[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 186 (Monday, December 16, 2024)]
[House]
[Pages H7178-H7179]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
LOUIS A. CONTER VA CLINIC
Mr. BOST. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill
(H.R. 9124) to name the Department of Veterans Affairs community-based
outpatient clinic in Auburn, California, as the ``Louis A. Conter VA
Clinic''.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 9124
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) Louis ``Lou'' Anthony Conter was born on September 13,
1921, in Ojibwa, Wisconsin.
(2) Lt. Commander Lou Conter, the last remaining survivor
of the attack on the USS Arizona at Pearl Harbor, was an
American hero.
(3) On that fearful day, Petty Officer Conter helped
evacuate shipmates who were blinded, wounded, or burned, even
restraining some of his fellow shipmates from jumping
overboard into the burning sea.
(4) In the days after the attack, he helped with recovering
bodies and putting out fires. Lou Conter's heroic actions
saved the lives of many of his shipmates on December 7, 1941.
(5) Following Pearl Harbor, Conter continued serving during
WWII in New Guinea and in Europe as an enlisted naval
aviation pilot assigned to VP-11, a ``Black Cat'' Squadron.
(6) Lou Conter would be awarded with the Distinguished
Flying Cross for actively taking part in the rescue of 219
Australians trapped by Japanese troops in New Guinea.
(7) Later, in the Korean War, he served on the USS Bon
Homme Richard as both an intelligence officer and a navy
aviation pilot. Following his service in the Korean War, he
served as a military intelligence advisor to three
Presidents: Dwight D. Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy, and Lyndon
B. Johnson.
(8) During the 1950s, Lou Conter played a prominent role in
the establishment and development of the Navy Survival,
Evasion, Resistance and Escape (SERE) training program.
(9) In addition to the Distinguished Flying Cross, he was
awarded the Navy Commendation Medal and became the first
recipient of the USS Arizona Medal of Freedom.
(10) Louis Conter retired from the Navy in 1967 after
serving 28 years as a Lieutenant Commander.
(11) Following his retirement, he generously gave his time
to share his personal experiences at veterans' ceremonies and
by giving lectures to students.
(12) Lieutenant Commander Conter's lectures were popular
with generations of local students who were equally
fascinated and enthralled by his first-person accounts.
(13) He is eminently deserving of recognition for his
decades of service to a grateful nation.
(14) Lieutenant Commander Conter passed away in Grass
Valley, California on April 1, 2024.
SEC. 2. NAME OF DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS COMMUNITY-
BASED OUTPATIENT CLINIC, AUBURN, CALIFORNIA.
The Department of Veterans Affairs community-based
outpatient clinic in Auburn, California, shall after the date
of the enactment of this Act be known and designated as the
``Louis A. Conter VA Clinic''. Any reference to such clinic
in any law, regulation, map, document, record, or other paper
of the United States shall be considered to be a reference to
the Louis A. Conter VA Clinic.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Illinois (Mr. Bost) and the gentleman from California (Mr. Takano) each
will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Illinois.
General Leave
Mr. BOST. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have
5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks on H.R.
9124.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Illinois?
There was no objection.
Mr. BOST. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 9124, a bill to name the
Department of Veterans Affairs community-based outpatient clinic in
Auburn, California, the Louis A. Conter VA Clinic.
Louis Conter was born in Wisconsin in 1921. He enlisted in the Navy
in 1939 and was assigned to the infamous USS Arizona.
On the morning of December 7, 1941, Louis was standing watch on the
deck of the Arizona when it came under attack by Japanese bombers.
As the infamous explosion that ignited the ship's magazine happened,
Louis was thrown to the ground. As the ship began to sink, he aided the
wounded. In the following days, Louis helped put the fires out and
recover the bodies from the wreckage.
Following the attack, as the war kicked into high gear, Louis was
selected for pilot training. He deployed to the Pacific theater and was
shot down twice. Again, defying all odds, he survived and reached the
rank of lieutenant, earning the Distinguished Flying Cross.
Louis was reactivated during the Korean war in the 1950s, eventually
retiring from the Navy in 1967 at the rank of lieutenant commander.
After his service, he lived out the rest of his life as a real estate
developer and author.
Louis Conter was the last known survivor of the USS Arizona before
passing away on April 1, 2024.
I am proud to name the VA clinic after him to memorialize his
historic story of service. I thank the sponsor of this bill,
Representative Kiley, as well as the entire California delegation.
Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support H.R. 9124, and I
reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise to express my support for H.R. 9124, a bill to
designate the Department of Veterans Affairs community-based outpatient
clinic in Auburn, California, as the Louis A. Conter VA Clinic, which
was introduced by Representative Kiley of California.
Lieutenant Commander Louis A. Conter, the last remaining survivor of
the attack on the USS Arizona at Pearl Harbor, embodied the highest
ideals of military service and American valor. I am proud to support
this bill to honor his service.
During the fateful attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, he
helped evacuate shipmates who were blinded, wounded, and burned. In the
days following the attack, he helped recover bodies and put out
smoldering fires. Lou Conter's heroic actions saved the lives of many
of his shipmates.
[[Page H7179]]
Mr. Conter continued to serve with distinction throughout World War
II as a naval aviation pilot, earning the Distinguished Flying Cross
for rescuing 219 Australians trapped by Japanese troops in New Guinea.
Later, during the Korean war, he served as both an intelligence
officer and naval aviation pilot aboard the USS Bon Homme Richard. In
addition to the Distinguished Flying Cross, he was awarded the Navy
Commendation Medal and became the first recipient of the USS Arizona
Medal of Freedom.
After retiring from Active Duty, he continued to serve the Nation as
a military intelligence adviser to three Presidents: Dwight D.
Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy, and Lyndon B. Johnson. In the 1950s, he
helped establish the Navy's survival, evasion, resistance, and escape,
or SERE, training program.
Following his retirement from the Navy in 1967 after 28 years of
service, Lieutenant Commander Conter remained active in his community.
He generously shared his experiences at veteran ceremonies and
delivered lectures to students. His passing on April 1 of this year
marked the end of a life dedicated to service and preservation of
American military history. He is very deserving of this recognition for
his decades of service to a grateful nation.
Mr. Speaker, I support this important piece of legislation, and I ask
my colleagues to do the same. I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. BOST. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from
California (Mr. Kiley), who is the sponsor of this legislation.
Mr. KILEY. Mr. Speaker, I am truly grateful that today the House is
taking up my legislation to honor a truly extraordinary constituent of
mine whom we lost earlier this year.
My bill would rename the Auburn VA facility after Grass Valley
resident and World War II veteran Lieutenant Commander Lou Conter.
It is notable that in order to advance this legislation, we actually
had to get the signatures of each and every member of the California
congressional House delegation. That is 52 people who came together and
all signed on to this bill. I think it speaks to what a true American
hero Lou Conter was.
He was, in fact, the last survivor of the attack on the USS Arizona
during Pearl Harbor. On that fateful day in 1941, Commander Conter
heroically evacuated shipmates who were blinded, wounded, or burned,
even restraining some of his fellow shipmates from jumping overboard
into the burning sea. Then, on the day after the attack, he helped in
recovering bodies and putting out fires.
Lou Conter's heroic actions saved the lives of many of his shipmates.
Not only that, but he also continued to serve our country for decades
following Pearl Harbor. He flew over 200 combat missions.
On one of those missions, Commander Conter would be awarded with the
Distinguished Flying Cross for actively taking part in the rescue of
219 Australians trapped by Japanese troops in New Guinea.
He later served in the Korean war and retired from the Navy in 1967
after 23 years as a lieutenant commander. He resided in Grass Valley,
California, until his death earlier this year at the age of 102.
Lieutenant Commander Conter dedicated his life to the service of
others and sacrifice for our country. His courage, along with that of
so many from the Greatest Generation, has left an indelible mark on our
country and defined our national character in so many ways.
Following his passing this last April, there really could be no
better way to honor Lieutenant Commander Conter and his enduring legacy
than naming a veterans healthcare facility in his honor.
Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Bost for his work on this legislation
as well, and I look forward to seeing it pass with unanimous bipartisan
support.
Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I am
prepared to close.
Mr. Speaker, I support this important piece of legislation, and I ask
that my colleagues do the same.
Mr. Speaker, I ask all of my colleagues to join me in passing H.R.
9124 to designate the Department of Veterans Affairs community-based
outpatient clinic in Auburn, California, as the Louis A. Conter VA
clinic, and I yield back the balance of my time.
{time} 1730
Mr. BOST. Mr. Speaker, in closing, I encourage all Members to support
this legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Bost) that the House suspend the rules and
pass the bill, H.R. 9124.
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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