[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 5]
[House]
[Pages 6868-6869]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




           LCPL GARRETT W. GAMBLE, USMC POST OFFICE BUILDING

  Mr. WALKER. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 4877) to designate the facility of the United States Postal 
Service located at 3130 Grants Lake Boulevard in Sugar Land, Texas, as 
the ``LCpl Garrett W. Gamble, USMC Post Office Building''.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 4877

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

     SECTION 1. LCPL GARRETT W. GAMBLE, USMC POST OFFICE BUILDING.

       (a) Designation.--The facility of the United States Postal 
     Service located at 3130 Grants Lake Boulevard in Sugar Land, 
     Texas, shall be known and designated as the ``LCpl Garrett W. 
     Gamble, USMC 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 ``LCpl Garrett W. Gamble, USMC Post Office 
     Building''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
North Carolina (Mr. Walker) and the gentlewoman from Michigan (Mrs. 
Lawrence) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from North Carolina.


                             General Leave

  Mr. WALKER. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may 
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and 
include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from North Carolina?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. WALKER. I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 4877, introduced by the 
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Olson). H.R. 4877 designates the post office 
located at 3130 Grants Lake Boulevard in Sugar Land, Texas, as the LCpl 
Garrett W. Gamble, USMC Post Office Building.
  Lance Corporal Gamble was a determined young man. Before he even 
graduated high school, he already decided to join the Marines. Less 
than a year after being deployed in Afghanistan, Gamble was killed when 
he stepped on an enemy land mine.
  Mr. Speaker, Garrett Gamble's life was taken far too soon. Naming a 
post office after him is just a small honor we can give to a man who 
gave his life for his country. I urge Members to support this bill to 
name a post office in Gamble's honor.
  I will soon yield to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Olson), my 
colleague and the bill's sponsor, to tell us more about the honorable 
soldier Lance Corporal Garrett W. Gamble.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mrs. LAWRENCE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I join my colleagues in the consideration of H.R. 4877, 
a bill to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service in 
Sugar Land, Texas, as LCpl Garrett W. Gamble, USMC Post Office 
Building.
  It has been stated that this amazing young man was only 20 years old 
when he gave the ultimate sacrifice in Afghanistan. Garrett will be 
remembered

[[Page 6869]]

for his bravery, his determination, and, it has been said, a big 
personality. He is survived by his parents, stepfather, and two younger 
brothers.
  Mr. Speaker, I think, again, we are seeing multiple examples of our 
brave, dedicated citizens in the United States giving the ultimate 
sacrifice. I feel strongly that we should pass this bill to commemorate 
Lance Corporal Gamble's sacrifice for his country.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. WALKER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the distinguished 
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Olson).
  Mr. OLSON. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from North Carolina. I 
would also like to thank the chairman of the full committee, Mr. 
Chaffetz, the ranking member, Mr. Cummings, and the entire committee 
for getting H.R. 4877 to the House floor this afternoon.
  This bill names a post office a few miles from my home after Lance 
Corporal Garrett Gamble, United States Marine Corps. Garrett died 
defending our freedom on March 11, 2010, in Afghanistan. He was 20 
years young.
  Garrett died before I could meet him, but I will never forget him 
because of the stories I was told after God called him home. His 
mother, Chelle, told me about a 10-year-old boy who got very angry when 
he saw those towers fall, the plane crash into the Pentagon, and the 
plane go down in rural Pennsylvania on 9/11. He never wanted to see his 
homeland attacked like that again. The drive to join the Marine Corps 
had started, and that drive would never end.
  Garrett wanted to destroy evil. He knew that joining the Marine Corps 
was his calling when he saw al Qaeda's evil firsthand. Garrett and some 
marines were on a foot patrol in a small Afghan village. Garrett must 
have flashed that big smile because a young Afghan boy waved at 
Garrett. Garrett waved back and held up a small mint for the boy to 
have.
  The boy walked up slowly, took the mint, and ran to his father to 
show him what the American had given him. Garrett watched in horror as 
the dad beat the tar out of his son. He kicked him; he punched him; he 
knocked him senseless. Garrett wanted to shoot, but he could not. He 
got back to base and asked the old-timers what the heck happened. Why 
did that boy get beat for this small mint?
  The old-timers told him, al Qaeda was watching. When we left, they 
may go to that man's home and kill that man--the father, his boy, his 
mother, his sisters, his brothers. That was a plea from the father: 
Don't kill my family. My boy did wrong by taking this small mint. 
Please leave us alone.
  Garrett knew he was no longer fighting for America; he was fighting 
for people all over the world who craved freedom.
  The final story says everything about Garrett. When he finally 
enlisted, he was a junior in high school--Austin High School, the 
Bulldogs. He told his best friend: I have done it. I have joined the 
Marine Corps.
  His best friend became irate. He never thought Garrett would do that. 
He never thought he would join the Marine Corps. He said: I can't 
believe you joined the Marine Corps. You may get killed. I would never, 
ever join the Corps.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentleman has expired.
  Mr. WALKER. Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 1 minute to the 
gentleman from Texas.
  Mr. OLSON. I thank my friend from North Carolina.
  Garrett, in an act of true human love, put his arms on his best 
friend's shoulders, looked him square in the eye, and whispered: That 
is why I did it. That is why I did it.
  Garrett did not earn this honor by his death; he earned it by his 
life. Because of this bill, Garrett's love will be on permanent display 
at 3130 Grants Lake Boulevard in Sugar Land, Texas, the Garrett W. 
Gamble Post Office.
  Mrs. LAWRENCE. Mr. Speaker, I urge the passage of H.R. 4877.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. WALKER. Mr. Speaker, I urge adoption of the bill.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Walker) that the House suspend the 
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 4877.
  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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