[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 173 (Monday, November 14, 2011)]
[House]
[Pages H7409-H7411]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       PRIVATE FIRST CLASS ALEJANDRO R. RUIZ POST OFFICE BUILDING

  Mr. FARENTHOLD. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass 
the bill (H.R. 3004) to designate the facility of the United States 
Postal Service located at 260 California Drive in Yountville, 
California, as the ``Private First Class Alejandro R. Ruiz Post Office 
Building''.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 3004

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

     SECTION 1. PRIVATE FIRST CLASS ALEJANDRO R. RUIZ POST OFFICE 
                   BUILDING.

       (a) Designation.--The facility of the United States Postal 
     Service located at 260 California Drive in Yountville, 
     California, shall be known and designated as the ``Private 
     First Class Alejandro R. Ruiz 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 ``Private First Class Alejandro R. Ruiz 
     Post Office Building''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Texas (Mr. Farenthold) and the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Cummings) 
each will control 20 minutes.

[[Page H7410]]

  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Texas.


                             General Leave

  Mr. FARENTHOLD. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all 
Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend 
their remarks and include extraneous materials on the bill under 
consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Texas?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. FARENTHOLD. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  H.R. 3004, introduced by the gentleman from California (Mr. 
Thompson), would designate the facility of the United States Postal 
Service located at 260 California Drive in Yountville, California, as 
the Private First Class Alejandro R. Ruiz Post Office Building. This 
bill is cosponsored by the entire California State delegation and was 
reported by the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform on 
November 3.
  Madam Speaker, it is altogether fitting and proper that we name this 
post office in honor of Private First Class Ruiz. Born on April 26, 
1924, in Loving, New Mexico, PFC Ruiz enlisted in the Army during World 
War II and was deployed to the island of Okinawa in 1945. On April 28, 
1945, PFC Ruiz and his platoon were ambushed by Japanese soldiers 
hiding in fortified bunkers. Under a hail of machine gun fire, with 
enemy grenades being lobbed from every direction, PFC Ruiz single-
handedly killed 12 Japanese soldiers and completely destroyed the enemy 
machine gun nest.
  In the face of overwhelming odds, PFC Ruiz acted with the utmost 
courage, risking his own life to save the lives of many of his fellow 
soldiers. While he was shot in the leg during the battle, PFC Ruiz and 
his squad leader were the only two men to escape death or serious 
injury that day. For his bravery and valor, Private First Class Ruiz 
was presented with the Medal of Honor by President Truman in June of 
1946. He went on to continue his service in the Army, fighting in the 
Korean War and retired a master sergeant in the mid-1960s.
  Sadly, Madam Speaker, on November 23, 2009, Private First Class Ruiz 
died of congestive heart failure at a hospital in Napa, California, at 
85 years of age. I am truly grateful for the service of Private First 
Class Ruiz and all the men and women who put their lives on the line to 
protect and defend our country each day. I urge all Members to join me 
in strong support of this bill.
  With that, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. CUMMINGS. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  I am pleased to join my colleagues in supporting H.R. 3004, which 
designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 
260 California Drive in Yountville, California, as the Private First 
Class Alejandro R. Ruiz Post Office Building.
  This measure was introduced on September 21, 2011, by our colleague 
from California, Representative Mike Thompson, and has been cosponsored 
by all members of the California delegation. H.R. 3004 was favorably 
reported out of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee on 
November 3, 2011.
  Alejandro R. Ruiz served his country valiantly for nearly 20 years, 
reaching the rank of master sergeant by the time of his retirement.

                              {time}  1650

  Born in New Mexico, Mr. Ruiz served our Nation with exceptional 
courage and valor. During service in World War II, his unit, the 27th 
Infantry Division of the 165th Infantry, was ambushed by Japanese 
troops sheltered in a camouflaged pillbox on Okinawa. Private First 
Class Ruiz grabbed an automatic rifle and charged forward through a 
storm of bullets and grenades. As an enemy soldier rushed toward him, 
his weapon jammed. After clubbing the enemy with the butt of his rifle, 
Private First Class Ruiz grabbed a different rifle, charged the pillbox 
and killed 12 enemy soldiers stationed inside. He was awarded the 
Congressional Medal of Honor for his actions.
  Mr. Ruiz died on November 23, 2009, of heart failure in Yountville, 
California. He was 85 years old.
  I ask that we pass H.R. 3004 to honor Alejandro Ruiz' heroic actions 
in defense of our Nation as well as the long and productive life he 
lived thereafter.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. FARENTHOLD. Madam Speaker, I have no further requests for time, 
so I continue to reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. CUMMINGS. I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from California and 
sponsor of the bill, Congressman Mike Thompson.
  Mr. THOMPSON of California. I thank the gentleman from Texas for 
bringing this bill to the floor. I also thank the ranking member for 
his good work on this and for yielding me time to speak on this.
  This is very near and dear to me. The California Veterans Home in 
Yountville, California, is in the heart of my district and my home 
county. I've known it my entire life, and it's been home to many brave 
men and women who have served courageously in our military. These are 
heroes and heroines who put their lives on the line for everything that 
we as Americans believe in and everything that we enjoy today.
  There is a post office on that facility that provides mail service 
for 1,100 heroes and heroines at the California Veterans Home. These 
guys get their mail there every day. It saves them from having to make 
an impossible trek to the closest town. If they were forced to do that, 
it would put them again in harm's way because it is a very dangerous 
route to travel; and in their advanced age, it makes no sense for them 
to have to do that. So this is a very, very important facility.
  And here just recently, a very distinguished hero at the California 
Veterans Home, Alejandro Ruiz, passed away. The reason we want to name 
the post office after Alejandro Ruiz is because he earned a 
Congressional Medal of Honor. Now, it has already been noted on the 
floor the heroic activities of the day in question, but here's a man 
who, without any concern for his own safety, charged an enemy pillbox 
filled with enemy combatants, avoiding rifle fire, avoiding grenades, 
and took this responsibility on to save his comrades who were there 
fighting with him.
  When his weapon became disabled, he returned, got another weapon, 
more ammunition, and again charged this pillbox. On the second attempt, 
he was able to reach the pillbox, get on top of it, and dispatch all 
those who were trying to kill his comrades. Had it not been for his 
activities, many Americans would have lost their lives that day, and 
the advancement of the American troops would have been stopped.
  This man is a true hero, and that is probably redundant given he has 
received the Congressional Medal of Honor, and I think it is the 
appropriate tribute to name this postal facility after Alejandro Ruiz.
  Mr. CUMMINGS. Madam Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and 
I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. FARENTHOLD. Madam Speaker, I urge all Members to support the 
passage of this bill, H.R. 3004, and I yield back the balance of my 
time.
  Mr. BACA. Madam Speaker, I rise today in recognition of H.R. 3004, to 
designate a United States Post Office in Yountville, California as the 
``Private First Class Alejandro R. Ruiz Post Office Building.''
  Pfc. Ruiz was a former United States Army soldier who served our 
nation honorably between 1944 to 1964.
  He received the Medal of Honor on June 26, 1946 for his actions in 
the Battle of Okinawa in the Ryukyu Islands during World War II.
  President Harry S. Truman presented Pfc. Ruiz with the highest 
military decoration the United States has to offer.
  Pfc. Ruiz's unit was stopped by a camouflaged enemy pillbox where 
these soldiers encountered machinegun fire and grenade attacks.
  Pfc. Ruiz was able to destroy the pillbox under heavy fire and save 
the lives of many comrades.
  He faced overwhelming odds and not only served his unit bravely, but 
also served his country admirably.
  As a Member of Congress, and a veteran, I am proud to stand here 
before you because of the efforts of Pfc. Ruiz, and soldiers like him.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Farenthold) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 3004.

[[Page H7411]]

  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. CUMMINGS. 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, further 
proceedings on this question will be postponed.
  The point of no quorum is considered withdrawn.

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