[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 46 (Tuesday, March 17, 2009)]
[House]
[Pages H3463-H3464]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     JOHN ``BUD'' HAWK POST OFFICE

  Mr. CLAY. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill 
(H.R. 955) to designate the facility of the United States Postal 
Service located at 10355 Northeast Valley Road in Rollingbay, 
Washington, as the ``John `Bud' Hawk Post Office''.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                                H.R. 955

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

     SECTION 1. JOHN ``BUD'' HAWK POST OFFICE.

       (a) Designation.--The facility of the United States Postal 
     Service located at 10355 Northeast Valley Road in Rollingbay, 
     Washington, shall be known and designated as the ``John `Bud' 
     Hawk 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 ``John `Bud' Hawk Post Office''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Missouri (Mr. Clay) and the gentleman from California (Mr. Issa) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Missouri.


                             General Leave

  Mr. CLAY. 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 Missouri?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. CLAY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, as a member of the House subcommittee with jurisdiction 
over the U.S. Postal Service, I am pleased to present for consideration 
H.R. 955, a bill to designate the U.S. postal facility located at 10355 
Northeast Valley Road in Rollingbay, Washington, as the ``John ``Bud'' 
Hawk Post Office.''
  Introduced by Representative Jay Inslee on February 10, 2009 and 
reported out of our full committee by voice vote on March 10, 2009, 
H.R. 955 enjoys the support of the State of Washington's entire House 
delegation.
  A long time resident of Bremerton, Washington, Sergeant John ``Bud'' 
Hawk received the Medal of Honor, the U.S. military's highest 
commendation, from President Harry S. Truman on July 13, 1945. 
Following his military career, Sergeant Hawk continued his devotion to 
public service by serving as a longtime educator in Bremerton, 
Washington.
  In April of last year, Sergeant Hawk was again honored for his 
bravery during World War II as he was presented with a Medal of Honor 
flag at Olympia's Capitol Rotunda by Brigadier General Gordon Toney, 
Commander of the Washington Army National Guard.
  Mr. Speaker, Sergeant Hawk's service stands as a testament to the 
brave men and women that have served and continue to serve our Nation 
at home and abroad. And it is my hope that we can further honor this 
distinguished veteran through the passage of H.R. 955.
  I urge my colleagues to support this bill.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. ISSA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of this bill designating 
the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 10355 
Northeast Valley Road in Rollingbay, Washington, as the ``John ``Bud'' 
Hawk Post Office Building.''

[[Page H3464]]

  Bud Hawk embodies, in every sense, the word ``hero.'' In June of 
1945, President Truman placed a Congressional Medal of Honor around 
John ``Bud'' Hawk's neck on the Capitol steps in Olympia in his home 
State of Washington. With this bill, we are honoring John again, this 
time in the Nation's Capitol, and this time not only for his heroic 
efforts in World War II, but for his lifetime of service.
  John first earned the Nation's gratitude and respect during World War 
II when his heroism was instrumental in destroying two enemy tanks and 
forcing the surrender of more than 500 enemy combatants in August of 
1944.
  Sergeant Hawk showed fearless initiative and heroic conduct, even 
while suffering from a painful wound. Under heavy enemy fire, John ran 
back and forth toward the enemy in order to give the American tanks 
correct targeting directions. John sacrificed his already wounded body 
to act as a human firing director for the American tanks. His action 
came at the end of the Battle of Normandy. In gratitude for his help in 
the liberation of their country, John was awarded France's Legion of 
Honor in 2007. John also received four Purple Hearts for four separate 
times he was wounded during his enlistment.
  But John's heroics did not end when he returned home from World War 
II. A longtime teacher and principal in Bremerton, Washington, he has 
been a familiar face who has had tremendous impact on countless 
schoolchildren in his community. To this day, he remains a personal 
hero of his students for the humility and strength of character that he 
has instilled. That strength of character and humility is embodied in 
John Hawk and is, today, the reason that we recognize him as a hero and 
Medal of Honor recipient, and a lifetime hero to children in his home 
community.

                              {time}  1400

  I urge my colleagues to support this bill that demonstrates our 
gratitude for the life and contribution of John ``Bud'' Hawk, from his 
heroics in the battlefield to one might say his heroics in the 
classroom.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. CLAY. Mr. Speaker, at this time I yield 4 minutes to my good 
friend from the State of Washington (Mr. Inslee).
  Mr. INSLEE. Mr. Speaker, I would commend this resolution to the 
House. This really is a great American story of truly a great American 
hero.
  John ``Bud'' Hawk is a son of Rollingbay, Washington. He grew up 
playing with his sister around the post office we're about to name in 
his honor in the little community of Rollingbay, Washington. And he's a 
fellow who answered the Nation's call in the 1940s and was a hero in 
the 1940s, but was a hero for several decades to the students he 
educated. And I just want to commend him for both of those acts of 
heroism.
  My colleagues have talked about why he won the Congressional Medal of 
Honor, and I have to tell you if you actually read this, you would be 
mightily impressed by a fellow who on one day at the Battle of the 
Falaise Gap essentially with his machine gun squad destroyed two enemy 
tanks while he was already severely wounded and, after he was severely 
wounded, leading to the surrender of hundreds of German prisoners, 
still refused medical treatment. He was a hero several times in 1 day, 
and he was then injured three more times during World War II, and we 
still honor him for that.
  But I want to just highlight something that he earned not in 1 day 
but he earned the honor and affection of hundreds, if not thousands, of 
people in our community.
  After he got back from World War II, he came home and got a degree in 
biology. He worked for 7 years to do that, and he started teaching 
fifth and sixth grade, first at Tracyton Elementary in Bremerton and 
later at nearby Brownsville Elementary. He eventually became a teaching 
principal and taught classes while he was running the school. He served 
31 years as an educator and retired in 1983 as principal of Woodlands 
Elementary in Bremerton.
  And I just want to read something that a lot of people feel in our 
community of Bainbridge and Bremerton, something a former student of 
Mr. Hawk's wrote in a University of Washington Alumni magazine, 
recalling 1 year he spent as Mr. Hawk's student. This former student 
wrote:
  ``Ascribe it to my then youthful impressionableness, if you will, but 
John Hawk was then and remains still a personal hero of mine for the 
humanity and strength of character he taught his students, along with 
the more mundane subjects of math, science, and history. I count myself 
fortunate to have spent that year as his student. And I relish the 
opportunity all these years later to say what I at age 11 didn't know 
to say: For both a year of education and for your lifetime of service 
to your country and to humanity, thank you, Mr. Hawk.''
  So on this day of honoring Mr. Hawk by naming the Rollingbay Post 
Office in his honor, we want to say thank you, Mr. Hawk.
  I know Mr. Issa noted the bagpipes we heard just a few moments ago. 
They were honoring a great Irishman who's now President, President 
Barack Obama. All of the Irish are celebrating John ``Bud'' Hawk's 
celebration. There is a young lad, a young Irishman, named Brody in 
Bainbridge Island. He's honoring Bud.
  Thank you, Mr. Hawk. And thank you for the country in passing this 
resolution.
  Mr. ISSA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 30 seconds to say from the 
``O'Issas'' to the ``Obamas,'' everyone is an Irishman here today. I'm 
sure there isn't anyone who isn't Irish here today. Perhaps a few with 
orange but most with green.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. CLAY. Mr. Speaker, at this time I urge my colleagues to support 
H.R. 955.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Serrano). The question is on the motion 
offered by the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Clay) that the House 
suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 955.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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