[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 12] [House] [Pages 16132-16134] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]MAJOR SCOTT NISELY POST OFFICE Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2563) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 309 East Linn Street in Marshalltown, Iowa, as the ``Major Scott Nisely Post Office''. The Clerk read the title of the bill. The text of the bill is as follows: H.R. 2563 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. MAJOR SCOTT NISELY POST OFFICE. (a) Designation.--The facility of the United States Postal Service located at 309 East Linn Street in Marshalltown, Iowa, shall be known and designated as the ``Major Scott Nisely 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 ``Major Scott Nisely Post Office''. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis) and the gentleman from Idaho (Mr. Sali) each will control 20 minutes. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Illinois. General Leave Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from Illinois? There was no objection. Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, as a Member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, I am pleased to join my colleagues in the consideration of H.R. 2563, which names the postal facility in Marshalltown, Iowa after Major Scott Nisely. H.R. 2563, which was introduced by Representative Tom Latham on June 5, 2007, was reported from the Oversight Committee on June 12, 2007, by voice vote. This measure has the support of the entire Iowa congressional delegation. Major Scott Nisely was killed in combat near Al Asad, Iraq on September 20, 2006. He served in the Marines as an officer on Active Duty and as a reservist with the 133rd Infantry Battalion Charlie Company. He worked 12 years for the U.S. Postal Service in Marshalltown, Iowa. Due to his strong desire to serve his country, he accepted an enlisted rank in order to fill a vacancy in the Iowa Army National Guard. Major Scott had served a tour of duty during Operation Desert Storm as a marine, in addition to Operation Iraqi Freedom as a guardsman. He will be fondly remembered for his patriotism and love of family. Mr. Speaker, I commend my colleague, Representative Tom Latham, for introducing this legislation, and urge its passage. [[Page 16133]] Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time. Mr. SALI. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, Major Scott Nisely, a father, athlete and musician, made the ultimate sacrifice for his country on the field of battle and deserves the honor of having his name on the post office in Marshalltown, Iowa, where he worked for 12 years. Scott was born in Syracuse, Nebraska in 1958, and excelled in track and cross country. He attended Doane College on a track scholarship and pursued a degree in biology. He showed a passion for his country and did not shy away from the duty of serving his Nation. While in college, he enlisted in the United States Marine Corps ROTC, and after completing his Bachelor's degree in 1981, he was commissioned an Infantry Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corps. {time} 1530 He rose to the rank of captain and commanded an infantry company during Operation Desert Storm. After his tour in Kuwait and Iraq, he returned to the Reserves, where he was promoted to the rank of major. Scott continued to serve his community even when out of the military. In 1994 he began working for the U.S. Postal Service in Marshalltown. He participated in his church's music ministry program and was active at the local tae kwon do. Above all, he worked tirelessly to serve others. Even with such an impressive record of service under his belt, he could not ignore the call of duty. When his country went to war again, he enlisted in the Iowa Army National Guard and accepted the rank of staff sergeant in order to do so. In 2005, he returned to Iraq with C Company of the Iowa National Guard's 133rd battalion. On September 30, 2006, he was providing security for a convoy in Al Anbar Province, Iraq, when his company came under insurgent small arms fire. He and a fellow member of the Guard were killed. His decorations include the Combat Infantryman Badge, the Bronze Star Medal, the Oak Leaf Cluster, the Purple Heart, the Army Achievement Medal, and a dozen others. Let us pay our respect to Major Scott E. Nisely and remember his commitment to serving this Nation by naming the Marshalltown post office in his honor. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time. Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my time. Mr. SALI. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Iowa (Mr. Latham). Mr. LATHAM. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time. First of all, I would like to thank the committee and the gentleman from Illinois, Chairman Davis, for moving this piece of legislation as quickly as they have through the committee and for the opportunity to bring this I think most appropriate legislation to the floor today. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to encourage my colleagues to support legislation that I introduced to honor Major Scott E. Nisely of Marshalltown, Iowa, one of America's heroes who was killed in combat on September 30, 2006, while serving our country in Iraq. Scott Nisely served 22 years in the Marines as an officer on active duty and as a Reservist, retiring with the rank of major. During his time in the Marines, he served as an infantry company commander in Operation Desert Storm. And following his active duty, Scott worked 12 years for the U.S. Postal Service in Marshalltown, Iowa. Due to Scott's strong desire to serve his country, he accepted an enlisted rank in order to fill a vacancy in the Iowa Army National Guard in 2002. According to letters I have received from soldiers in Scott's unit, he did not broadcast the fact that he was a former Marine major, but humbly served his fellow soldiers. One officer also said he was a ``natural born leader of soldiers.'' Scott served with the Iowa National Guard on the Multinational Forces Observer mission in the Sinai, and finally in Operation Iraqi Freedom. Scott's friends, family, coworkers, fellow soldiers and marines attest to the positive and lasting impact he had on their lives. Numerous letters from these individuals were sent to me, and I include them for the Record. Scott's life was a shining example of dedication to service, a strong commitment certainly to his family, his faith, and his country. This legislation will name the post office located at 309 East Linn Street in Marshalltown, Iowa, the Major Scott Nisely Post Office. I want to thank Scott's co-workers at the Marshalltown post office who initiated this proposal, and I am proud to help them make this timely and appropriate honor a reality. I also want to thank my colleagues from Iowa, Leonard Boswell, Steve King, Bruce Braley and Dave Loebsack for their support in moving this legislation forward. I strongly urge all Members to pass H.R. 2563. Department of the Army, Headquarters, 1st Battalion 133D Infantry, Al Asad Ab, Iraq, June 8, 2007. Congressman Tom Latham, Ames, Iowa. Dear Mr. Latham: I am responding to an inquiry to determine if my unit would support the consideration of naming the United States Post Office in Marshalltown, Iowa after one of my soldiers, Scott Nisely. The bottom line on this is yes, I, and my entire unit fully support this effort, and see this as a fitting tribute to this fallen citizen soldier. As a Battalion Commander, I have many soldiers that are under my command. I have deployed in the service of our country 3 times since September of 2000, I have been entrusted with some of the finest young people that our State and our Nation have to offer. Let me share with you a little bit about Scott Nisely from my perspective. Scott joined the Iowa National Guard after completing a full military career in the Marine Corps, retiring from the Marine Corps as a Field Grade Officer. He then joined the National Guard as an enlisted soldier in the rank of a Buck Sergeant, because this was what was offered to him. On my second deployment, and my first with Scott Nisely, I asked him what motivated him to do this; his reply was that he felt he could make a difference in the lives of these young men, and he still felt a strong desire to serve his country in whatever capacity he could. He didn't care about the rank, he didn't care about the job, as long as he was working with young soldiers, and serving our country. To me this was evident during our OEF deployment, and in our current mission in Iraq. Scott was a man that was respected by all those around him, not because of the words he said, but because of the way that he lived his life and by the example he set for others. We all lost something the day we lost SFC Nisely and SGT Sourivong. We cannot change the events that happened on that day, but we can honor these men, and the sacrifice that they have made. I believe by naming the Marshalltown Post Office in honor of Scott Nisely, we will always have a visible reminder of this sacrifice, and are honoring a great American who lived his life in a manner that we should all strive to pattern. He lived his life with honor and integrity, love for his family, and love for his country. Sincerely, Benjamin J. Corell, Lieutenant Colonel, Infantry, Commanding. ____ Don Douglas, Marshalltown, IA, June 12, 2007. To: Representative Tom Latham, R-IA. I did not know Maj. Scott Nisely. But I am a veteran of the Vietnam era, who served my country in the Navy during the Vietnam era, 1961 to 1966. But my outfit anti subsquadron 25 North Island San Diego, CA served aboard USS Aircraft Carrier, USS Yorktown, CVS-10 off coast of Vietnam a couple of tours to that area. I am also a member of VFW Post 839 Marshalltown a life member, and I support our troops. Like I said I didn't personally know Maj. Nisely. But have heard his wife talk about him at hospice meetings I attend since my wife passed away in Feb. 07. It would be a great tribute to him and his family if legislation could be passed as soon as possible renaming Marshalltown Post Office after him. Since Maj. Nisely put his life on line serving his country defending freedom and doing something he believed in this would be the right thing to do to honor him. Thank you, Don Douglas. ____ Letter for the Record, in Support of H.R. 2563 (06/18/07): I support naming the Marshalltown Post Office after Major Scott Nisely. He is a true American hero. I had the privilege of serving with him in the 1-133 Infantry in Iraq. He was a very dedicated soldier, always caring for his soldiers and everyone around him. I really looked up to him as a man. [[Page 16134]] He is a soldier that was dedicated to public service, serving our great nation in 2 wars, both in the Marine Corps and the U.S. Army. He also worked as a Postal Worker, which is a hard job for any American. I appreciate the sacrifices that he has made for our country, especially giving the ultimate sacrifice. I feel that naming the Marshalltown Post Office in his honor is the least we can do to honor this great American. Please name the Marshalltown Post Office to the Major Scott Nisely Post Office. It will be a great memorial of a great American and great Iowan. First Lieutenant Kyle W. Obrecht, 1-133 Infantry, Iowa Army National Guard. ____ I had the honor of working directly with ``SSG'' Nisely during our deployment to Iraq. I am sending this message of support from Iraq as we are still in theater performing our mission. As a squad leader and leader of men SSG Nisely always ensured the vehicles in his command were mission ready and that his soldiers were constantly on top of the readiness of their equipment. As former NCO turned officer, I understood his role and his rank in the troop leading arena. SSG Nisely was one of the best NCOs I have ever had the experience of serving with. The funny part, and oftentimes told, part of his exemplary service is the fact that he was a former Marine Major before becoming a NCO in the Iowa National Guard. Not once did this fact ever come from him. He was always humble and loved serving his country and even more he honored our country by serving his men. As a field grade officer in any service one trends to wane away from direct troop leading duties. SSG Nisely was a natural born leader of soldiers. I hope I can take this example and use it in my career. Scott's sacrifice will never be forgotten by me or any soldier he served with in this war on terrorism. I hope the resolution will pass so that all Americans that come to use the facility being recommended for the name change will know that an American hero is honored and forever remembered. First Lieutenant (P) Marcus A. Smoot, OD, 1-133 Infantry, Iowa Army National Guard. ____ I strongly support naming the Marshalltown Post Office after my friend Major Scott Nisely. This would be a nice reminder to patrons of the post office that Scott dedicated his life to serving the people. He did that through his selfless service in the Marine Corps, the Iowa National Guard, and his civilian career at the postal service. Scott was a great man; this has been a great loss to his family, to the military and to the Marshalltown community. Please support the initiative to name the Marshalltown post office in memory of Major Scott Nisely. Captain Jeffrey Staker, 1-133 Infantry, Iowa Army National Guard. ____ I strongly endorse the naming of a Post Office in Marshalltown, Iowa after Major Scott Nisely. I knew him from deployments to Sinai, Egypt and Iraq. I had several conversations with him and they were always pleasant. He was one of the friendliest guys I have ever met--always positive. Scott was a dedicated family man and a fine soldier. This would be a great way to honor him and his family. He deserves it--he was a hero. Thank you for addressing this. Michael Smith, 1-133 Infantry, Iowa Army National Guard. ____ My husband is currently serving in Iraq and was there with Sgt. Nisely. What a hero this man was! I fully support the post office being named after this brave, wonderful man. Mrs. Doug (Barb) Krause, Waverly, Iowa. ____ He was there for his soldiers, always doing something for people. John Fortune, Specialist, Army National Guard. ____ I think that this would be a fitting remembrance for a great man and urge you to accept this proposal (H.R. 2563). Specialist Curtis Olson, 134th Brigade Support Battalion, Minnesota Army National Guard. Mr. SALI. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time. Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, 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. Davis) that the House suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 2563. 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. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays. The yeas and nays were ordered. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this question will be postponed. ____________________