[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 18]
[House]
[Pages 24599-24600]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                 1ST LIEUTENANT LOUIS ALLEN POST OFFICE

  Mr. LYNCH. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill 
(H.R. 2877) to designate the facility of the United States Postal 
Service located at 76 Brookside Avenue in Chester, New York, as the 
``1st Lieutenant Louis Allen Post Office''.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 2877

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

     SECTION 1. 1ST LIEUTENANT LOUIS ALLEN POST OFFICE.

       (a) Designation.--The facility of the United States Postal 
     Service located at 76 Brookside Avenue in Chester, New York, 
     shall be known and designated as the ``1st Lieutenant Louis 
     Allen 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 ``1st Lieutenant Louis Allen Post 
     Office''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Massachusetts (Mr. Lynch) and the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Guthrie) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Massachusetts.


                             General Leave

  Mr. LYNCH. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may 
have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their 
remarks.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Massachusetts?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. LYNCH. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, as chairman of the House subcommittee with jurisdiction 
over the United States Postal Service, I am proud to present H.R. 2877 
for consideration.
  This bill, if adopted, will designate the facility of the United 
States Postal Service located at 76 Brookside Avenue in Chester, New 
York, as the ``1st Lieutenant Louis Allen Post Office.''
  H.R. 2877 was introduced by my friend and colleague, Representative 
John Hall of New York, on June 15, 2009, and favorably reported out of 
the Oversight Committee by unanimous consent on July 10, 2009. Notably, 
this legislation enjoys the strong support of the entire New York 
sitting House delegation.

                              {time}  1430

  Since this is principally sponsored by my friend, Mr. Hall of New 
York, I'm going to yield 5 minutes to my colleague so that he may make 
those remarks.
  Mr. HALL of New York. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a great American, First 
Lieutenant Lou Allen. My bill, H.R. 2877, would designate the post 
office in Chester, New York, as the ``1st Lieutenant Louis Allen Post 
Office.'' First Lieutenant Allen was killed in Iraq over 4 years ago by 
a mine explosion for which another member of the Armed Forces was 
charged and shockingly acquitted. First Lieutenant Allen was 34 years 
old.
  A pillar of his community, a model National Guardsman, Lou joined the 
New York National Guard in the year 2000. But when he was not serving 
in uniform, he served his community as a

[[Page 24600]]

science teacher at George F. Baker High School in Tuxedo. He was 
deployed to New York City with the National Guard to respond to the 
terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.
  Lou's service to his community and country made him a great American 
whom we are all proud of. Lou is survived by his loving wife, Barbara; 
and their four young sons, Trevor, Colin, Sean and Jeremy; his parents, 
Bob and Vivian; and his siblings and other friends and family who are 
all so proud of him. Renaming this post office in his honor will be a 
tangible reminder of the joy he brought to them and the contributions 
he made to our Nation, the Hudson Valley community, and the lives of 
those who knew him.
  I cannot imagine how difficult the last few years have been in Lou's 
family, and their grace in dealing with this tragedy is an inspiration 
to us all. I have had the honor of meeting them at Bob and Vivian's 
house when I introduced this bill. And I am honored to represent them 
in Congress and to be able to come here to Washington and help 
redesignate the U.S. Post Office at 76 Brookside Avenue in Chester, New 
York, as the ``1st Lieutenant Louis Allen Post Office.''
  Renaming this post office is not about mourning Lou's death, but 
about celebrating his life. I am glad that we have the support of the 
entire New York State congressional delegation, who are all signed on 
to the bill as original cosponsors.
  I urge my colleagues to honor First Lieutenant Allen and support this 
bill so that he and his family will finally receive the tribute to his 
sacrifice that they deserve.
  Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today to urge the passage of H.R. 2877, a bill 
designed to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service 
located at 76 Brookside Avenue in Chester, New York, as the ``1st 
Lieutenant Louis Allen Post Office'' in honor of the late Louis E. 
Allen, a 34-year-old Army National Guardsman killed by an explosion in 
Tikrit, Iraq, on June 8, 2005.
  A native of Goshen, New York, and a West Point graduate, First 
Lieutenant Allen was not only a model soldier but also a model citizen 
who had a true passion for helping others.
  A loving husband and father of four sons, he drove more than 1 hour 
each way to George Baker High School in Tuxedo, New York, a school 
where he taught science. The school superintendent remembers him as 
loving kids and having a ``real passion for our students.'' He was also 
known by his family as being fun-loving, gracious and caring as he took 
care of everyone around him. A longtime friend of Allen's once said 
that ``if my son grows up to be half the man Lou is, I'll be the 
happiest father in the world.''
  First Lieutenant Allen is a shining example of an individual who 
continually and selflessly served those around him, both through his 
work for his community and country. His spirit lives on through the 
work of his family and friends as they continue to promote the 
sacrifice of First Lieutenant Allen through the First Lieutenant Louis 
Allen Scholarship and Community Foundation.
  It is with gratitude for his bravery and sacrifice for his country 
that I ask all Members to join me in supporting H.R. 2877 in First 
Lieutenant Allen's honor.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. LYNCH. Mr. Speaker, a resident of Milford, Pennsylvania, First 
Lieutenant Louis E. Allen bravely served in support of Operation Iraqi 
Freedom as a member of the Army National Guard's Headquarters and 
Headquarters Company, 42nd Infantry Division, out of Troy, New York.
  Regrettably, as has been noted here by my friend, Mr. Hall, First 
Lieutenant Allen and fellow unit member Captain Phillip T. Esposito 
were killed in Tikrit, Iraq, on June 8, 2005, of injuries sustained 
when a mine explosion occurred near their location. First Lieutenant 
Allen was 34 years old at the time of his death.
  As noted by his fellow Rainbow Division soldiers, who held a ceremony 
in honor of their two fallen comrades at Forward Operating Base Danger 
in Tikrit on June 15, 2005, First Lieutenant Allen was highly regarded 
as a skilled platoon leader who always took care of his troops.
  ``He was always running around, getting stuff for his guys--food, 
safety equipment, and billeting--and never forgot where he came from,'' 
recalled Colonel Mario Costagliola, the division's assistant chief of 
staff for operations.
  In addition to his distinguished service to his unit and his country, 
First Lieutenant Allen is equally remembered as a dedicated husband to 
his beloved wife, Barbara, whom he made sure to call every day 
throughout his deployment, and as a loving father to their four boys, 
Trevor, Colin, Sean and Jeremy, whose pictures he always carried in his 
wallet and would display to anyone who would bother to take a look, 
according to Captain Steven Raiser, a division legal assistance officer 
who trained with First Lieutenant Allen.
  Moreover, as a high school science teacher at George Baker High 
School in Tuxedo, New York, First Lieutenant Allen evidenced the same 
commitment, dedication and generosity to his students as he did to his 
fellow soldiers and his family. ``He loved kids. He had a real passion 
for our students,'' recalled Valley Central School District 
Superintendent Joseph P. Zanetti.
  And as noted by all of those who were fortunate enough to know him, 
First Lieutenant Allen had a unique gift for making everyone around him 
feel more positive and happier. A family statement issued following his 
death perhaps best characterizes First Lieutenant Allen's effect on his 
loved ones: ``Everybody loved Lou for his Lou-ness.''
  Mr. Speaker, the life and legacy of First Lieutenant Louis E. Allen 
stands as a testament to the brave servicemen and -women who have also 
dedicated their lives to serving our Nation in the United States 
military. It is my hope that we can honor this young soldier through 
the passage of H.R. 2877 and by designating the Chester Post Office in 
his honor.
  With that, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I have no other speakers, so I yield back 
my time.
  Mr. LYNCH. Mr. Speaker, in closing, I again urge my colleagues on 
both sides of the aisle to join with Mr. Hall, the principal sponsor of 
this resolution, in honoring First Lieutenant Louis Allen through the 
passage of H.R. 2877.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Lynch) that the House suspend the 
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 2877.
  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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