Congressional Record, Volume 160 Issue 94 (Tuesday, June 17, 2014)

[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 94 (Tuesday, June 17, 2014)]
[House]
[Pages H5373-H5374]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

LANCE CORPORAL JOSHUA B. McDANIELS AND VETERANS MEMORIAL POST OFFICE
BUILDING

Mr. MEADOWS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 1391) to designate the facility of the United States Postal
Service located at 25 South Oak Street in London, Ohio, as the ``Lance
Corporal Joshua B. McDaniels and Veterans Memorial Post Office
Building''.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:

H.R. 1391

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

SECTION 1. LONDON FALLEN VETERANS MEMORIAL POST OFFICE.

(a) Designation.--The facility of the United States Postal
Service located at 25 South Oak Street in London, Ohio, shall
be known and designated as the ``London Fallen Veterans
Memorial 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 ``London Fallen Veterans Memorial Post
Office''.

The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
North Carolina (Mr. Meadows) and the gentleman from Vermont (Mr. Welch)
each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from North Carolina.

General Leave

Mr. MEADOWS. 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 materials on the bill under
consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from North Carolina?
There was no objection.
Mr. MEADOWS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
I rise today to urge my colleagues to support H.R. 1391, introduced
by Representative Stivers of Ohio and which would designate the postal
facility located at 25 South Oak Street in London, Ohio, as the London
Fallen Veterans Memorial Post Office. Our Nation's veterans have served
our country and many have made the ultimate sacrifice for our defense
and our freedom.
Three years ago, a young marine from Mr. Stivers' district, Corporal
Joshua McDaniels, was tragically killed while conducting combat
operations in Helmand province in Afghanistan on June 12, 2011. A
native of Dublin, Ohio, he was assigned to the 2nd Combat Engineer
Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp
Lejeune, North Carolina. He was only 21 years old.
Men and women like Corporal McDaniels put their lives on the line
every day so that we can enjoy the privileges of living in the United
States of America. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should
thank and honor them, their families, and all the members of the Armed
Forces across this great country. Mr. Speaker, it is my honor to stand
before this body and pay tribute to Corporal McDaniels and all the
brave men and women of our armed services.
Once again, I ask my colleagues to support H.R. 1391, and I reserve
the balance of my time.
Mr. WELCH. Mr. Speaker, I support this legislation and thank the
gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Stivers) for bringing this to the House floor
for consideration.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. MEADOWS. Mr. Speaker, I yield as much time as he may consume to
the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Stivers).
Mr. STIVERS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from North Carolina
for his help and the gentleman from Vermont for his support of H.R.
1391. It is a bill that will rename the post office in London, Ohio,
the London Fallen Veterans Memorial Post Office.

[[Page H5374]]

This has been an interesting journey. It started a few years ago when
I found out about the tragic death of Lance Corporal Joshua McDaniels
who had served in the Marines, and we started a bill that would have
named the post office after him. Then I heard from some of our Vietnam
veterans--17 were killed from London High School in the Vietnam war--
and they made the point very strongly and loudly that nothing had ever
been named for any of them. While we can never go back and fix the
inappropriate way that many of our Vietnam veterans were treated, I
thought it was important to move forward in a way that honored their
sacrifice as well as Joshua McDaniels' sacrifice and many other
individuals from London and Madison County.
Throughout history, citizens from London and Madison County have
fought bravely to defend our Nation and defend our freedoms.
Unfortunately, many of them have made the ultimate sacrifice, and I
would like to read a few of the names here today of the most recent
casualties in the wars we are in in Afghanistan and Iraq, or have been
in.
First, of course, Marine Lance Corporal Joshua McDaniels; second,
Army Corporal Kevin Prince; Army Specialist Jason Lucas; Army
Specialist Robert Swaney; and Army Chief Warrant Officer Matthew
Ruffner. These are just the most recent members from that community to
pay the ultimate sacrifice for our freedoms.
This bill was a small step to honor the memory of all those in
Madison County who have made the ultimate sacrifice, our fallen heroes,
including the 17 who paid the ultimate sacrifice in the Vietnam war.
Again, while none of us can go back and correct the way that our
Vietnam veterans have been treated, I think it is, today, an
opportunity for us to recognize those 17 as well as all past and future
fallen heroes who have paid the ultimate sacrifice by renaming the
London Post Office the Fallen Veterans Memorial Post Office.
I want to thank my constituent Mary Henry who came up with the idea
for this name. I want to make sure that we always remember the
sacrifices of our brave men and women. I think this post office in
London, Ohio, can stand as a tribute to all of our past fallen veterans
and the future veterans who will pay the ultimate sacrifice to preserve
our freedoms.
Thank you again to the gentleman from North Carolina and the
gentleman from Vermont. I want to thank Chairman Issa as well for
allowing this bill to come to the floor and his support.
I would urge all of my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on H.R. 1391 to
rename the London Post Office the London Fallen Veterans Memorial Post
Office.
Mr. WELCH. Mr. Speaker, I, too, would urge all of my colleagues to
vote in support of this postal renaming, and I yield back the balance
of my time.
Mr. MEADOWS. Mr. Speaker, I just want to thank the gentleman from
Ohio for his leadership on this particular issue, and specifically with
regards to our Vietnam veterans. Indeed, it was a tough time in the
service to our country. Many of them never got the welcome home that
they deserved when they came back. On behalf of my esteemed colleagues
here today and the gentleman from Ohio, I would like to officially tell
them, ``Welcome home.''
With that, I would urge the Members to support this bill and vote
unanimously, and I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Meadows) that the House suspend the
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 1391, 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 25 South Oak
Street in London, Ohio, as the `London Fallen Veterans Memorial Post
Office'.''.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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