[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 14]
[House]
[Page 18481]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1400
              HONORING THE LIFE OF FLOYD ALEXANDER PINYAN

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Cole). Under a previous order of the 
House, the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Gingrey) is recognized for 5 
minutes.
  Mr. GINGREY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the life of 
Floyd Alexander Pinyan, a good and honorable American, Georgian, family 
man and Marine. He passed away on August 27, 2004. He was my 
constituent in the 11th District of Georgia.
  His family has described him as a kind Christian man who raised his 
children to know the difference between right and wrong. By the 
family's accounts, it is clear that they were the most important thing 
in his life. Mrs. Pinyan said she could not have asked for a more 
wonderful, caring, loving husband than Floyd. She has always admired 
the respect and love her husband had for others; and if someone asked 
him for help, he was going to ``move mountains'' to assist them.
  The day after Pearl Harbor, Mr. Pinyan and his brothers enlisted in 
the armed services. Initially, Floyd tried to enlist in the Navy, but 
he was turned down because of problems with his feet. Undeterred, he 
then went to the Marines; and when he asked the recruiter, What are the 
Marines, the recruiter replied, Sign here and you'll find out.
  Mr. Pinyan served honorably with the United States Marines in the 
Pacific Theatre during World War II, specifically in Guam, Iwo Jima, 
and China. He also served in Korea and Vietnam and retired after 41 
years of distinguished service. Upon retirement, he held the rank of 
gunnery sergeant.
  Floyd Pinyan remained active after his retirement from the Marines, 
working for the city of Atlanta as a business license inspector for 
some 15 years.
  Mr. Pinyan is survived by his wife of 53 years, Christine; sons, 
Charles and Carl; daughter, Sharon; eight grandchildren; and five 
great-grandchildren. His children have continued his honorable service 
to our country by joining the Army, the Navy and the Marines.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask that all of my colleagues join me in honoring the 
life of Floyd Pinyan of Cobb County, Mableton, Georgia, and in sending 
our thoughts and prayers to his family.

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