[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 147 (Wednesday, September 28, 2016)]
[House]
[Pages H6021-H6023]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        PFC JAMES DUNN VA CLINIC

  Mr. LAMBORN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (S. 3283) to designate the community-based outpatient clinic of 
the Department of Veterans Affairs in Pueblo, Colorado, as the ``PFC 
James Dunn VA Clinic''.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                                S. 3283

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

     SECTION 1. DESIGNATION OF PFC JAMES DUNN VA CLINIC IN PUEBLO, 
                   COLORADO.

       (a) Designation.--The community-based outpatient clinic of 
     the Department of Veterans Affairs in Pueblo, Colorado, shall 
     after the date of the enactment of this Act be known and 
     designated as the ``PFC James Dunn VA Clinic''.
       (b) References.--Any reference in any law, regulation, map, 
     document, paper, or other record of the United States to the 
     community-based outpatient clinic referred to in subsection 
     (a) shall be considered to be a reference to the PFC James 
     Dunn VA Clinic.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Colorado (Mr. Lamborn) and the gentlewoman from California (Ms. 
Brownley) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Colorado.


                             General Leave

  Mr. LAMBORN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and 
add extraneous materials.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Colorado?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. LAMBORN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of S. 3283 to name the 
Department of Veterans Affairs community-based outpatient clinic in 
Pueblo, Colorado, the PFC James Dunn VA Clinic.
  I am grateful to this bill's sponsor, Senator Cory Gardner, for his 
efforts introducing this legislation. I am also grateful to my 
colleague and friend, the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Tipton), for his 
work championing this

[[Page H6022]]

bill in the House and ensuring that Private First Class Dunn is honored 
for his service.
  PFC Dunn was a Colorado native and a long-time resident of the city 
of Pueblo. He enlisted in the United States Marine Corps in 1942, when 
he was just 22 years old.
  While serving in the Solomon Islands in the Pacific theater later 
that year, PFC Dunn and 12 of his fellow marines were separated from 
the rest of their patrol and pinned down by hostile fire. After the 
commanding officer and the second in command were severely wounded, PFC 
Dunn--on his own initiative and with complete disregard for his own 
safety--assumed command.
  In the face of fierce mortar and machine-gun fire, he successfully 
led his men to cover and eventually to safety. In recognition of his 
bravery and leadership throughout that incident, he was awarded the 
Navy Cross.
  S. 3283 satisfies the committee's naming criteria and is supported by 
the entire Colorado congressional delegation as well as by veterans 
service organizations, including the Disabled American Veterans and the 
Veterans of Foreign Wars. I urge all of my colleagues to join me in 
supporting this legislation.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. BROWNLEY of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as 
I may consume.
  I rise today in support of S. 3283, a bill to designate the 
community-based outpatient clinic of the Department of Veterans Affairs 
in Pueblo, Colorado, as the PFC James Dunn VA Clinic.
  Marine Reservist PFC James Dunn, Jr., was awarded the Navy Cross for 
his heroism in Guadalcanal in 1943. His award is the second highest 
award for valor that the Navy has. I am often told this about heroes: 
ordinary men do extraordinary things.
  Later in life, Jim Dunn was asked why he joined the Marines, and he 
simply responded: ``Uncle Sam needed me.''
  Let me highlight from his citation for the Navy Cross:

       When the combat patrol with which he was serving came under 
     heavy machine-gun shelling, Private First Class Dunn, along 
     with 11 marines and their command officer, became separated 
     from the remainder of the patrol and were pinned down by 
     hostile fire. After the commanding officer and the second in 
     command had been severely wounded, Private First Class Dunn, 
     on his own initiative and with complete disregard for 
     personal safety, promptly assumed command and led the men to 
     jungle cover in the face of fierce mortar and machine-gun 
     fire. Again trapped by Japanese, he reconnoitered and finally 
     succeeded in leading his group, including the wounded, to 
     their own lines.

  As you can see by this citation, PFC James Dunn put the safety of his 
colleagues above his own. For his courage in the face of grave danger, 
he was decorated with the Navy Cross.
  Following the war, James Dunn returned home to Pueblo, Colorado, 
where he lived with his family before passing away in 2000.
  Mr. Speaker, I salute this brave marine and support the passage of 
this bill.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. LAMBORN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from 
Colorado (Mr. Tipton), my friend and colleague from the Third 
Congressional District. I serve with Representative Tipton, and his 
district includes Pueblo. Many times we have discussed what is good for 
the people of Colorado and what we can do to help, where the Federal 
role is appropriate; and I have to tell you, Representative Tipton is a 
strong fighter and tireless in serving his district, and especially 
Pueblo itself.
  Mr. TIPTON. Mr. Speaker, I thank the ranking member for the 
bipartisan support on this legislation, and I want to extend my sincere 
thanks to Congressman Lamborn for all of his hard work on behalf of our 
VA and the healthcare issues for our veterans who are so in need of 
making sure those promises are fulfilled for them.
  Mr. Speaker, today I rise to speak in support of naming one small 
part of that healthcare system after a true American hero, Private 
First Class James Dunn. James Dunn was born in Stratton, Colorado, and 
found work in Pueblo, Colorado, at the steel mill after he graduated 
from high school.
  While walking down the street one day in June of 1942, he saw what we 
now consider a classic poster of Uncle Sam pointing straight at him 
saying, ``I want you.'' Fascinated, he entered the recruiting station 
and noticed that the line to enlist in the Marines was empty compared 
to the line for the Navy. That made his choice easy. When asked later 
why he joined, his reply was simple: ``Uncle Sam needed me.''
  PFC Dunn was initially placed with a group of marines that were being 
reorganized as L-3-6 at Camp Elliott, California, before they were 
shipped to New Zealand to train and maneuver in the mountainous terrain 
that could be found there.

                              {time}  1330

  Then, in early January 1943, PFC Dunn's group of Marines was sent to 
relieve the original force that invaded Guadalcanal.
  On January 20, 1943, Dunn's platoon was split into three squads and 
were conducting a scouting mission when they came under heavy enemy 
fire. The citation describing his actions that day states, in part, 
``After the commanding officer and the second in command had been 
severely wounded, Private First Class Dunn, on his own initiative and 
with complete disregard of personal safety, promptly assumed command 
and led the men to jungle cover in the face of fierce mortar and 
machine-gun fire.''
  Dunn was later awarded the Navy Cross for his action that day and was 
credited by many of the surviving members of his platoon for saving 
their lives.
  PFC Dunn went on to serve in the campaigns on Tinian and Okinawa. All 
told, when he was discharged, Dunn had spent all but 6 months of his 
3\1/2\ years in the Marines overseas. When he returned to Pueblo, he 
married the love of his life Mary Knez and they had two sons, Mike and 
Jeff. In his civilian life, he became a Mason, enjoyed reading, and, 
for many years, delivered meals to shut-ins, continuing his service to 
others. After 54 years of marriage, James passed away in Pueblo on July 
5, 2000.
  PFC James Dunn embodies the proud military traditions and rugged 
spirit of the city and the county of Pueblo, Colorado, and I am happy 
to support the naming of this outpatient clinic in his honor.
  Mr. Speaker, I have had the opportunity to be able to tour that 
clinic and to be able to visit with veterans. He would be honored and 
pleased to see that PFC James Dunn is now going to be affixed to that 
facility. Pueblo is known as the home of heroes, and rightly so. PFC 
James Dunn certainly fits that category.
  I would like to thank the Pueblo VA Naming Committee for all of their 
efforts to support the renaming of this clinic, the support of the 
United Veterans Council of Colorado, and the many veterans service 
organizations that it counts as members.
  I would also like to thank all of my colleagues in the Colorado 
delegation for their support and the staff and leadership of the 
Committee on Veterans Affairs for working with my office to accomplish 
this important task.
  I would like to encourage all of my colleagues to support this bill, 
and I thank the Dunn family for their heroic father and husband and for 
his service to our country.
  Ms. BROWNLEY of California. Mr. Speaker, I simply just want to say 
that I urge my colleagues to support passage of this legislation.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. LAMBORN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
  In conclusion, Mr. Speaker, I would ask the House to support this. I 
think this is one of those opportunities where, with strong bipartisan 
support, we can pass this legislation and honor the memory of a true 
American hero, as Representative Tipton and the ranking member of the 
subcommittee have both talked about.
  This is appropriate for Pueblo, I agree. Pueblo is the home of 
heroes. They got that name because there were so many people from 
Pueblo who have received the Congressional Medal of Honor. I don't know 
if there is something in the water or what, but it is touching to see 
that kind of patriotism coming out of the people of Pueblo. That really 
warms my heart.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by

[[Page H6023]]

the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Lamborn) that the House suspend the 
rules and pass the bill, S. 3283.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mr. LAMBORN. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further 
proceedings on this motion will be postponed.

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