[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 152 (Thursday, September 24, 2026)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E968-E969]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               COLONEL EDWARD SHAMES POST OFFICE BUILDING

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                        HON. JENNIFER A. KIGGANS

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                     Wednesday, September 16, 2026

  Mrs. KIGGANS of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of my 
bill, H.R. 7365, which would designate the United States Post Office 
located at 1225 Kempsville Road in Virginia Beach as the Colonel Edward 
D. Shames Post Office Building.
  Colonel Shames was a proud Virginian, a decorated World War II 
veteran, and a member of one of the most storied units in American 
military history: Easy Company of the 506th Parachute Infantry 
Regiment, 101st Airborne Division. Colonel Shames enlisted in the Army 
in 1942 and volunteered to become a paratrooper.
  On June 6, 1944, he parachuted into Normandy as part of the D-Day 
invasion. During the Normandy campaign, his leadership under fire 
earned him a battlefield commission, and he would go on to serve as an 
officer in Easy Company. He fought in Operation Market Garden, endured 
the brutal Battle of the Bulge at Bastogne, and participated in the 
Allied advance into Germany. For his courage and sacrifice in combat, 
Colonel Shames was awarded the Bronze Star and Purple Heart. The 
remarkable story of Easy Company would later become known around the 
world through Stephen Ambrose's Band of Brothers and the television 
series it inspired. But Colonel Shames' service to our country did not 
end with World War II.
  He continued serving in the Army Reserve and in our national security 
community before retiring with the rank of colonel in 1973. He 
eventually made Virginia Beach his home, where he remained an active 
member of our community and a strong advocate for veterans and military 
remembrance. When Colonel Shames passed away in 2021 at the age of 99, 
he was the last surviving officer of Easy Company.
  Mr. Speaker, in Hampton Roads, we understand that the freedoms we 
enjoy today were secured by generations of Americans who answered the 
call to serve. Colonel Edward D. Shames was one of those Americans. By 
placing his name on the Kempsville Road Post Office, we can ensure that 
his story, and the courage, sacrifice, and patriotism of the Greatest 
Generation he represented, continues to be remembered by the Virginia 
Beach community for generations to come.
  I am proud that this legislation has received bipartisan support, and 
I thank my colleagues for helping us bring it to the House floor.
  I urge all of my colleagues to support H.R. 7365 and help us provide 
this lasting tribute to a distinguished Virginia veteran and American 
hero.

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