[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 13]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 18461]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




  INTRODUCTION OF H.R. 6834, TO DESIGNATE THE FACILITY OF THE UNITED 
 STATES POSTAL SERVICE LOCATED AT 4 SOUTH MAIN STREET IN WALLINGFORD, 
    CONNECTICUT, AS THE ``CWO RICHARD R. LEE POST OFFICE BUILDING''

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. ROSA L. DeLAURO

                             of connecticut

                    in the house of representatives

                     Wednesday, September 10, 2008

  Ms. DeLAURO. Madam Speaker, I am pleased to join my colleagues from 
Connecticut to introduce a bill to designate the facility of the United 
States Postal Service located at 4 South Main Street in Wallingford, 
Connecticut, as the ``CWO Richard R. Lee Post Office Building.''
  Chief Warrant Officer Richard R. Lee was born July 28, 1954, and grew 
up in Wallingford, Connecticut, attending local elementary schools in 
the Yalesville section of town. In his younger years, Rich loved to 
fish with his friends and his father, Earl. One of his favorite places 
was the Black Pond in Meriden. Rich attended Lyman Hall High School 
until 1971 when the growing town built a new high school. Sheehan High 
opened and his fondness for the water led him to join the swim team. 
Rich won the Regional Championship for Diving at Sheehan. He played 
soccer as well and helped Sheehan High to many victories before 
graduating with the class of 1972.
  Rich also had a love for fast cars and flying, which sent him in the 
direction of the military. In 1973, he enlisted in the Army, and he 
eventually achieved the rank ``Chief Warrant Officer''. Rich learned to 
fly a helicopter in the Army, became ``Civilian Rated''-Instrument 
Rated and planned to continue flying when he retired.
  Sadly, Rich's dream was not to be realized. He was deployed to the 
Middle East to fight in Operation Desert Storm and paid the ultimate 
sacrifice for our country on February 7, 1991. His high school 
classmates, Robert J. Devaney and Debra Frost Markiewicz, first 
approached me about naming the Wallingford Post Office in Mr. Lee's 
honor. This tribute to our fallen hero is supported by many public 
servants in Wallingford including Mayor William Dickinson, Senator Len 
Fasano, Councilman Robert Parisi, Postmaster Michael Schrader, and 
Leigh Piscitelli of the Postal Service. The post office lies in 
Wallingford's parade ground directly across from the town hall and 
veterans' monuments. To date, there is no monument in Wallingford to 
remember Richard Lee's sacrifice. His parents, Earl and Helen Lee, who 
currently reside in North Carolina, would like nothing more than to see 
this tribute to their son. I hope you will join me and my colleagues 
from the State of Connecticut in enacting this tribute to Chief Warrant 
Officer Richard R. Lee.

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