[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 132 (Tuesday, September 28, 2010)]
[House]
[Pages H7093-H7094]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  RAY DAVES AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL TOWER

  Mr. SCHAUER. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 5591) to designate the facility of the Federal Aviation 
Administration located at Spokane International Airport in Spokane, 
Washington, as the ``Ray Daves Air Traffic Control Tower,'' as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 5591

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

     SECTION 1. DESIGNATION.

       The airport traffic control tower located at Spokane 
     International Airport in Spokane, Washington, and any 
     successor airport traffic control tower at that location, 
     shall be known and designated as the ``Ray Daves Airport 
     Traffic Control Tower''.

     SEC. 2. REFERENCES.

       Any reference in a law, map, regulation, document, paper, 
     or other record of the United States to the airport traffic 
     control tower referred to in section 1 shall be deemed to be 
     a reference to the ``Ray Daves Airport Traffic Control 
     Tower''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Michigan (Mr. Schauer) and the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Mario Diaz-
Balart) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Michigan.


                             General Leave

  Mr. SCHAUER. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their 
remarks and to include extraneous material on H.R. 5591.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Michigan?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. SCHAUER. I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I support H.R. 5591, and I urge support of this bill.
  I reserve the balance of my time.

                              {time}  1910

  Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida. I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I also rise in support of H.R. 5591, introduced by my 
colleague from Washington, Representative McMorris Rodgers, which, as 
the gentleman has just said, designates the airport traffic control 
tower located at Spokane International Airport as the Ray Daves Air 
Traffic Control Tower.
  Again, I urge all our colleagues to also support it.
  Mr. OBERSTAR. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 5591, as 
amended, introduced by the gentlewoman from Washington (Mrs. McMorris 
Rodgers), which designates the airport traffic control tower located at 
Spokane International Airport in Spokane, Washington, as the ``Ray 
Daves Air Traffic Control Tower''.
  The air traffic controllers in Spokane, Washington, were so inspired 
by the biography of Ray Daves, a World War II radioman and civilian air 
traffic controller, that they began urging to have the airport traffic 
control tower where he had worked named after him.
  Ray Daves was a radioman for the U.S. Navy during World War II. He 
survived the bombing of Pearl Harbor. During the attack, he carried 
ammunition to a machine gun on the second-story roof of the U.S. 
Pacific Fleet Headquarters on Oahu, Hawaii. Later, Daves volunteered 
for service aboard the USS Yorktown aircraft carrier, where he was 
assigned to the emergency radio room. He was present during the Battle 
of the Coral Sea and the sinking of Yorktown during the Battle of 
Midway in 1942.
  During the rest of World War II, Daves served his country in Alaska 
as a radioman at Cold Bay, Alaska, for the U.S. Navy's air fields in 
the Aleutian Islands and flew ``second seat'' as gunner for aerial 
search-and-destroy missions against Japanese submarines in Alaskan 
waters. He also served as a liaison for the Soviet Air Force pilots who 
acquired U.S. bombers and fighter planes for the war in Europe. Daves 
taught at the Navy's school for radiomen in Gulfport, Mississippi, from 
1945 until the end of the war.
  When the war was over, Daves became a civilian air traffic controller 
at Geiger Field, later known as the Spokane International Airport in 
Spokane, Washington. He worked as an air traffic controller there for 
almost 30 years (from 1946 to 1974). Currently, Daves volunteers by 
educating other veterans about the Honor Flight program, which helps 
World War II veterans visit the memorial in their honor located in 
Washington, DC.
  I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 5591.
  Mrs. McMORRIS RODGERS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of 
H.R. 5591, to designate the Federal Aviation Administration facility at 
the Spokane International Airport in Spokane, Washington, as the ``Ray 
Daves Air Traffic Control Tower.'' I thank Chairman Oberstar and 
Ranking Member Mica for bringing the bill to the floor today.
  As the sponsor of this bill, it is with great pride I stand here 
today. Ray Daves is a Purple Heart recipient and Pearl Harbor survivor 
who served our nation aboard the USS Yorktown throughout the Pacific 
during World War II.

[[Page H7094]]

  While Ray's military service alone warrants this dedication, his 
commitment to his country and community since leaving the military 
justifies it as well. For the last 65 years, Ray has made Spokane his 
home--first working as an air traffic controller and still to this day 
volunteering his time to educate others about the Honor Flight Program 
for World War II veterans.
  This recognition not only commemorates Ray's sacrifices and 
accomplishments, but also those made by the greatest generation, whose 
sacrifices to our country will never be forgotten.
  I urge all of my colleagues to support H.R. 5591 and join me in 
thanking Ray Daves and those like him for his life of service.
  Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida. I yield back the balance of my 
time.
  Mr. SCHAUER. 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 Michigan (Mr. Schauer) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 5591, 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 airport 
traffic control tower located at Spokane International Airport in 
Spokane, Washington, as the `Ray Daves Air Traffic Control Tower'.''.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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