[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 4]
[House]
[Pages 5583-5584]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                          HONORING BILL KNAPP

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Iowa 
(Mr. Young) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. YOUNG of Iowa. Mr. Speaker, I come to the floor of the U.S. House 
of Representatives to recognize and honor the accomplishments of an 
individual who exemplifies what it means to be an Iowan, to be an 
American.
  Bill Knapp is being honored by the Van Meter High School Booster Club 
and American Legion Post 403 as an Iowa hero and legend, and it is for 
good reason. Bill has given much to the community. He spent his life 
giving back. Throughout his life, his career, and his philanthropic 
efforts, he has demonstrated, and continues to demonstrate, a 
commitment to our State and our country, to people.
  Bill was born in 1926 and grew up on a farm in Allerton in southern 
Iowa. Growing up in Allerton was where Bill first learned the value of 
a hard day's work, of an earned day's pay. He learned the value of 
making do with less, anticipating the needs of others, and helping 
those less fortunate. He learned self-sacrifice, honesty, and 
integrity. He has carried with him these Iowa values throughout his 
life.
  Bill turned 17 in 1944. Observing World War II from quite a distance 
in Iowa, this young man heard the call to serve our country. He did not 
ignore that call; he answered it. He convinced his parents to sign off 
on his enlistment into the United States Navy.
  In the spring of 1945, Bill took part in the Battle of Okinawa as a 
coxswain on the USS Catron. Alongside many others from across the 
country, Bill bravely

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served. And unlike many of these gentlemen who were with him who didn't 
come back, Bill returned home.
  After 2 years in the U.S. Navy and the end of the Second World War, 
Bill returned to Allerton. He took business courses, took to real 
estate, rolled up his sleeves, got to work, and soon formed Iowa 
Realty. Under Bill's leadership, Iowa Realty grew, prospered, and 
became the largest real estate company in Iowa.
  Bill has had some tremendous successes, but he has never forgotten 
his Iowa values. Instead, he continues to embody what it means to be an 
Iowan. His selflessness and willingness to give back is evident in 
everything that he continues to do. He is known statewide. He is known 
nationally for his philanthropic efforts, as well as his special 
commitment to Iowa. He has placed a strong emphasis on helping to turn 
Iowa's capital city, beautiful Des Moines, into the thriving metropolis 
we see today.
  I imagine I speak for many when I say how incredibly grateful I am 
for Bill's donation of land to our State, which was used for Iowa's 
first and only veterans cemetery in Van Meter. Thanks to Bill's 
generosity, our veterans in Iowa, who have so selflessly served our 
country, have a final resting place. It is truly hallowed ground. We, 
as Iowans, have a place to honor our country's heroes.
  But his generosity to Iowa's veterans didn't stop. He was 
instrumental in the creation of the Veterans Reception Center in Van 
Meter, where families and friends gather and pay their respects 
following the burial of a loved one or friend. It has helped bring the 
community of Van Meter, my hometown, together.
  Mr. Speaker, it is an honor to represent Iowans like Bill in the 
United States Congress. He is generous, he is thoughtful, he doesn't 
forget where he came from, and he has spent a lifetime embodying Iowan 
values. He has given so much, he continues to give selflessly, and he 
puts others before himself in ways that we will probably never know. 
But that is okay if we don't know. He gives because it is the right 
thing to do. He is a humble soul with a big heart.
  I ask that my colleagues in the United States House of 
Representatives join me in honoring Bill, an Iowa hero and legend.
  Thank you and congratulations, Bill. We are proud of you.

                          ____________________