[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 12]
[House]
[Pages 16839-16840]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




        LANCE CORPORAL MATTHEW P. PATHENOS POST OFFICE BUILDING

  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and 
pass the bill (H.R. 6208) to designate the facility of the United 
States Postal Service located at 1100 Town and Country Commons in 
Chesterfield, Missouri, as the ``Lance Corporal Matthew P. Pathenos 
Post Office Building''.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 6208

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

     SECTION 1. LANCE CORPORAL MATTHEW P. PATHENOS POST OFFICE 
                   BUILDING.

       (a) Designation.--The facility of the United States Postal 
     Service located at 1100 Town and Country Commons in 
     Chesterfield, Missouri, shall be known and designated as the 
     ``Lance Corporal Matthew P. Pathenos Post Office Building''.
       (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 ``Lance Corporal Matthew P. Pathenos Post 
     Office Building''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Illinois (Mr. Davis) and the gentlewoman from North Carolina (Ms. Foxx) 
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 in which 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.
  As a member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government 
Reform, I am pleased to join my colleagues, particularly the gentleman 
from Missouri, in the consideration of H.R. 6208, which names a postal 
facility in Chesterfield, Missouri, after a fallen hero, Lance Corporal 
Matthew P. Pathenos.
  Introduced on June 9, 2008, H.R. 6208 is sponsored by Congressman 
Todd W. Akin, representative of Missouri's Second Congressional 
District, and cosponsored by the entire Missouri congressional 
delegation and a total of nine Members of Congress. H.R. 6208 was 
reported from the Oversight Committee on July 17, 2008, by voice vote.
  A native of Ballwin, Missouri, Corporal Pathenos lost his life while 
serving in Iraq. According to military records, Corporal Pathenos was 
assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 24th Marine Regiment, from the 4th 
Marine Division out of Bridgeton, Missouri, 108th, when he was killed 
on February 14, 2007, while conducting combat operations in the Anbar 
province of Iraq. Described as a disciplined, dedicated, and patriotic 
gentleman, Corporal Pathenos served his country proudly.
  In tribute to his sacrifice, Mr. Speaker, let us honor the life of 
Corporal Pathenos and pass H.R. 6208 and designate the post office 
building in Chesterfield, Missouri, after this fine American Marine.
  I urge its passage.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to my 
distinguished colleague from the State of Missouri and the sponsor of 
this legislation (Mr. Akin).
  Mr. AKIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 6208, a bill 
that I introduced to honor the life of Matthew P. Pathenos by 
designating the post office in Chesterfield, Missouri, as the Lance 
Corporal Matthew P. Pathenos Post Office Building.
  A resident of Ballwin, Missouri, Lance Corporal Matthew P. Pathenos 
was part of the 3rd Battalion, 24th Marine Regiment, 4th Marine 
Division of the Marine Forces Reserve. On February 7, 2007, Lance 
Corporal Pathenos was killed during combat operations in the Anbar 
province of Iraq.
  Matthew was often described by friends and family as a friendly young 
man who always had a joke to tell, had a smile on his face. Matthew 
decided to join the military in order to follow his older brother into 
the country's service with the hope of helping those who could not help 
themselves. Matthew's then girlfriend, Erin, calls Lance Corporal 
Pathenos her hero and wishes that she might one day ``possess a 
fraction of his bravery and discipline.''
  As a father of two marines, one of whom has served in Iraq, it's a 
privilege to stand here today to honor one of our fallen soldiers. 
Matthew's commitment and dedication to his country is a shining example 
of how our military men and women are the finest the Nation has to 
offer. He and his family's sacrifice should serve as a reminder to all 
that the freedom we enjoy as Americans is not free but it is the result 
of the tremendous bravery and self sacrifice of men and women willing 
to put themselves in harm's way for the cause of freedom.
  Throughout the many, many years of our Nation's existence, America 
has been unique at one particular regard and in many particular 
regards. America is the only Nation that has a political and religious 
motto, a code that

[[Page 16840]]

we go by. It's expressed and it was expressed as the reason why we 
fought our war to gain our independence in that great sentence. It says 
that we believe that there are certain inalienable rights that come 
from God. Among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. 
The sentence goes on to say that governments are instituted among men 
to protect those basic God-given rights. That has been the reason why 
we have gone to war, to protect our God-given rights down through the 
ages, in the War of Independence and other wars as well, and this war 
is no different.
  Matthew Pathenos understood in his heart and in his gut the basic 
idea that he was defending his family and his homeland.

                              {time}  1445

  And so he joins the ranks of those who are still on patrol, whose 
names we will regard. He joins the ranks of the people who made the 
ultimate sacrifice; that you and I and future generations of Americans 
may go free. And in that regard, we honor him by naming this post 
office after Matthew Pathenos. Please join me by voting ``yes'' on H.R. 
6208.
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve.
  Ms. FOXX. My colleague, Representative Akin, has made very eloquent 
remarks on this bill. I will submit my comments for the Record, but I 
urge my colleagues to support H.R. 6208.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of this bill designating 
the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 1100 Town 
and Country Commons in Chesterfield, MO, as the ``Lance Corporal 
Matthew P. Pathenos Post Office Building.''
  Marine LCpl Matthew P. Pathenos was more than a selfless patriot. He 
was a loving son, brother, and friend.
  As one of his comrades in arms reflected, ``The best thing about Matt 
was his ability to wake up every day with a smile and hold it all day 
long.'' Even in the hardships of war, Matt strove to bring joy to his 
friends.
  A native of Ballwin, MO, Matt was an avid golfer and accomplished 
pilot, earning his license at the age of 14. After graduating high 
school in 2003, Matt followed in the footsteps of his older brother and 
mentor, Marine Sgt Christopher Pathenos who enlisted in the wake of 
September 11.
  In the words of one relative, ``For Matty, the motivation was more 
about Christopher, seeing how the Corps treated him.''
  A member of the 3rd Battalion, 24th Marines, Matthew was one of 80 
members of his unit that attached to a sister unit, the 1st Battalion, 
24th Marines, for deployment to Iraq in September of 2006.
  Tragically, on February 6, 2007, Lance Corporal Pathenos lost his 
life near Fallujah when his Humvee was stuck by an improvised explosive 
device.
  His family will always remember him as the smiling young man who 
``sang as though no one could hear him and danced as though no one was 
watching him.''
  In a release shortly after his tragic loss, the family captured the 
sentiments of a grateful nation. ``Like his brother, Christopher, 
Matthew was proud to be a Marine and volunteered to serve his country. 
Matthew paid the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom and the future 
generations of this country. He loved his country and family, and we 
will miss him terribly.''
  I urge my colleagues to support this bill honoring a courageous young 
man that embodied the deepest ideals of this great Nation. He lost his 
life in defense of freedom and this sacrifice shall not be forgotten.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I urge passage, and 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. 6208.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a 
quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not 
present.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the 
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be 
postponed.
  The point of no quorum is considered withdrawn.

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