[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 34 (Tuesday, February 23, 2021)]
[House]
[Pages H556-H557]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
COLONEL CARLYLE ``SMITTY'' HARRIS POST OFFICE
Mr. MFUME. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 208) to designate the facility of the United States Postal
Service located at 500 West Main Street, Suite 102 in Tupelo,
Mississippi, as the ``Colonel Carlyle `Smitty' Harris Post Office''.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 208
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. COLONEL CARLYLE ``SMITTY'' HARRIS POST OFFICE.
(a) Designation.--The facility of the United States Postal
Service located at 500 West Main Street, Suite 102 in Tupelo,
Mississippi, shall be known and designated as the ``Colonel
Carlyle `Smitty' Harris 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 ``Colonel Carlyle `Smitty' Harris Post
Office''.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Maryland (Mr. Mfume) and the gentlewoman from South Carolina (Ms. Mace)
each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Maryland.
General Leave
Mr. MFUME. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and
to include any extraneous material on this measure.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Maryland?
There was no objection.
Mr. MFUME. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Madam Speaker, I am pleased to join my colleagues in consideration of
H.R. 208, to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service
located at 500 West Main Street, Suite 102 in Tupelo, Mississippi, as
the Colonel Carlyle ``Smitty'' Harris Post Office.
Smitty Harris entered the Air Force on January 2, 1951, and served
through the rank of sergeant before being commissioned. He retired from
the Air Force in 1979 as a colonel.
In his career, he flew fighter aircraft and was an instructor and
operations officer and a faculty member at the Air War College.
[[Page H557]]
On April 4, 1965, just a week before his 36th birthday, he was on a
combat mission over North Vietnam to bomb the Thanh Hoa Bridge.
Smitty was successful in destroying the bridge, but his F-105 fighter
plane was hit and Smitty was forced to bail out over North Vietnam. He
was captured immediately and spent the next 8 years as a prisoner of
war in various prisons, where he was confined, mistreated, and
tortured.
He is credited with introducing the tap code to POWs so that they
could communicate surreptitiously between their cell walls.
During his distinguished Air Force career, Smitty earned two Silver
Medals, three Legion of Merits, the Distinguished Flying Cross, two
Bronze Stars for valor, two Purple Hearts, and two Air Medals as well.
Smitty retired from the Air Force in August of 1979, and entered
directly into the University of Mississippi School of Law, joining the
Mississippi bar in December of 1981. His post-Air Force employment
included banking law and marketing. In October of 2012, Colonel Harris
was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Air Force
Association.
Tupelo, Mississippi, is the home to Smitty and to Louise, their two
daughters, and a son who was born in Okinawa shortly after Smitty was
shot down. Their spouses, as well as others in their family, reside in
Tupelo.
Madam Speaker, we are urging today an extra honor for Smitty Harris,
a true American, by naming this postal facility after him.
Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. MACE. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 208, a bill to name a
Mississippi post office for Colonel Carlyle ``Smitty'' Harris.
Smitty Harris enlisted in the Air Force in 1951, and would later go
on to serve for 28 years as a pilot instructor, operations officer, and
faculty member at the Air War College.
In 1965, while on a combat mission over North Vietnam, Smitty's F-105
was struck and he was forced to bail out over North Vietnam where he
was captured.
He spent the next 8 years as a prisoner of war, where he was confined
in various prisons and tortured. During his time in prison, he is known
for creating the tap code, which POWs used to communicate secretly
between cells.
After nearly 8 years as a prisoner of war, he returned home to the
U.S. and to his loving family. His son called him his hero and role
model. But the truth is, he is every American's hero.
He has earned numerous medals and accolades for heroic service on
behalf our Nation. Those include: two Silver Star Medals, three Legion
of Merits, the Distinguished Flying Cross, two Bronze Stars for valor,
two Purple Hearts, and two Air Medals.
Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues today to support this legislation
in recognition of this great American hero, and I reserve the balance
of my time.
Mr. MFUME. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. MACE. Madam Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from
Mississippi (Mr. Kelly).
{time} 1645
Mr. KELLY of Mississippi. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for
allowing me to speak today in support of H.R. 208 to designate a post
office for Colonel Carlyle ``Smitty'' Harris, my friend.
Madam Speaker, he served with one of our colleagues and friends here,
Mr. Sam Johnson, and was in the Hanoi Hilton with him for much of the
time they shared together. I have this long speech written, but I want
to talk about who Carlyle Smitty Harris is.
He is Smitty to all his friends. You would never know that he was a
lawyer; you would never know that he was a pilot; you would never know
that he was a retired colonel. He is such a gentleman and such a role
model for our entire community. His family are key people in the Tupelo
area.
Smitty was shot down and spent almost 8 years in the Hanoi Hilton.
During that time, he had learned many, many years ago, from a sergeant,
about a tap code they used to communicate in World War II. Being one of
the first 10 or 12 prisoners in the Hanoi Hilton, they would separate
them so that they couldn't communicate. And Smitty taught this to all
the other members when they came in so that they could communicate when
they were separated and segregated as prisoners.
You would think that 8 years serving in the Hanoi Hilton that you
would be bitter, that you would hate humanity, that when you were
tortured, you would want to be tortured or be mean to others, but not
Smitty Harris. Colonel Harris is a gentleman of all gentlemen. He took
it, and now he uses his faith and all the strength that he gained from
all those years being away from the people and the things that he
loved, and he is not necessarily happy about it, but he is so content
with his life, and he passes on the lessons that he learned.
I think back when I went to the governor's mansion many years ago,
and I had my--at the time--17-year-old son. Smitty spent about 2\1/2\
hours on the tour bus with my son talking to him about life, about what
it meant to be a man.
Madam Speaker, there are not enough words to describe what Smitty
Harris has done for this Nation. He is a true hero, just like our
former colleague and friend, Sam Johnson, was. These guys gave their
best to this Nation during the Vietnam war during their captivities,
but he continues to give to his community even today.
Mr. MFUME. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Madam Speaker, I thank the distinguished gentleman for his remarks,
and I thank him for his service, as well. The distinguished gentleman
also is a Major General of the Army National Guard Element, Joint Force
in Mississippi. I don't take that lightly. I appreciate all he has
done, and I appreciate him calling the name of Sam Johnson, who I
served with previously in this body.
Madam Speaker, I went to the Hanoi Hilton as a tourist, and stood
there in pain looking at what he and Senator McCain, and so many others
went through in that facility. I mean, it just brings you back to
Earth. And sometimes we take lightly the service. Sometimes, we take
lightly the fact that some of our servicemen and women were captured.
And sometimes, we take lightly the fact that war can happen at any
time. And when it does happen, we hope that it will continue to always
bring out the best in all of us.
Madam Speaker, it is my pleasure to stand here and to give these
remarks from our side of the aisle about Smitty. I talk about him as if
I know him, but when I read about him, I feel like I do know him.
My thanks to the gentleman from Mississippi and the gentlewoman from
South Carolina for leading this discussion on the other side.
Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Ms. MACE. Madam Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I am
prepared to close.
Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues today to support 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 Maryland (Mr. Mfume) that the House suspend the rules
and pass the bill, H.R. 208.
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. CASTEN. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to section 3(s) of House Resolution
8, the yeas and nays are ordered.
Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further proceedings on this motion
will be postponed.
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