[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 89 (Monday, June 15, 2009)]
[House]
[Pages H6758-H6759]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   KYLE G. WEST POST OFFICE BUILDING

  Mr. LYNCH. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 2422) to designate the facility of the United States Postal 
Service located at 702 East University Avenue in Georgetown, Texas, as 
the ``Kyle G. West Post Office Building'', as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 2422

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

     SECTION 1. KYLE G. WEST POST OFFICE BUILDING.

       (a) Designation.--The facility of the United States Postal 
     Service located at 2300 Scenic Drive in Georgetown, Texas, 
     shall be known and designated as the ``Kyle  G. West 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 ``Kyle G. West Post Office Building''.

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


                             General Leave

  Mr. LYNCH. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their 
remarks.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Massachusetts?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. LYNCH. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Madam Speaker, as chairman of the House subcommittee with 
jurisdiction over the United States Postal Service, I am pleased to 
present H.R. 2422, as amended, for consideration this afternoon.
  The bill before us will designate the United States postal facility 
located at 702 East University Avenue in Georgetown, Texas, as the 
``Kyle G. West Post Office Building.'' Introduced by our colleague 
Representative John Carter of Texas on May 14, 2009, and reported out 
of the Oversight and Government Reform Committee on June 4th, 2009, by 
unanimous consent, H.R. 2422 enjoys the support of the entire Texas 
House delegation.
  A resident of Hutto, Texas, First Lieutenant Kyle G. West bravely 
served in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom with the United States 
Army's 6th Squadron, 9th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st 
Cavalry Division, out of Fort Hood, Texas.
  On Memorial Day, May 28, 2007, First Lieutenant West and four fellow 
members of his unit were killed in Abu Sayda, Iraq, when their Bradley 
Fighting Vehicle was struck by an improvised explosive device. The 
soldiers had been out on a rescue mission in support of comrades who 
had been downed in a helicopter.
  After graduating in 2001 from Hutto High School in Texas, First 
Lieutenant West attended Blinn College and subsequently received a 
degree in business management from Stephen F. Austin State University 
in 2005.
  In pursuit of his lifelong dream to serve in the United States 
military, First Lieutenant West joined the ROTC program at Stephen F. 
Austin as a junior, and eventually rose to sergeant in the Texas 
National Guard out of Lufkin, Texas. Included among Kyle's National 
Guard duties were assisting in the Columbia shuttle recovery efforts in 
2003, as well as serving in Louisiana following Hurricane Katrina. Kyle 
was commissioned into the United States Army as a second lieutenant on 
the eve of his college graduation ceremony and subsequently deployed to 
Iraq on October 3, 2006.
  In addition to his dedication to his unit and his country, Kyle is 
equally remembered for his devotion to his family and to his friends. 
As recalled in a May 31, 2007, article in the Austin American-
Statesman, Kyle was a devoted son, a protective big brother, and a 
loyal friend who is still known in his old neighborhood for rounding up 
friends to take care of a local grackle problem while all the adults 
were at work.
  Mr. Speaker, First Lieutenant Kyle West's life stands as a testament 
to the bravery and devotion of the heroic men and women who have served 
and continue to serve our Nation at home and abroad. It is my sincere 
hope that we can honor this young soldier through the passage of H.R. 
2422 and rename the Georgetown, Texas, postal facility as

[[Page H6759]]

the Lieutenant Kyle G. West Post Office Building. I urge my colleagues 
to do the same.
  I reserve the balance of our time.
  Mr. BILBRAY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of this bill to designate the 
facility of the United States Postal Service located at 2300 Scenic 
Drive in Georgetown, Texas as the ``Kile G. West Post Office 
Building.''
  Kile Grant West was born on July 12, 1983, in Pasadena, Texas. He was 
an all American guy who enjoyed Texas country music, a good barbeque, 
football, and his friends and family. He was known as a goal orientated 
individual who from the very early age of four, when he started playing 
army, knew he wanted to join the military.
  Always a team player, he played four sports at Hutto High School 
where he learned leadership and the ability to succeed in a group.
  Lieutenant West attended Blinn Junior College his freshman year and 
transferred to Stepehen F. Austin State University where he joined the 
SFA ROTC program as a junior and simultaneously became a sergeant in 
the National Guard in Lufkin.
  He was also very active on campus as the secretary of Delta Chi 
Fraternity where he was asked to serve as president, but he declined to 
focus on his military career.
  After graduating from college in 2005, he was assigned to Fort Hood 
and was deployed for Iraq on October 3, 2006. While stationed in Iraq, 
Lieutenant West was promoted to 1st lieutenant on Memorial Day, 2007. 
Sadly, that was the last day of life for this brave young soldier. 
During combat action in Abu Sayda, Iraq, Lieutenant West died while 
attempting to rescue the flight crew of a downed aircraft.
  As a result of his heroic actions on that day, May 28th, 2008, he was 
awarded the Army Bronze Star for Heroism and the Purple Heart.
  The citizens of the United States and Lieutenant West's family and 
friends will forever be proud of this man who stood and fought so 
bravely for his country. With gratitude for his bravery and sacrifice 
to his country, I ask all members to join me in supporting H.R. 2422, 
so his memory, like those who served before him, will not be forgotten.
  Mr. LYNCH. Mr. Speaker, I reserve my time.
  Mr. BILBRAY. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to my 
distinguished colleague from the great State of Texas (Mr. Carter).
  Mr. CARTER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding, and I 
thank both of my colleagues for going forward on this resolution today 
for First Lieutenant Kile G. West.
  As has been said, Kile G. West died with four other soldiers on May 
28, 2007, in Abu Sayda, Iraq. This happened when an improvised 
explosive device struck their vehicle.
  Kile graduated from Hutto High School in Williamson County, Texas, 
and went on to achieve the rank of sergeant in the Texas National Guard 
while serving as a cadet in the ROTC program at Stephen F. Austin 
University and serving as secretary of the Delta Chi fraternity.
  He graduated and took his oath into the United States Army as a 
second lieutenant in December of 2005. In January of 2006, Lieutenant 
West went to Fort Sill, Oklahoma, for officers training, and then in 
June of 2006 was assigned to Fort Hood, Texas, where he was a field 
artillery officer for the 1st Cavalry Division, 3rd Brigade, 6th 
Squadron, 9th Regiment, Apache Troop. Kile deployed to Iraq on October 
4th, 2006, and was promoted to first lieutenant the morning before his 
death on Memorial Day, May 28, 2007.
  On a voluntary rescue mission to save the crew of a downed 
helicopter, his Bradley was hit by an IED en route to save the pilots. 
Kile was due home for R&R 2 weeks before his death and 6 weeks before 
his 24th birthday. Kile received the Purple Heart and Bronze Star among 
his awards. He was also honored with the Valor Award from his 
fraternity, Delta Chi.
  This young man is one of those many, many American heroes that we 
have seen go out and stand up for freedom in the name of the United 
States of America. I would ask that we pass H.R. 2422, naming the post 
office in Georgetown, Texas, after this young warrior.
  Mr. BILBRAY. Mr. Speaker, we have no further speakers, and I yield 
back the balance of my time.
  Mr. LYNCH. Mr. Speaker, in closing, I just join with the gentleman 
from Texas (Mr. Carter) for the purpose of supporting this measure 
which will honor First Lieutenant Kile West.
  I yield back the balance of our time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Cuellar). The question is on the motion 
offered by the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Lynch) that the House 
suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 2422, as amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
  The title was amended so as to read: ``A bill to designate the 
facility of the United States Postal Service located at 2300 Scenic 
Drive in Georgetown, Texas, as the `Kyle G. West Post Office 
Building'.''.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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