[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 187 (Wednesday, November 15, 2017)]
[House]
[Pages H9291-H9292]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    HOWARD B. PATE, JR. POST OFFICE

  Mr. FARENTHOLD. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 3369) to designate the facility of the United States Postal 
Service located at 225 North Main Street in Spring Lake, North 
Carolina, as the ``Howard B. Pate, Jr. Post Office''.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 3369

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

     SECTION 1. HOWARD B. PATE, JR. POST OFFICE.

       (a) Designation.--The facility of the United States Postal 
     Service located at 225 North Main Street in Spring Lake, 
     North Carolina, shall be known and designated as the ``Howard 
     B. Pate, Jr. 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 ``Howard B. Pate, Jr. Post Office''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Texas (Mr. Farenthold) and the gentlewoman from New Jersey (Mrs. Watson 
Coleman) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Texas.


                             General Leave

  Mr. FARENTHOLD. 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 material on the bill under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Texas?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. FARENTHOLD. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 3369, introduced by the 
gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Hudson).
  The bill names the United States Post Office at 225 North Main Street 
in Spring Lake, North Carolina, after Howard B. Pate, Jr., a World War 
II veteran and former postmaster of Spring Lake.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman 
from North Carolina (Mr. Hudson) to discuss the bill.
  Mr. HUDSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to urge my colleagues to 
support H.R. 3369, a bill recognizing the life and legacy of Howard B. 
Pate, Jr., by naming the Spring Lake, North Carolina, Post Office in 
his honor.
  Born in Bladen County, North Carolina, in 1925, Mr. Pate first moved 
to Spring Lake, a town in the Eighth Congressional District I am proud 
to represent, where his father was stationed at Fort Bragg.
  Being from a military family, when the United States entered World 
War II, Mr. Pate answered the call to serve his country and continued 
his service as a member of the North Carolina National Guard until 
1952.
  After finishing his military service, Mr. Pate assumed the position 
of Spring Lake's postmaster. He served in this position for 30 years, 
until his retirement in 1982.
  After retiring, Mr. Pate remained active in the community as a member 
of many civic organizations, including being named town historian in 
1994, a post he held for more than two decades. For all his efforts, 
the local Chamber of Commerce named their Volunteer of the Year award 
after Mr. Pate.
  The town of Spring Lake unanimously adopted a resolution to dedicate 
their post office in honor of Mr.

[[Page H9292]]

Howard Pate, Jr., because there was never a person who embodied the 
spirit of the community more than he.
  Sadly, Mr. Pate passed away 1 year ago yesterday, on November 14, 
2016. On the first anniversary of his passing, I can think of no better 
way to honor his respected life than to name the post office after him 
in a town he loved and where he lived and served most of his life.
  As any Spring Lake resident will tell you, Mr. Pate was not only a 
pillar of our community, but also a cherished friend. He worked 
tirelessly to ensure we kept a strong grip on our past while making 
Spring Lake a better place for future generations.
  It is my honor to make sure he will always be a part of our legacy in 
the future by naming the Spring Lake Post Office in his honor.
  Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to join my colleagues in consideration of 
H.R. 3369, a bill to designate the facility of the United States Post 
Office located at 225 North Main Street in Spring Lake, North Carolina, 
as the Howard B. Pate, Jr. Post Office.
  Born in 1925, Howard Pate joined the Army in 1944, 2 years after his 
high school graduation. In early 1945, Howard deployed to Europe as 
part of the famed 101st Airborne Division.
  Later serving in the 82nd Airborne Division, Howard was discharged 
from Active Duty in 1946, but he continued his service as a member of 
the North Carolina Guard and the U.S. Army Reserve. He retired in 1965, 
as a sergeant major in the 13th Special Forces Group.
  Following his military service, Howard was appointed postmaster of 
Spring Lake, North Carolina, and served as both a State vice president 
and president of the National Association of Postmasters.
  He was also an active member of his community, serving as a deacon at 
the First Presbyterian Church of Spring Lake, charter president of the 
Spring Lake Jaycees, and a member of the Greater Spring Lake Chamber of 
Commerce for over 50 years, where the Volunteer of the Year award is 
named in his honor.
  Howard Pate passed away a year ago this week, as we heard, on 
November 14, 2016.
  Mr. Speaker, we should pass this bill to honor Howard Pate's life of 
service to his community and to his country.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge passage of H.R. 3369, and I yield back the 
balance of my time.
  Mr. FARENTHOLD. Mr. Speaker, I join Mrs. Watson Coleman and Mr. 
Hudson in urging passage of this bill, and I yield back the balance of 
my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Farenthold) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 3369.
  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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