[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 57 (Monday, May 2, 2011)]
[House]
[Pages H2920-H2922]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               SPECIALIST MICHEAL E. PHILLIPS POST OFFICE

  Mr. LANKFORD. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 1423) to designate the facility of the United States Postal 
Service located at 115 4th Avenue Southwest in

[[Page H2921]]

Ardmore, Oklahoma, as the ``Specialist Micheal E. Phillips Post 
Office''.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 1423

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

     SECTION 1. SPECIALIST MICHEAL E. PHILLIPS POST OFFICE.

       (a) Designation.--The facility of the United States Postal 
     Service located at 115 4th Avenue Southwest in Ardmore, 
     Oklahoma, shall be known and designated as the ``Specialist 
     Micheal E. Phillips 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 ``Specialist Micheal E. Phillips Post 
     Office''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Oklahoma (Mr. Lankford) and the gentlewoman from the District of 
Columbia (Ms. Norton) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Oklahoma.


                             General Leave

  Mr. LANKFORD. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their 
remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under 
consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Oklahoma?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. LANKFORD. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, H.R. 1423, introduced by the gentleman from Oklahoma 
(Mr. Cole), would designate the facility of the United States Post 
Office located at 115 4th Avenue Southwest in Ardmore, Oklahoma, as the 
Specialist Micheal E. Phillips Post Office. This bill is cosponsored by 
the entire Oklahoma State delegation and was favorably reported without 
amendment by the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform on April 
13.
  Mr. Speaker, it's altogether fitting and proper that we name this 
post office in Ardmore for Army Specialist Phillips to honor a true 
American hero and his service to country. At this moment in our war on 
terrorism, with the recent death of Osama Bin Laden, this is a moment 
to remember those who have been fighting the war on terror for years.
  Micheal E. Phillips hailed from Ardmore, Oklahoma, and graduated from 
Ardmore High School in 2006. At Ardmore High, Specialist Phillips 
excelled in both academics and athletics, playing football, track, and 
cross country. He loved history as well as drawing, and was so talented 
he was offered admission to the San Francisco Art Institute. Instead, 
however, Specialist Phillips felt a calling to serve his country.
  His mother recalled that, ``He came home one day and said he wanted 
to join the Army, and we got in the car and went down to the recruiting 
station.''
  With this motivation and inspiration to serve and protect the country 
he loved, Specialist Phillips enlisted in the Army in 2006 and was 
assigned to the Army's 1st Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd 
Brigade Combat Team, 101st Air Division, based in Fort Campbell, 
Kentucky.
  Tragically, on February 24, 2008, Specialist Phillips was killed when 
the vehicle he was riding in was hit by an improvised explosive device 
in Baghdad. He was 19 years old, and he left behind his parents, Angela 
and Steve, as well as two younger brothers and a younger sister.
  As a Representative from Oklahoma, it is an honor to stand before 
this body and pay tribute to a fellow Oklahoman who made the ultimate 
sacrifice courageously defending our freedom.
  I am truly grateful for the service of Specialist Phillips and for 
all of those who serve and protect us each and every day. I urge all 
Members to join me in strong support of this bill.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 1423, a bill to rename 
the 4th Avenue post office in Ardmore, Oklahoma, after Army Specialist 
Micheal E. Phillips, who died at the young age of 19 while serving our 
country in Iraq.
  Specialist Phillips was a member of the 101st Airborne Division based 
in Fort Campbell, Kentucky. He died on February 24, 2008, in Baghdad 
from wounds sustained when his vehicle encountered an improvised 
explosive device.
  Specialist Phillips loved history and was a true student athlete who 
ran cross country and played football while attending Ardmore High 
School. He also excelled at drawing and had been offered admission to 
the San Francisco Art Institute.
  But Specialist Phillips had other plans. He volunteered to serve his 
country before attending college and, by all accounts, was an excellent 
soldier, always willing to go the extra mile and constantly trying to 
improve himself.
  Specialist Phillips made the ultimate sacrifice defending our 
freedom. We honor his sacrifice today by naming the Post Office on 4th 
Avenue in Ardmore, Oklahoma, the Specialist Micheal E. Phillips Post 
Office.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. LANKFORD. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the 
gentleman from the great State of Oklahoma (Mr. Cole), a distinguished 
colleague and friend and the sponsor of this legislation.
  Mr. COLE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1423, a bill I 
sponsored, to designate the post office in Ardmore, Oklahoma, as the 
Specialist Micheal E. Phillips Post Office.
  Micheal was driven by a personal sense of duty and honor. He joined 
the Army because he recognized injustice and terror in our world and 
sought to make a difference. Specialist Micheal Phillips lived out that 
sense of duty through military service and made the ultimate sacrifice 
to ensure our Nation remained secure and free.
  Mr. Speaker, Micheal turned down an opportunity to attend the San 
Francisco Art Institute to volunteer for the United States Army. When 
asked why he wanted to join the Army, Micheal simply stated, ``I want a 
career and we are at war.'' Specialist Phillips saw terrorists as 
thugs, often referring to them as the ``ultimate bullies in the 
world.'' A fervent student of history, Micheal knew that his service 
would be against a tough and formidable enemy, still he 
enthusiastically embraced what he believed was the right decision and 
enlisted in the United States Army.
  Mr. Speaker, Micheal Phillips was only 17 years of age when he joined 
the military via the delayed entry program. He left for boot camp on 
June 24, 2006. Upon finishing advanced infantry training, Micheal was 
assigned to Bravo Company 1 of the 502nd Strike Brigade of the 101st 
Airborne Division, one of the most storied divisions in the United 
States Army. On October 13, 2007, Micheal and his brothers in arms were 
deployed to Iraq for combat operations.
  Micheal's enthusiasm for his work inspired members of his platoon. In 
addition to his enthusiasm, Specialist Phillips also endeavored to 
foster real camaraderie amongst his fellow soldiers. Even in the middle 
of a war, it was said that Micheal made bad times good and good times 
better. Micheal's team leader, Sergeant Matthew Whalen praised his 
abilities in terrain association, map reading, and his tremendous 
bravery in combat. Sergeant Whalen reflected on Specialist Phillips' 
leadership skills, noting, ``I know that soldiers that did serve with 
him have taken away with them, as I have, the undoubted and unmistaken 
values that he always possessed and always portrayed.''
  Mr. Speaker, Specialist Micheal E. Phillips was killed in action on 
February 24, 2008, in Shula, Iraq, just outside of Baghdad. An 
explosively formed penetrator, a so-called EFP, hit the driver's side 
of the door on the vehicle that he was driving. Despite the severity of 
his injuries, he continued to smile and reassure those taking care of 
him. Even in the most grim and serious times, Micheal still fought and 
lifted up those around him.

                              {time}  1810

  For his service, Specialist Micheal Phillips was awarded a Bronze 
Star. He was also designated as a Distinguished Member of the 502nd 
Infantry Regiment. The Distinguished Member award is for those who 
display honorable service, loyalty on active duty in peace or war. 
These are qualities Micheal Phillips lived with each and every day of 
his service career.

[[Page H2922]]

  Mr. Speaker, Micheal always gave more than his share back to his 
community. When he did have time away from his duty, he would often 
visit his high school to speak with students and encourage them to 
pursue their goals.
  Never without a smile, Micheal fought for his country, his community, 
and his family with valor and with honor. He wanted others in the world 
to have the freedoms and opportunities that we enjoy here in the United 
States, and he risked his life to achieve that end.
  Like many who have made the ultimate sacrifice, Specialist Micheal 
Phillips leaves behind loved ones, friends, and comrades in arms who 
treasure his memory and honor his service. Micheal is survived by his 
parents, Steven and Angelia Phillips; his brothers, David and Anthony; 
and his sister, Barbara--all of Ardmore, Oklahoma. He also leaves 
behind a Nation and a community that will never forget his courage, his 
sacrifice, and his devotion to duty.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge the passage of this legislation.
  Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I note that we are honoring Specialist 
Phillips the day after we learned that the Nation has met its 
commitment to kill or capture Osama bin Laden. We could not have known 
when this bill was placed on the calendar that it would come at a time 
like this when we honor men and women who have served in Iraq or 
Afghanistan. We cannot help but be grateful for their service, 
especially today.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. LANKFORD. Mr. Speaker, this weekend I spoke with Specialist 
Micheal Phillips' mom. She reminded me that Micheal was the first 
student in 10 years to sign up for the Army from Ardmore High School. 
He was recognized as the Distinguished Member of the Regiment because 
of his capacity to keep up morale among his peers.
  I would like to leave the House with two quotes from Specialist 
Phillips. The first comes from a letter that Specialist Phillips sent 
to the assistant principal at Ardmore High School. Phillips wrote, ``I 
am doing this for my family, for you, for everyone, for America, to 
protect it from the bad guys.''
  The second, as recalled by his mother: ``He said terrorism was like a 
virus. It had to be stopped. It had to be contained.''
  Mr. Speaker, in light of yesterday's events in Pakistan with the 
death of Osama bin Laden, these words, both spoken and written by 
Specialist Phillips, couldn't be more timing or fitting. This young 
man's passion was to protect this country from the bad guys, the 
terrorists who then and now want to do us harm.
  Specialist Phillips ended up making the ultimate sacrifice, combating 
terrorism, protecting the country that he loved. For that, Mr. Speaker, 
I am eternally grateful and so is his Nation.

  The soldiers who carried out the operation yesterday, as well as the 
members of our intelligence community who have spent nearly 10 years 
hunting down the mastermind behind 9/11, are much like Specialist 
Phillips, brave and courageous individuals who sacrifice so much and 
risk it all, keeping us safe and preventing the bad guys from harming 
more innocent people.
  I have the utmost respect for each and every person in our Armed 
Forces and intelligence community, and I would like to express my 
sincere gratitude for what they do and have done. They truly make me 
proud to be an American.
  Again, I urge Members to join me in support of H.R. 1423.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. Lankford) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 1423.
  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. LANKFORD. 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.

                          ____________________