[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 42 (Wednesday, March 16, 2016)]
[House]
[Page H1395]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      LOUIS VAN IERSEL POST OFFICE

  (Ms. JUDY CHU of California asked and was given permission to address 
the House for 1 minute.)
  Ms. JUDY CHU of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the 
memory of Mr. Louis Van Iersel by introducing a bill to rename the 
Sierra Madre post office in his memory.
  Mr. Van Iersel's incredible life is a true example of the American 
Dream. He arrived in the United States as an immigrant from the 
Netherlands in 1917 and enlisted in the U.S. Army the very next day. He 
learned English while working in the kitchen before moving on to the 
battlefield.
  For his acts of bravery that saved over 1,000 American lives on a 
single mission, Mr. Van Iersel was awarded our Nation's highest 
recognition, the Medal of Honor.
  After the war, Mr. Van Iersel moved to my district, in the city of 
Sierra Madre, to raise his family. But when World War II began, Mr. Van 
Iersel, along with his three sons, reenlisted, this time serving in the 
Marines.
  An immigrant, veteran, father, and husband, Mr. Van Iersel 
exemplified courage and service to his country. It is my honor to 
memorialize him forever in this way.

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