[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 148 (Monday, December 8, 2014)]
[House]
[Pages H8841-H8842]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SGT. ZACHARY M. FISHER POST OFFICE
Mr. MEADOWS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 5794) to designate the facility of the United States Postal
Service located at 16105 Swingley Ridge Road in Chesterfield, Missouri,
as the ``Sgt. Zachary M. Fisher Post Office''.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 5794
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SGT. ZACHARY M. FISHER POST OFFICE.
(a) Designation.--The facility of the United States Postal
Service located at 16105 Swingley Ridge Road in Chesterfield,
Missouri, shall be known and designated as the ``Sgt. Zachary
M. Fisher 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 ``Sgt. Zachary M. Fisher 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.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 5794, introduced by
Representative Ann Wagner of Missouri, to designate the post office
located at 16105 Swingley Ridge Road in Chesterfield, Missouri, as the
Sgt. Zachary M. Fisher Post Office.
Army Sergeant Zachary Fisher, a native of Ballwin, Missouri, was
killed on July 14, 2010, at Forward Operating Base Lagman in
Afghanistan. He died of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his
vehicle and detonated an improvised explosive device. Sergeant Fisher
was only 24 years old.
Mr. Speaker, Sergeant Fisher was a brave young man. He decided to
join the Army Reserve, and then courageously volunteered to become a
member of the Active Duty military. Sergeant Fisher chose to put
himself in harm's way in order to protect the freedoms that we, as
Americans, enjoy every day. We owe him a great debt of gratitude for
making the ultimate sacrifice on our behalf.
I ask my colleagues to honor and memorialize Zachary M. Fisher's
service by supporting H.R. 5794.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. WELCH. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Again, it is a combination of humility and pride when we hear about
the lives of these brave young Americans. That is the second wonderful
person from Missouri, but all of us, in our States, have people that
have served America this way.
What strikes me here is Sergeant Fisher went from Iraq to
Afghanistan--he didn't have to do that, but he had a need to serve--and
the inspiring story about his selfless commitment to serving this
country when he had behind a loving family and a wife, and he
sacrificed all.
If he were here and were asked the question, ``Was it worth it?'' you
know he would say it was because he loved his family, he loved his
country, and he was willing and did give his life for his country.
So as a person here standing on the floor, as an American hearing
about the bravery of this young man, I want to thank Representative
Wagner for bringing this to the collective attention of the House of
Representatives, and we fully support this legislation. It is a small
honor for a large sacrifice.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. MEADOWS. Mr. Speaker, I yield as much time as she may consume to
my distinguished colleague from the State of Missouri (Mrs. Wagner).
Mrs. WAGNER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from North Carolina
for yielding the time and the gentleman from Vermont for his always
kind and compassionate words about our fallen heroes and these great
opportunities that we have to represent them and give living testament
to their bravery and their sacrifice.
Mr. Speaker, today I rise to honor a great American hero, Sergeant
Zachary M. Fisher, of my hometown of Ballwin, Missouri.
On July 14, 2010, Missouri's Second District lost a brave young man
when United States Army Sergeant Zach Fisher was killed by an IED while
serving during Operation Enduring Freedom.
Sergeant Fisher was assigned to the 27th Engineer Battalion of the
20th Engineer Brigade based out of Fort Bragg, North Carolina. He was,
indeed, 24 years old when he died at Forward Operating Base Lagman in
Afghanistan.
Zach was, again, from my hometown of Ballwin, Missouri, and he
graduated in 2004 from Marquette High School, where his history teacher
remembered him as a patriotic student with an interest in how the
United States developed as a country.
Zach met his beautiful and loving wife, Jessica, just before his
earlier deployment in Iraq. At the time of his death, they had been
married for just 2 years.
Zach is survived by his parents, Sue and Jim Jacobs and Bob and
Alicia Fisher; three brothers, Andrew, Clayton, and Alexander; and two
sisters, Emily and Zoe.
Zach initially enlisted in the U.S. Army Reserves, and when he told
his parents that he wanted to report for Active Duty, they asked him to
give two good reasons why he would choose to put himself in harm's way
for the service of his country. His reply said a lot about the
character of the man, Zach Fisher. First, he wanted to join the Army
because he wanted the discipline it would provide, and, more
importantly, he wanted to be a part of something bigger than himself.
Although the United States of America can never fully repay the
priceless debt we owe to Sergeant Fisher, we can do our part to ensure
that his memory lives on. Therefore, it is my honor to
[[Page H8842]]
sponsor H.R. 5794, a bill that names the Chesterfield main post office
after such a courageous young man, immortalizing a hero who gave up his
life in service to the Nation that he loved.
All of Zachary's friends would say that Zach was their best friend.
He was a dedicated warrior whose commitment to family, friends, and
country will be long remembered.
I am proud that this legislation will serve as a testament to the
dedication and sacrifice of Sergeant Zachary Fisher, standing as a
physical reminder of the bravery of one American from Missouri's Second
Congressional District who chose to serve a cause greater than oneself.
Mr. MEADOWS. Mr. Speaker, I urge all Members to support the passage
of H.R. 5794, 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. 5794.
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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