[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 5]
[House]
[Pages 6682-6683]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




     PRIVATE FIRST CLASS DAVID H. SHARRETT II POST OFFICE BUILDING

  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and 
pass the bill (H.R. 5483) to designate the facility of the United 
States Postal Service located at 10449 White Granite Drive in Oakton, 
Virginia, as the ``Private First Class David H. Sharrett II Post Office 
Building''.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 5483

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

     SECTION 1. PRIVATE FIRST CLASS DAVID H. SHARRETT II POST 
                   OFFICE BUILDING.

       (a) Designation.--The facility of the United States Postal 
     Service located at 10449 White Granite Drive in Oakton, 
     Virginia, shall be known and designated as the ``Private 
     First Class David H. Sharrett II 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 ``Private First Class David H. Sharrett II 
     Post Office Building''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Illinois (Mr. Davis) and the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Davis) 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.
  Mr. Speaker, as a member of the House Committee on Oversight and 
Government Reform, I join my colleagues in consideration of H.R. 5483, 
which renames a post office building in Oakton, Virginia, after one of 
our country's fallen soldiers: Private First Class David H. Sharrett 
II.
  H.R. 5483 was introduced on February 25, 2008, by Congressman Tom 
Davis, our committee's ranking member, and has the support of the 
entire Virginia delegation, which is only fitting as the measure honors 
one of the State's native sons and heroes. H.R. 5483 was considered by 
the Oversight and Government Reform Committee on March 13, 2008, where 
it was passed without objection by voice vote.
  A longtime resident of the Northern Virginia community of Fairfax, 
Private First Class David H. Sharrett II was tragically killed on 
Wednesday, January 16, 2008, along with two other soldiers from his 
command, when they were attacked by grenade and small-arms fire during 
a combat operation in Balad, Iraq.
  Known throughout the area as a star defensive end for the Oakton High 
School football team, Private Sharrett elected to enlist in the U.S. 
military in the summer of 2006 and was assigned to the 101st Airborne 
Division in Fort Campbell, Kentucky. According to Private Sharrett's 
father, David's tour of duty in Iraq was scheduled to end in

[[Page 6683]]

October of 2009 and he planned to return to Northern Virginia to earn a 
degree in education and possibly become a history teacher, which I must 
say is another noble and honorable profession. Although Private 
Sharrett's dream must now go unaccomplished, let the record show that 
his valiant service to our country and the world will undoubtedly live 
on for generations to come.
  So, Mr. Speaker, I ask that we join with Representative Tom Davis, 
our colleague from Virginia, in acknowledging the life and sacrifices 
of Private First Class David H. Sharrett II and pass H.R. 5483.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. DAVIS of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 5483, a bill to rename 
the post office located at 10449 White Granite Drive in Oakton, 
Virginia, after an American hero: Private First Class David Sharrett 
II, a proud son of Fairfax County, Virginia.
  PFC Sharrett grew up in Oakton, Virginia, where he attended Oakton 
Elementary School, Cooper Intermediate School, and Oakton High School, 
where he starred as a defensive end on the Cougars' regional 
championship football team. His high school football coach, Peter 
Bendorff, said, ``He wasn't the biggest kid, but he was fearless. He 
was a kid that sticks out in your mind.''
  So it was not surprising when in 2006 he decided to enlist in the 
Army, where he was assigned to the 1st Squadron, 32nd Calvary Regiment 
of the 101st Airborne Division, 1st Brigade Combat Team, based in Fort 
Campbell, Kentucky. Before long he was deployed to Iraq.
  During his time overseas, PFC Sharrett missed his family and called 
home often. His father, David Sharrett Sr., a teacher in Northern 
Virginia, said during those calls, his son downplayed the dangers he 
encountered and talked mainly about the pride of serving his country.
  But one day, while Mr. Sharrett was teaching, he got the call no 
parent should ever receive. His son had been killed in action on 
January 16 of this year in a grenade attack in Baghdad. He was 27 years 
old.
  Private Sharrett left behind a proud family and friends, who will 
always remember his bravery on behalf of his country. They will look to 
his decorations, which include the National Defense Medal, the Global 
War on Terrorism Medal, the Army Service Ribbon, and the Expert Weapons 
Qualification Badge. They will comfort his family, his father; his 
wife; and his mother, Kimberly Drummond. And they will know that we owe 
PFC Sharrett and his family a debt of gratitude we can never repay.
  This small token of our appreciation, the renaming of a post office 
in the town he called home, is an appropriate tribute. Therefore, I ask 
that my colleagues join me in doing what we can to honor this brave man 
and support H.R. 5483. Further, I ask that we continue to honor all of 
our men and women in uniform who serve this great Nation with 
distinction.

                              {time}  1115

  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I urge passage of H.R. 5483, and 
yield back the balance of our 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. 5483.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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