[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 19]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 26282]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




       ON THE INTRODUCTION OF THE LARRY S. PIERCE POST OFFICE ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. KEVIN McCARTHY

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, October 2, 2007

  Mr. McCARTHY of California. Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong 
support of legislation I introduced to designate the United States 
Postal Service facility located at 427 North Street in Taft, California 
as the ``Larry S. Pierce Post Office.''
  U.S. Army Staff Sergeant Pierce was born in Oklahoma in 1941. As a 
young child his family moved to Taft, California, which I represent. 
SSG Pierce attended Taft City Schools and would have graduated from 
Taft Union High School with the Class of 1959, but decided to serve his 
country by joining the U.S. Army in 1958. SSG Pierce served with the 
1st Battalion (Airborne), 503rd Infantry, 173rd Airborne Brigade in the 
Vietnam War.
  On September 20, 1965 near Ben Cat in Vietnam, SSG Pierce, while 
leading his reconnaissance platoon, was ambushed by hostile forces. SSG 
Pierce and his squad successfully routed the hostile forces from their 
location. During pursuit of the enemy, SSG Pierce heroically sacrificed 
his own life to save the lives of his fellow soldiers by throwing 
himself on an antipersonnel mine as it exploded.
  In February 1966, President Lyndon B. Johnson posthumously awarded 
SSG Pierce the Medal of Honor on behalf of the United States Congress. 
SSG Pierce's Medal of Honor citation notes in part his ``conspicuous 
gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of life above and beyond the call 
of duty,'' his ``inspiring leadership and personal courage,'' and his 
``profound concern for his fellow soldiers'' acting with 
``extraordinary heroism, at the cost of his life'' to save the lives of 
his fellow soldiers, which reflects the ``highest traditions of the 
U.S. Army'' and ``great credit upon himself and the Armed Forces of his 
country.''
  SSG Pierce would have been 66 years old this year, and is survived by 
his wife Verlin, who currently lives in Bakersfield, California, and 
his children Teresa, Kelley, and Gregory. My legislation is a fitting 
honor for this Vietnam War hero, who sacrificed his life to save the 
lives of fellow soldiers, by naming the post office in his hometown of 
Taft in his memory.

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