[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 138 (Thursday, September 24, 2015)]
[House]
[Pages H6200-H6201]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          STAFF SERGEANT ROBERT H. DIETZ POST OFFICE BUILDING

  Mr. CHAFFETZ. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 1442) to designate the facility of the United States Postal 
Service located at 90 Cornell Street in Kingston, New York, as the 
``Staff Sergeant Robert H. Dietz Post Office Building''.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 1442

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

     SECTION 1. STAFF SERGEANT ROBERT H. DIETZ POST OFFICE 
                   BUILDING.

       (a) Designation.--The facility of the United States Postal 
     Service located at 90 Cornell Street in Kingston, New York, 
     shall be known and designated as the ``Staff Sergeant Robert 
     H. Dietz 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 ``Staff Sergeant Robert H. Dietz Post 
     Office Building''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Utah (Mr. Chaffetz) and the gentleman from California (Mr. Ted Lieu) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Utah.


                             General Leave

  Mr. CHAFFETZ. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks 
and to include extraneous materials on the bill under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Utah?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. CHAFFETZ. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  I rise today in support of H.R. 1442, introduced by Congressman Chris 
Gibson. We are honored that he is championing this bill through the 
House.
  I think he has the best perspective from which to give an overview of 
why it is appropriate that we honor Staff Sergeant Robert Dietz for his 
sacrifice to this country and honor him.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman 
from New York (Mr. Gibson).
  Mr. GIBSON. I thank the chairman.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a member of the Greatest 
Generation from my district in upstate New York. H.R. 1442 renames the 
post office in Kingston, New York, after Staff Sergeant Robert Dietz, 
who was awarded the Medal of Honor for his courageous actions during 
World War II.
  Sergeant Dietz hailed from Kingston, New York, a proud and historical 
city in New York's 19th Congressional District.
  In March of 1945, Sergeant Dietz led his squad on an attack of a 
heavily fortified German position while protecting a key bridge.
  Under heavy machine gun fire, Sergeant Dietz advanced forward, 
clearing enemy obstacles, providing a path for the men of his squad and 
platoon.
  This selfless act enabled the success of this attack, but in the 
process, Sergeant Dietz made the supreme sacrifice and was killed while 
valiantly leading his men.
  Last year I had several local veterans' service organizations reach 
out to me to rename the post office in Kingston for Sergeant Dietz. I 
thank these organizations, including the Kingston Veterans Association, 
William Forte, and Dan Joyce, for their leadership and for their 
support of this bill.
  I want to thank Chairman Chaffetz, Ranking Member Cummings, and the 
entire Oversight and Government Reform Committee for passing this bill 
earlier this year.

[[Page H6201]]

  I also want to thank the entire New York State delegation for its 
strong support of this bill.
  Mr. Speaker, today we pause to remember Sergeant Dietz and all of 
those men and women who have lost their lives in defense of our 
freedoms.
  I encourage all of my colleagues to support H.R. 1442.
  Mr. TED LIEU of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as 
I may consume.
  I am pleased to join my colleagues in the consideration of H.R. 1442, 
a bill to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service as 
the ``Staff Sergeant Robert H. Dietz Post Office Building.''
  A Kingston native, Sergeant Dietz served in the Army's 38th Armored 
Infantry Battalion, 7th Armored Division, during World War II. He was 
posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his valor, and this is some 
of what he did.
  He was leading a squad as they advanced, and a minefield and two 
well-defended bridges blocked their path. Despite heavy fire, Sergeant 
Dietz led his men through the minefield and forged on.
  In a show of unmatched courage, Sergeant Dietz dodged bullets to 
independently advance to the first bridge, where he killed the bazooka 
team that was defending the structure.
  He continued to advance, killing another bazooka team as well as 
other German soldiers who fired at him. In his final act of bravery, 
Sergeant Dietz dove into waist-deep water to disconnect the demolition 
charges on the second bridge, and he was struck and killed by German 
sniper fire when he stood to alert his men that their route was then 
clear.
  Mr. Speaker, we should pass this bill in order to honor Sergeant 
Dietz' valiant actions and to remember a man who truly put his country 
before himself.
  I urge the passage of H.R. 1442.
  I yield back the balance of my time.

                              {time}  1345

  Mr. CHAFFETZ. Mr. Speaker, Staff Sergeant Dietz, this is what made 
America great. People like this stepped up and answered the call. They 
find themselves in a most impossible situation, but they are fighting 
for their country. It embodies the American spirit.
  I would urge the passage today of H.R. 1442.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Utah (Mr. Chaffetz) that the House suspend the rules and 
pass the bill, H.R. 1442.
  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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