[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 15]
[House]
[Pages 21319-21320]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




            PRIVATE FIRST CLASS SHANE R. AUSTIN POST OFFICE

  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the 
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform be discharged from further 
consideration of the bill (H.R. 3034) to designate the facility of the 
United States Postal Service located at 127 South Elm Street in 
Gardner, Kansas, as the ``Private First Class Shane R. Austin Post 
Office,'' and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Illinois?
  There was no objection.
  The Clerk read the bill, as follows

                               H.R. 3034

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. PRIVATE FIRST CLASS SHANE R. AUSTIN POST OFFICE.

       (a) Designation.--The facility of the United States Postal 
     Service located at 127 South Elm Street in Gardner, Kansas, 
     shall be known and designated as the ``Private First Class 
     Shane R. Austin 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 ``Private First Class Shane R. Austin Post 
     Office''.

  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. PFC Shane R. Austin was killed on October 8, 
2006, when a grenade struck his tank in Ramadi, Iraq, west of Baghdad. 
He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 35th Armor Regiment, 2nd Brigade 
Combat Team, 1st Armored Division in Baumholder, Germany.

  Private Austin's grandmother said, ``Although the emptiness and 
numbness is with the entire family, we hold the pride high that Shane 
was a hero before he left for the military, but now he is everybody's 
hero. Military was his dream; he intended to make it a career and that 
he accomplished . . . it was just a short career.''
  Private Austin served his country with distinction and courage.
  Mr. Speaker, I commend my colleague Representative Dennis Moore for 
introducing this legislation and urge the swift passage of this bill.
  Mr. MOORE of Kansas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 
3034, legislation I have introduced with the rest of the Kansas 
delegation to rename the Gardner, KS, postal service facility the 
``Private First Class Shane R. Austin Post Office.''
  Private First Class Shane Austin grew up in Edgerton, KS, and 
attended Gardner-Edgerton High School before joining the U.S. Army. PFC 
Austin was 19 years old when he was killed on October 8, 2006, while 
serving in the United States Army's First Armored Division, during 
combat operations in Ramadi, Iraq. For his heroism, and for saving the 
lives of several fellow soldiers, Shane was awarded the Purple Heart 
and the Bronze Star.
  According to Captain Daniel Costin, Shane was a quiet, unassuming man 
who worked hard, whether it was cutting grass in rear detachment or 
conducting maintenance on his tank.
  Shane's father Terrance also said that while Shane was a bit on the 
wild side before leaving for boot camp, when Shane came home after 
finishing basic training he stood tall, stared you straight in the eye, 
and had a firm handshake.
  On October 8, 2006, Shane courageously sacrificed the most precious 
thing a person can offer to his country--his life; and our country, the 
state of Kansas, and the Gardner-Edgerton community owes Shane and his

[[Page 21320]]

family absolute gratitude for the rights and freedoms that he so 
heroically fought to protect.
  Shane also follows in the path of a long line of brave and courageous 
individuals from the Gardner-Edgerton area who have given the ultimate 
sacrifice to protect those same rights and liberties. In fact, soldiers 
from the area have given their lives in service to their country in the 
Civil War, World War I, World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam 
War, and their sacrifice must also be remembered and honored.
  So today I am proud to join with my colleagues in remembering these 
brave individuals, and in offering this remembrance so that our 
community never forgets the sacrifice that a brave soldier from Kansas 
made for his country.
  The bill was ordered to be engrossed and read a third time, was read 
the third time, and passed, and a motion to reconsider was laid on the 
table.

                          ____________________