. He was left for dead. In fact, he was put in a body 
bag, and the person that was putting him in the body bag zipped the 
body bag up. Roy Benavidez found it within his demeanor to be able to 
spit in the face of that soldier letting him know he was still alive.
  And even though he was wounded 37 times, he recovered. He received 
the Medal of Honor. President Reagan said at the ceremony, ``if this 
(story) would have been written as fiction, no one would have ever 
believed it.'' A great American hero, and we are proud to have him from 
the State of Texas.
  Just recently, Monica Brown served in Afghanistan. She was 19 years 
old from Lake Jackson and received the Silver Star for her heroism in 
saving her fellow comrades.
  And there are many others that I would like to mention, but I'm not 
going to do so, and I have just a couple of other comments.
  There's a university in Texas called Texas A&M. Texas A&M has 
produced more officers in the United States military than even West 
Point. It has the distinction, other than West Point, of having more 
Medal of Honor winners than any other university in the United States. 
And they volunteer and continue to volunteer to serve.
  When George Patton was in Europe going to combat in the Third Army, 
he made a comment about the Texas Aggies and the soldiers that he had 
in his division serving with him. He made the comment that, ``Give me 
an army of West Point graduates and I will win a battle. You give me a 
handful of Texas Aggies, and I will win the war.'' And that's the 
sentiment that he had and the sentiment that we all have about folks 
from the State of Texas that are veterans, that have served all the way 
back from 1836 to the war in Iraq and Afghanistan.
  And that's just the way it is.
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I reserve my time.
  Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I yield as much time as he may consume to our 
distinguished colleague and hero from the State of Texas (Mr. Sam 
Johnson).
  (Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas asked and was given permission to revise 
and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to voice my 
support for combat veterans from the Lone Star State. You have heard a 
lot of stories from Ted Poe.
  As a 29-year Air Force veteran and Texas native, I think it's great 
that Humble, Texas, will have a post office dedicated to those selfless 
men and women in the Armed Forces; and I commend my friend, Ted Poe, 
for spearheading this effort.
  You know, many war heroes from Iraq and Afghanistan call the Lone 
Star State home. He mentioned one of

[[Page H2234]]

them, but as an example, you may know the name Marcus Luttrell. He was 
a Petty Officer First Class born in Huntsville, Texas, a former Navy 
SEAL, awarded the Navy Cross and wrote the New York Times best-selling 
book ``Lone Survivor.'' The book details his remarkable story of 
surviving one of the war's deadliest battles for U.S. Special Forces. I 
had the honor of meeting him last week, and he's a remarkable 
individual.
  Ted mentioned Monica Lin Brown, the 19-year-old medic from Texas who 
became the first woman in Afghanistan and only the second woman since 
World War II to receive the Silver Star, the Nation's third highest 
medal for valor. Army Specialist Monica Lin Brown saved the lives of 
fellow soldiers after a roadside bomb tore through a convoy of Humvees 
last spring in Afghanistan. After the explosion which wounded five 
soldiers in her unit, Brown ran through insurgent gunfire and used her 
body to shield wounded comrades as mortars fell less than 100 yards 
away.
  While today I have only mentioned Iraq and Afghanistan, I could go on 
for hours, as Ted Poe did, highlighting noticeable Texans who have gone 
above and beyond their service to this great Nation.
  I want to thank Mr. Poe and Humble, Texas, for recognizing those men 
and women who proudly wear the uniform for the United States of 
America. They help keep America the land of the free and the home of 
the brave. I salute all of our veterans.
  God bless you and may God continue to bless our great Nation. I 
salute all of you in this Chamber for your support for our veterans.
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve.
  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of 
H.R. 5517, to designate the facility of the United States Postal 
Service located at 7231 FM 1960 in Humble, Texas, as the ``Texas 
Military Veterans Post Office.'' I would like to thank my colleague, 
Mr. Poe, for introducing this important bill, and Chairman Waxman of 
the Oversight and Government Reform Committee for bringing this 
legislation to the floor today. I strongly support honoring veterans of 
our armed forces, and I am proud to join my colleagues in the Texas 
delegation as an original cosponsor of this legislation. I hope my 
colleagues will join me in designating this facility as the Texas 
Military Veteran Post Office as a token of our appreciation.
  The American men and women who serve in our armed forces are one of 
our Nation's most precious resources. Their service to this Nation 
could never be repaid, but we can ensure that our veterans who have 
faithfully served our country receive the recognition they are due and 
the services they need. Passing this resolution will send a strong 
message to our veterans that we appreciate their service. Our Nation 
has a proud legacy of appreciation and commitment to the men and women 
who have worn the uniform in defense of this country. We must show 
every soldier, sailor, airman, and marine that we honor and continue to 
respect their service to our Nation.
  Currently, there are 25 million veterans in the United States. There 
are more than 1,633,000 veterans living in Texas and more than 32,000 
veterans living in my Congressional district alone. I firmly believe 
that we should celebrate our veterans after every conflict, and I 
remain committed, as a Member of Congress, to both meeting the needs of 
veterans of previous wars, and to provide a fitting welcome home to 
those who are now serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. Veterans have kept 
their promise to serve our Nation; they have willingly risked their 
lives to protect the country we all love. We must now ensure that we 
keep our promises to our veterans.
  Because I feel it is time that we recognize the success of our 
Nation's armed forces, I have introduced H.R. 4020, the ``Military 
Success in Iraq Commemoration Act of 2007.'' This legislation 
recognizes the extraordinary performance of the Armed Forces in 
achieving the military objectives of the United States in Iraq as 
expressed by the Congressional mandate allowing for use of force, 
encourages the President to issue a proclamation calling upon the 
people of the United States to observe a national day of celebration 
commemorating the military success of American troops in Iraq.
  Most importantly, my legislation provides affirmative and tangible 
expressions of appreciation from a grateful nation to all veterans of 
the war in Iraq. It authorizes the Secretary of Defense to award grants 
to State and local governments ``to conduct suitable activities 
commemorating military success in Iraq'' and ``to create appropriate 
memorials honoring those who lost their lives securing military success 
in Iraq.'' My legislation sets up grants for veterans of Operation 
Iraqi Freedom, stating ``the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall award 
to each veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom a grant in the amount of 
$5,000. The purpose of that grant is to facilitate the veteran's 
transition to civilian life.'' I am pleased that thirteen of my 
colleagues have already signed onto this important legislation.
  Renaming this post office facility to honor our veterans is a small 
but important step toward giving veterans the full accolades that they 
deserve. At various points in our Nation's history, we have sent our 
sons and daughters overseas to fight in defense of the great values and 
principles our Nation was founded upon. At times when the need is 
greatest, America's soldiers have always stepped up to protect our 
Nation. Let us show them our gratitude by presenting them with a postal 
facility that stands as a symbol of their dedication and sacrifice. Let 
us never forget that one of the things that makes our Nation truly 
great are the young men and women who have fought to defend it and our 
way of life.
  I firmly believe that we must commend the men and women of our 
military for their exemplary performance and success. When World War II 
finally came to an end in 1945, celebrations erupted on the streets of 
cities and towns across our Nation. One of the most enduring images of 
that war is not a picture of bombs or destruction, but of a jubilant 
soldier kissing a woman in New York City's Times Square. The veterans 
we continue to honor as the ``Greatest Generation'' returned home not 
only to open arms, but also to the G.I. Bill, which offered them 
college or vocational education, as well as one year of unemployment 
compensation. It also provided loans for returning veterans to buy 
homes and start businesses.
  This Congress has begun to show our appreciation through legislation. 
We have already enacted significant increases in veterans' health care 
funding--increasing it by $5.2 billion. The increase will go for 
veterans' health programs, including mental health care for returning 
veterans, especially for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
  In the words of President John F. Kennedy, ``As we express our 
gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to 
utter words, but to live by them.'' It is not simply enough to sing the 
praises of our Nation's great veterans; I firmly believe that we must 
demonstrate by our actions how proud we are of our American heroes. I 
strongly urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 5517, to 
designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 
7231 FM 1960 in Humble, Texas, as the ``Texas Military Veteran Post 
Office.''
  Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I believe we have no more speakers, and we 
yield back the balance of our time.
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of our 
time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 5517.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. 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.

                          ____________________