[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 152 (Wednesday, September 24, 2008)]
[House]
[Pages H9323-H9325]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       FIRST LIEUTENANT NOAH HARRIS ELLIJAY POST OFFICE BUILDING

  Mr. TOWNS. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 6847) to designate the facility of the United States Postal 
Service located at 801 Industrial Boulevard in Ellijay, Georgia, as the 
``First Lieutenant Noah Harris Ellijay Post Office Building''.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 6847

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

     SECTION 1. FIRST LIEUTENANT NOAH HARRIS ELLIJAY POST OFFICE 
                   BUILDING.

       (a) Designation.--The facility of the United States Postal 
     Service located at 801 Industrial Boulevard in Ellijay, 
     Georgia, shall be known and designated as the ``First 
     Lieutenant Noah Harris Ellijay 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 ``First Lieutenant Noah Harris Ellijay 
     Post Office Building''.

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


                             General Leave

  Mr. TOWNS. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and to extend their 
remarks.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from New York?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. TOWNS. Madam Speaker, as a member of the House Committee on 
Oversight and Government Reform, I stand with my colleagues from the 
State of Georgia in support of H.R. 6847, which designates a postal 
facility in Ellijay, Georgia, in honor of First Lieutenant Noah Harris.
  H.R. 6847 enjoys the support of the entire House congressional 
delegation

[[Page H9324]]

from Georgia and was introduced by my colleague, Representative Nathan 
Deal of Georgia, on September 9, 2008.
  H.R. 6847 calls for honoring First Lieutenant Harris and his service 
for our country by designating the post office in his hometown of 
Ellijay, Georgia, as the ``Noah Harris Post Office.''
  First Lieutenant Noah Harris was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 69th 
Armor Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division out of Fort Benning, 
Georgia, when he died on June 18, 2005 in Iraq of injuries sustained on 
June 17 when he was on mounted patrol and his Humvee was attacked by 
enemy forces using rocket-propelled grenades. Also killed was First 
Lieutenant Harris' friend and comrade, Corporal William A. Long.
  Madam Speaker, in honor of First Lieutenant Noah Harris, his 
sacrifice and service to this Nation, I urge my colleagues to join in 
support in the passage of H.R. 6847.
  Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. DUNCAN. Madam Speaker, I have a statement that I wish to place 
into the Record on behalf of Ranking Member Davis and myself in support 
of this legislation.
  Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  I rise today in strong support of this bill designating the facility 
of the United States' Postal Service located at 801 Industrial 
Boulevard in Ellijay, Georgia, as the ``First Lieutenant Noah Harris 
Ellijay Post Office Building.''
  On June 17, 2005 First Lieutenant Noah Harris was conducting a 
mounted patrol in Baquba, Iraq, when enemy forces fired rocket-
propelled grenades at his armored Humvee. Noah Harris died from the 
injuries on June 18, one week before his 24th birthday.
  By all accounts, Noah Harris was a remarkable person.
  While attending Gilmer High School in Ellijay Georgia, Harris was the 
captain of the football team, a state wrestling champion, and Honor Bar 
Thespian in the theater club.
  After graduating high school in 1999, Harris attended the University 
of Georgia's Terry College of Business, where he continued his 
involvement in the community and athletics. He was the captain of the 
cheerleading squad, a member of the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity, and a 
volunteer for Watch Dawgs, an organization that works to prevent 
alcohol related accidents among students.
  In 2001, Harris was one of the first participants in the Leonard 
Leadership Scholars Program, a leadership development program for 
undergraduates by the Terry College Institute for Leadership 
Advancement. It was during that time, shortly after the September 11 
terrorist attacks, that Harris first considered serving our country 
through military service and joined the ROTC.
  After graduation, Harris was commissioned as a second lieutenant and 
stationed at Fort Benning. To keep up morale among his soldiers' Harris 
began a pen pal program with family and friends. He also started 
``Operation Noah's Dream'' by encouraging members of his community to 
send him beanie babies, which he passed out to children in Iraq.
  He was truly a person that strove to make a difference at home and 
Iraq. Tragically his life was cut short but his memory will live on and 
he will be greatly missed.
  With gratitude for his sacrifice to his country, I ask all members to 
join me in support of HR 6847, to name the 801 Industrial Boulevard 
Post Office in Ellijay, Georgia in his honor.
  At this time, I yield the balance of our time to the gentleman from 
Georgia (Mr. Deal).
  Mr. DEAL of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I thank Mr. Duncan for yielding 
the time to me. And I thank Mr. Towns for the very kind words that he 
has spoken on behalf of this outstanding young man.
  And I do rise today to honor the memory of First Lieutenant Noah 
Harris by dedicating the United States Post Office located in Ellijay, 
Georgia, and naming it the ``First Lieutenant Noah Harris Ellijay Post 
Office.''
  As Mr. Towns has indicated, Lieutenant Harris was killed at the age 
of 23, serving in Buritz, Iraq, and was returning from a successful 
mission when his Humvee was hit by two rocket-propelled grenades.
  Many times we talk about individuals that we don't know. Tonight, I 
talk about a young man I did know. Noah Harris served as an intern in 
my office in the summer of 2002. He was a star athlete at Gilmer County 
High School, captain of his football team, captain of the wrestling 
team, State wrestling champion, and a star scholar.
  When he graduated from high school, he went to the University of 
Georgia and he joined the football cheerleading squad. Now, at first 
you would think, as did his captain in Iraq, that if you're a 
cheerleader, you're not physically fit. Of course, if you watched 
college cheerleaders, you know when they lift somebody over their head 
and hold them, they are physically fit, as was Noah. And he became the 
captain of that cheerleading squad.
  He was a student at the University of Georgia on September 11 of 
2001. And when our country was attacked on that day, he made the 
decision that he wanted to join the ROTC unit and become an Army 
officer. The story goes that he went over to the ROTC Department and he 
said, I'd like to join the ROTC. And he was asked, well, what class 
level are you in? And he said, I'm a senior. And the response was, 
Well, you've just waited too late. You can't join the ROTC in your 
senior year. And he said, Is there no way that that can happen? And 
they said, Well, you would have to be an outstanding scholar and you 
would have to be an outstanding athlete in order to be able to put all 
the things together here in your senior year. It's told that Noah 
Harris sort of smiled and said, Well, I am a Presidential scholar, 
attending the University of Georgia on a Presidential scholar 
scholarship. And I am the captain of the football cheerleading squad. 
And needless to say, he met all of those requirements, he was 
commissioned, and he served our country in Iraq.

                              {time}  1745

  While he was serving in Iraq, he e-mailed me and he said this, ``Each 
day I patrol the street and stop and talk to the people. They are 
thankful that we're here and for what we are doing. Though the process 
is slow, each day, the Iraqi police and the Iraqi army are becoming 
better able to protect and defend the citizens of Iraq. Through the 
efforts and perseverance of both the United States and Iraq, peace will 
prevail. Please pass on my thanks to your staff and the rest of the 
individuals in Washington that support the cause of freedom for our 
Nation and the world.''
  I attended Noah Harris' funeral, one of the saddest and yet at the 
same time one of the greatest celebrations that I have ever attended. 
His life is a reminder that it really doesn't matter how long you live, 
it's how you live. Noah Harris is a role model for young people who 
follow behind him. He is an inspiration for all of us who knew him and 
for those who will learn about him as the story of his life has now 
been compiled in a book put together by his parents, Lucy and Rick 
Harris, and contains the remembrances of people who knew Noah Harris. 
He will also have a continuing legacy of hope, dedication and courage. 
A scholarship has been founded at the University of Georgia in his 
memory, and it will continue his tradition.
  Madam Speaker, First Lieutenant Noah Harris was indeed a true 
American hero. I am proud today to rise and pay attribute to him and to 
have the honor of joining with the constituents from the community in 
which he grew up in naming the local post office the First Lieutenant 
Noah Harris Ellijay Post Office.
  Madam Speaker, I include for the Record a copy of a letter from Mr. 
Jerry Farist, the chairman of the Gilmer County Board of Commissioners, 
supporting that this post office be named in honor of First Lieutenant 
Noah Harris.
  I appreciate the time, and I think indeed these are the kind of 
moments that symbolize what makes our country great.

                                            Gilmer County Board of


                                                Commissioners,

                                               September 12, 2008.
     Re Request to name the Ellijay Post Office after 1st LT. Noah 
         Harris.

     Ms. Gail Musselwhite,
     Office of Congressman Nathan Deal,
     P.O. Box 1015, Gainsville, GA.
       To Whom It May Concern: As Chairman of the Gilmer County 
     Board of Commissioners I speak for my fellow commissioners 
     and the citizens of Gilmer County by saying that we take 
     great pride in our hometown boy, LT. Noah Harris. He paid the 
     ultimate price for his patriotism and we sincerely thank him 
     for his service.
       Per the request to rename the Ellijay Post Office, ``1st 
     LT. Noah Harris United States Post Office'', the Gilmer 
     County Board of Commissioners would like to go on record as 
     having no objection to this action. If further information is 
     necessary please feel free to contact me.
           Sincerely,
                                           Jerry Farist, Chairman,
                                      Gilmer County Commissioners.

  Mr. TOWNS. Madam Speaker, let me join my colleague in saying that it 
is

[[Page H9325]]

also important that we recognize people that do outstanding things. 
And, of course, even at a young age, he was able to accomplish quite a 
bit. To name a post office in his honor I think is a great thing to do. 
I want to commend Congressman Deal and the entire Georgia delegation 
for taking the time to name a post office in honor of this young 
lieutenant.
  Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from New York (Mr. Towns) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 6847.
  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. DUNCAN. Madam Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a 
quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not 
present.
  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.
  The point of no quorum is considered withdrawn.

                          ____________________