[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 171 (Wednesday, November 30, 2016)]
[House]
[Pages H7016-H7017]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
U.S. NAVAL CONSTRUCTION BATTALION ``SEABEES'' FALLEN HEROES POST OFFICE
BUILDING
Mr. GOSAR. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill
(H.R. 6138) to designate the facility of the United States Postal
Service located at 560 East Pleasant Valley Road, Port Hueneme,
California, as the U.S. Naval Construction Battalion ``Seabees'' Fallen
Heroes Post Office Building.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 6138
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. U.S. NAVAL CONSTRUCTION BATTALION ``SEABEES''
FALLEN HEROES POST OFFICE BUILDING.
(a) Designation.--The facility of the United States Postal
Service located at 560 East Pleasant Valley Road, Port
Hueneme, California, shall be known and designated as the
``U.S. Naval Construction Battalion `Seabees' Fallen Heroes
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 ``U.S. Naval Construction Battalion
`Seabees' Fallen Heroes Post Office Building''.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Arizona (Mr. Gosar) and the gentlewoman from the Virgin Islands (Ms.
Plaskett) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Arizona.
General Leave
Mr. GOSAR. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may
have 5 legislative days in 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 Arizona?
There was no objection.
Mr. GOSAR. I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 6138, introduced by the
gentlewoman from California (Ms. Brownley). The bill designates a post
office in Port Hueneme, California, as the U.S. Naval Construction
Battalion ``Seabees'' Fallen Heroes Post Office Building.
The Seabees were founded during World War II to help complete
construction projects, such as airstrips and bridges necessary to help
U.S. servicemen win the war. These brave servicemen and -women have
since risked their lives in many conflicts to build bases, roadways,
airstrips, and other construction projects, often in combat zones while
under fire.
I look forward to hearing more about the achievements of the Seabees
from the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Brownley). For now, I urge
Members to support the bill.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. PLASKETT. I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 6138, a bill to
designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at
560 East Pleasant Valley Road, Port Hueneme, California, as the U.S.
Naval Construction Battalion ``Seabees'' Fallen Heroes Post Office
Building.
For over 70 years, the Seabees have provided critical naval
construction capabilities during times of war. They assisted in the
Normandy invasion during World War II, cut a mountain in half, and
carved through a jungle to build a runway during the Korean war,
constructed military facilities during
[[Page H7017]]
the Vietnam and gulf wars, and supported combat forces in Iraq. Today
they continue to build and maintain bases and infrastructure for
coalition forces in the global war on terror.
In addition to their military support, the Seabees have also provided
vital humanitarian assistance around the world in times of peace. They
have helped rebuild after devastating earthquakes, such as the one in
Haiti in 2010, and they have led various construction projects in a
number of undeveloped countries.
Mr. Speaker, we should pass this bill to honor the brave men and
women who have played such an important role in both our military and
humanitarian efforts around the globe. I urge my colleagues to support
H.R. 6138.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. GOSAR. I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. PLASKETT. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to
the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Brownley).
Ms. BROWNLEY of California. Mr. Speaker, as the very proud
representative of Naval Base Ventura County, the West Coast home of the
Navy Seabees, I rise today in support of H.R. 6138, which would
designate the United States Postal Office in Port Hueneme, California,
as the U.S. Naval Construction Battalion ``Seabees'' Fallen Heroes Post
Office Building.
My bill is intended to honor the many brave men and women of the U.S.
Naval Construction Battalion, also known as the Seabees, who have made
the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom. In their more than 70-year
history, the Seabees have diligently and honorably served our great
Nation in times of war and peace with their renowned can-do spirit.
They say: ``The difficult we do immediately. The impossible takes a
little longer.''
First established in 1942 after the attack on Pearl Harbor, the
Seabees were created to meet the demand for capable builders who could
also fight. Their motto is ``We build, we fight.'' During World War II,
over 250,000 Seabees passed through the Naval Construction Battalion
Center at Port Hueneme on their way to or from the Pacific theater.
The Seabees also played vital roles in the Korean war, the Vietnam
war, the Persian Gulf war, the Iraq war, and in Afghanistan, moving the
immovable and taming the untamable to build bases, roadways, airstrips,
and other critical infrastructure necessary for our troops to succeed
in their missions.
Although primarily known as builders, many Seabees fought tenaciously
throughout these conflicts, side by side with other servicemembers. For
instance, Construction Mechanic Third Class Marvin Glenn Shields, who
trained at Port Hueneme, battled bravely alongside U.S. Special Forces
in the Battle of Dong Xoai in Vietnam despite being badly wounded.
Ignoring his wounds, Marvin helped return a wounded special forces
second lieutenant back to safety while destroying a Viet Cong machine
gun emplacement. His bravery and heroism cost him his life. For his
conspicuous gallantry, Marvin was awarded the Medal of Honor after his
death.
My bill would honor the contributions of all of our fallen Seabees to
our Nation. I am both honored and proud to lead this effort to
recognize the heroism of many brave Seabees like Marvin Shields who
have paid so dearly for our freedom. We are forever indebted to them
for their immense service to our Nation.
Finally, I would like to thank the chair and ranking member of the
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform for supporting my bill, as
well as my colleagues from California who are all cosponsors of the
bill. I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 6138.
Ms. PLASKETT. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. GOSAR. Mr. Speaker, I urge the adoption of the bill. I yield back
the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Gosar) that the House suspend the rules and
pass the bill, H.R. 6138.
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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