[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 140 (Monday, November 17, 2014)]
[House]
[Pages H8005-H8006]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
COLONEL M.J. ``MAC'' DUBE, USMC POST OFFICE BUILDING
Mr. ISSA. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill
(H.R. 5331) to designate the facility of the United States Postal
Service located at 73839 Gorgonio Drive in Twentynine Palms,
California, as the ``Colonel M.J. `Mac' Dube, USMC Post Office
Building''.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 5331
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. COLONEL M.J. ``MAC'' DUBE, USMC POST OFFICE
BUILDING.
(a) Designation.--The facility of the United States Postal
Service located at 73839 Gorgonio Drive in Twentynine Palms,
California, shall be known and designated as the ``Colonel
M.J. `Mac' Dube, USMC Post Office Building''.
[[Page H8006]]
(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 ``Colonel M.J. `Mac' Dube, USMC Post
Office Building''.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
California (Mr. Issa) and the gentleman from Vermont (Mr. Welch) each
will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from California.
General Leave
Mr. ISSA. 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 California?
There was no objection.
Mr. ISSA. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 5331, introduced by
my fellow Californian, Mr. Paul Cook, to designate the facility of the
United States Postal Service located at 73839 Gorgonio Drive in
Twentynine Palms, California, as the Colonel M.J. ``Mac'' Dube, U.S.
Marine Corps Post Office Building.
First, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from
California, Congressman Cook, the author of the bill, to speak more
about this Vietnam war veteran.
Mr. COOK. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 5331 would designate the facility that
was already mentioned on Gorgonio Drive in Twentynine Palms as the
Colonel M.J. ``Mac'' Dube, United States Marine Corps Post Office
Building.
Mac passed away this year, but will always be remembered in
Twentynine Palms as a United States Marine and a dedicated public
servant.
Mac and I, ironically enough, both served as colonels at the same
time, an honor I will always remember and cherish. Mac was a great
marine. He served for over 30 years. He earned four Purple Hearts,
multiple wars, four Bronze Stars with Combat ``V,'' and a Silver Star.
After a career as the Chief of Staff at the Marine Corps Air Ground
Combat Center, he retired in Twentynine Palms, where he went to work,
ran for office, became the mayor, and became a council member. Then
when he was done with that, he served in multiple county offices,
oftentimes as a volunteer.
His children grew up there. He was deeply involved and was somebody
that, ironically enough, was part of the Marine community on the
military side and, obviously, the civilian community and the county
side on the other side of the fence.
This is a tribute to a man who dedicated his life to serving his
Nation, serving the Marine Corps, and serving the Twentynine Palms
community. He left a legacy for all those who will come after him. He
was always in town. He gave so many things to so many people. He was
the most generous individual I ever knew, and I think that he will
always be remembered in the Twentynine Palms area for his hard work,
his dedication, and his patriotism.
Mr. WELCH. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
I am delighted to join in support of this postal naming, and it is
just such a pleasure to listen to the gentleman from California (Mr.
Cook) talk about a friend he knew who was a fellow colonel and then to
see what he did after his life of service in the military, his life of
service with his own folks back home, and I look at some of the things
he did, and I am just amazed.
He served in 46 combat missions. He earned four Purple Hearts. That
means, basically, he dodged death at least four times. How he managed
to do this and then put it all behind him--he probably never talked
about it; instead, he preferred much more to just find a way to help
folks back home when the bullets weren't flying.
But he knew service in the military and service back home were
equally important. This is an extraordinary person, and we are very
honored that the gentleman is bringing this bill forward and that we
will be able to recognize his contributions in the memory of a postal
naming.
Mr. COOK. Will the gentleman yield for a comment?
Mr. WELCH. I yield to the gentleman from California.
Mr. COOK. I thank the gentleman.
As I mentioned, I knew Mac very, very well, and I used to joke with
him, and I said, ``You know, I have two Purple Hearts, and it showed
that I was dumb enough to not duck twice, and you have four of them.
What does that say about your IQ?''
But he was a true American and would do anything, and I thank the
gentleman from Vermont so much for his support of the bill.
Mr. WELCH. Reclaiming my time, I thank the gentleman from California
(Mr. Cook), and Mr. Issa also thanks you.
It is a tough business we do here, but one of the things about these
namings is that it allows us to remind ourselves of what we can aspire
to be. I mean, these folks, in war and in peace, who just give
themselves to public service selflessly and effectively and then earn
the gratitude of the people back home, regardless of party, regardless
of politics, they just are trying to do a good thing to make their
community a better place and their country a stronger country.
I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. ISSA. I urge strong support for this bipartisan bill and yield
back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from California (Mr. Issa) that the House suspend the rules
and pass the bill, H.R. 5331.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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