[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 38 (Monday, March 5, 2018)]
[House]
[Pages H1347-H1348]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 MISSION VETERANS POST OFFICE BUILDING

  Mr. PALMER. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 1209) to designate the facility of the United States Postal 
Service located at 901 N. Francisco Avenue, Mission, Texas, as the 
``Mission Veterans Post Office Building''.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 1209

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

     SECTION 1. MISSION VETERANS POST OFFICE BUILDING.

       (a) Designation.--The facility of the United States Postal 
     Service located at 901 N. Francisco Avenue, Mission, Texas, 
     shall be known and designated as the ``Mission Veterans 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 ``Mission Veterans Post Office Building''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Alabama (Mr. Palmer) and the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Clay) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Alabama.


                             General Leave

  Mr. PALMER. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
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 Alabama?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. PALMER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1209, introduced by the 
gentleman from Texas, Representative Henry Cuellar.
  H.R. 1209 honors the veterans of Mission, Texas, for their service to 
this Nation, veterans like First Lieutenant Joaquin Castro.
  Lieutenant Castro, born in Mission, Texas, served as a pilot in the 
Army Air Corps from 1941 until 1943, when he was declared missing in 
action.
  For his service, Lieutenant Castro earned the National Defense 
Service Medal, the Distinguished Flying Cross, and the Air Medal with 
an Oak Leaf Cluster.
  I look forward to hearing more about Lieutenant Castro and the 
veterans of Mission, Texas, from Mr. Cuellar.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve 
the balance of my time.
  Mr. CLAY. 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. 1209, a bill to designate the facility of the United States Postal 
Service located at 901 North Francisco Avenue, Mission, Texas, as the 
Mission Veterans Post Office Building.
  At this time, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman 
from Texas (Mr. Cuellar) so that he may tell us more about the 
honorable veterans from Mission, Texas.
  Mr. CUELLAR. Mr. Speaker, I certainly want to thank the gentleman 
from Missouri (Mr. Clay) for his leadership and for his work on this 
committee; and, also, my friend from Alabama (Mr. Palmer) for the work 
he does on this committee.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1209, which will rename 
a post office facility in my district at 901 North Francisco Avenue in 
Mission, Texas, as the Mission Veterans Post Office.
  Across my district, fine men and women of all walks of life have 
honorably served our country, and it is critical that we honor their 
service and their dedication. Mission alone is home to over 2,000 
veterans, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Dedicating this post 
office to our veterans will serve as an enduring reminder of the 
sacrifices that our friends, neighbors, and families have made while 
serving their country. These individuals put country ahead of self, and 
I am proud to recognize them with the dedicating of this post office 
facility.
  Today in particular, I want to acknowledge the sacrifice of Captain 
Joaquin Castro from Mission, Texas. Captain Castro joined the Army Air 
Corps in 1941 and served as a B-17 pilot in the Pacific theater. He was 
stationed at Hickam Field in Hawaii during the Japanese attack on Pearl 
Harbor, where his airfield was extensively damaged and suffered heavy 
casualties. However, Captain Castro would go on to serve several 
missions against enemy forces before being declared missing in action 
during a bombing mission.
  He received the National Defense Service Medal, the Distinguished 
Flying Cross, and the Air Medal with an Oak Leaf Cluster. Captain 
Castro would eventually be honored with an elementary school named 
after him in his hometown in Mission, Texas. He was known to be a 
humble and diligent individual who served in a variety of jobs before 
joining the military. He was a janitor; he was a school bus driver; and 
he was a stenographer also.
  We owe our freedom to veterans like Mr. Castro, which is why I am 
recognizing him with the dedication of this post office, not only for 
his service but also that of the other veterans. He is just one example 
of many veterans who have made countless sacrifices for their country 
in the face of danger. The bravery and the commitment of our veterans 
to our Nation demonstrates what it really means to be an American, the 
essence of an American.
  Mr. Speaker, I would also, at this time, take a moment to thank the 
veterans organizations throughout my district for their tireless work 
in providing the care that our veterans need. Let us remember and 
express our gratitude to these courageous people: the veterans, their 
families, as well as their caregivers.
  In the words of President John F. Kennedy: A nation reveals itself 
not only by the men it produces but also by the men it honors, the men 
it remembers.
  And, of course, we include women in that quote also.
  This bill allows us to show our appreciation for the veterans of 
Mission, Texas, and to make sure that their sacrifice to our country is 
not forgotten.
  Mr. CLAY. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers. I urge the passage 
of H.R. 1209, and I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. PALMER. Mr. Speaker, I urge adoption of the 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 Alabama (Mr. Palmer) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 1209.

[[Page H1348]]

  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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