[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 9]
[House]
[Pages 12383-12384]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




              JOHN PANGELINAN GERBER POST OFFICE BUILDING

  Mr. LANKFORD. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 1843) to designate the facility of the United States Postal 
Service located at 489 Army Drive in Barrigada, Guam, as the ``John 
Pangelinan Gerber Post Office Building''.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 1843

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

     SECTION 1. JOHN PANGELINAN GERBER POST OFFICE BUILDING.

       (a) Designation.--The facility of the United States Postal 
     Service located at 489 Army Drive in Barrigada, Guam, shall 
     be known and designated as the ``John Pangelinan Gerber 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 ``John Pangelinan Gerber Post Office 
     Building''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Oklahoma (Mr. Lankford) and the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Oklahoma.


                             General Leave

  Mr. LANKFORD. I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 
legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and to 
include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Oklahoma?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. LANKFORD. I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, H.R. 1843, introduced by the gentlelady from Guam (Ms. 
Bordallo), would designate the facility of the United States Postal 
Service located at 489 Army Drive in Barrigada, Guam, as the ``John 
Pangelinan Gerber Post Office Building.'' The bill was introduced on 
May 11, and was reported from the Committee on Oversight and Government 
Reform on June 22--and I look forward to hearing the gentlelady say the 
name correctly.
  Sergeant John Gerber was born on May 31, 1951, in Ordot, Guam. He was 
not only known for serving in the Marine Corps during the Vietnam war, 
but also for his hospitality and assistance towards his fellow marines 
in later years. During Operation Desert Storm, Sergeant Gerber assisted 
our troops by offering to host any individual or group associated with 
the 3rd Marine Division who was en route to the Middle East. His offer 
was accepted by many marines, and over time, nearly 20,000 marines had 
visited him.
  Later in life, Sergeant Gerber led a campaign to rename Route 1 in 
Guam from ``Marine Drive'' to ``Marine Corps Drive'' to recognize the 
1,548 marines who had lost their lives and the 6,000 marines who were 
wounded during the Liberation of Guam. In 2008, he established the 
Pacific War Museum on Guam to display World War II memorabilia and 
educate the public on the War in the Pacific.
  As a result of his dedication in educating citizens on Marine Corps 
history, Sergeant Gerber was the 2011 recipient of the Colonel John H. 
Magruder Award. Sadly, he received the award following his death in 
2010 at just 58 years old. He is survived by his wife, Mel, and his 
four children.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge all Members to join me in support of this bill.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. It is my pleasure now to yield such time as 
she may consume to the author of this measure, the delegate from Guam 
(Ms. Bordallo).
  Ms. BORDALLO. I thank the chairman and the ranking member.
  I rise today to urge my colleagues to support H.R. 1843, a bill that 
honors the life and the service of John Vincent Pangelinan Gerber. This 
bill would rename the ``Guam Main Post Office Facility'' to be the 
``John Pangelinan Gerber Post Office Building'' as a tribute to his 
tireless work of advocating for veterans on Guam and for educating the 
public of Guam's importance during World War II and of the role of the 
United States Marine Corps in liberating our island. John, himself a 
proud marine and lifetime resident of the village of Ordot, Guam, died 
on May 4, 2010, at the age of 58.
  John was a patriotic American who took pride in his island and his 
Chamorro heritage. After graduating from high school, he quickly 
enlisted in the Marine Corps and completed basic training at the Marine 
Corps Depot in San Diego. He was subsequently deployed to Vietnam where 
he served with the Fleet Logistics Command in support of the 1st and 
3rd Marine Divisions. When he completed his tour in Vietnam, John was 
assigned to the Bravo Company at Marine Barracks Guam, where he 
remained until he was honorably discharged as a corporal on June 3, 
1975.
  Following his service in the Marine Corps, John worked as a radio 
disc jockey. His show, ``Wireless Rock,'' was the most popular of its 
time on Guam. He opened the Wireless Rock Music Box, a record store in 
Guam's capital city of Hagatna, and later established a charter boat 
tour company. He led tourists through the island's best fishing and 
dive spots, making him one of the pioneers of what is now recognized as 
``culture-based eco-tourism'' on Guam. John then attended the 
University of Guam where he received a degree in public administration. 
The marines, however, were never, ever far from his mind.
  In 1992, John joined the Guam Chapter of the 3rd Marine Division 
Association, and devoted his time to helping his fellow marines and 
veterans. He strove to promote and preserve the story of the 3rd Marine 
Division to memorialize its role in the War in the Pacific and 
particularly with regard to the Liberation of Guam during World War II.

[[Page 12384]]

  John extended this generosity to active duty marines and 
servicemembers who visited Guam on temporary duty or other deployments. 
With help from the Guam Chamber of Commerce's Armed Services Committee 
and other veteran organizations on the island, John hosted numerous 
fiestas at his home in Ordot, welcoming more than 20,000 marines, 
sailors, soldiers, airmen, and guests to partake in the Chamorro 
culture and hospitality.
  His home, which became known as Gerber's Ranch, contained his 
collection of World War II vehicles, weapons, uniforms, and artifacts. 
These items would later be transferred to the Pacific War Museum, which 
John established to educate the public about the Marine Corps' role in 
the Liberation of Guam. John opened the museum to the public on July 
21, 2008, for the 64th anniversary of the Liberation of Guam.
  In 2004, John led the effort to rename Guam's main thoroughfare, 
Route 1, from ``Marine Drive'' to ``Marine Corps Drive'' in order to 
ensure that the sacrifices of the marines who liberated Guam are never 
forgotten. He saw this opportunity to honor the 1,548 marines who lost 
their lives and the 6,000 marines who were wounded during the 
Liberation of Guam from enemy forces during World War II. The defining 
moment in this effort came when he pulled a handcart with a billboard--
demanding action--the entire 27 miles from Andersen Air Force Base to 
Naval Base Guam. In doing so, he rallied support for his issue and 
spurred many Guam residents to advocate for recognizing those who 
fought and died for Guam.

                              {time}  1830

  On the day after his march, Route 1 was officially named Marine Corps 
Drive.
  A year after this victory in 2005, the Department of Defense 
announced that the marines from the 3rd Expeditionary Force would be 
relocating from Okinawa, Japan, to Guam. So John, along with many 
others on Guam, viewed this relocation as a homecoming, and he was the 
first to defend the Marine Corps and the strategic importance of this 
realignment.
  Although John will not be able to greet these marines as he had done 
for so many servicemembers who had visited Guam, his legacy will 
continue through his work with our community and in the Pacific War 
Museum.
  These efforts were recognized this year when the Marine Corps 
Heritage Foundation bestowed on John the Colonel John H. Magruder Award 
for his excellence in depicting and perpetuating Marine Corps history.
  Mr. Speaker, John Gerber was an extraordinary man whose greatest 
dream was to ensure that our veterans, those who made the greatest 
sacrifices for our country, would not be forgotten. Renaming the Guam 
main post office facility will serve as a permanent tribute to his 
legacy. I urge my colleagues to cast their vote to support this bill.
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. I want to thank the gentlelady for her 
introduction of this measure. I urge its passage.
  I yield back the balance of our time.
  Mr. LANKFORD. Mr. Speaker, I join the others that have already stood 
before you to support the passage of H.R. 1843, and I yield back the 
balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. Lankford) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 1843.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mr. LANKFORD. 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.

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