[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 9]
[House]
[Pages 13109-13110]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




    MARINE LANCE CORPORAL SQUIRE ``SKIP'' WELLS POST OFFICE BUILDING

  Mr. JODY B. HICE of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules 
and pass the bill (H.R. 5612) to designate the facility of the United 
States Postal Service located at 2886 Sandy Plains Road in Marietta, 
Georgia, as the ``Marine Lance Corporal Squire `Skip' Wells Post Office 
Building''.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 5612

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

     SECTION 1. MARINE LANCE CORPORAL SQUIRE ``SKIP'' WELLS POST 
                   OFFICE BUILDING.

       (a) Designation.--The facility of the United States Postal 
     Service located at 2886 Sandy Plains Road in Marietta, 
     Georgia, shall be known and designated as the ``Marine Lance 
     Corporal Squire `Skip' Wells 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 ``Marine Lance Corporal Squire `Skip' 
     Wells Post Office Building''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Georgia (Mr. Jody B. Hice) and the gentlewoman from the District of 
Columbia (Ms. Norton) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Georgia.


                             General Leave

  Mr. JODY B. HICE of Georgia. 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 Georgia?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. JODY B. HICE of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as 
I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 5612, introduced by 
Representative Tom Price of Georgia, to designate a post office located 
in Marietta, Georgia, as the Marine Lance Corporal Squire ``Skip'' 
Wells Post Office Building.
  Lance Corporal Wells enlisted in the United States Marine Corps in 
2014 after 2 years in college. On July 16, 2015, he was completing 
training at the Naval and Marine Reserve Center in Chattanooga, 
Tennessee, when a gunman opened fire.
  Lance Corporal Wells heroically lost his life warning fellow marines 
about the attack. I look forward to learning more about Lance Corporal 
Wells from the sponsor of the bill, Representative Price. For now, I 
urge Members to support the bill.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to support H.R. 5612, a bill to designate 
the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 2886 Sandy 
Plains Road in Marietta, Georgia, as the Marine Lance Corporal Squire 
``Skip'' Wells Post Office Building.
  A native of Marietta, Georgia, Skip Wells enlisted in the Marine 
Corps in 2014 and was assigned to the 14th Marine Regiment in 
Tennessee, where he served as a field artillery commander.
  On July 16, 2015, while serving a voluntary 2-week assignment at the 
U.S. Naval and Marine Reserve Center in Chattanooga, Tennessee, Lance 
Corporal Wells was tragically killed when a lone gunman opened fire on 
the center. Lance Corporal Wells was posthumously awarded a Purple 
Heart.
  Mr. Speaker, we should pass this bill to honor the bravery, service, 
and sacrifice of Lance Corporal Skip Wells. I urge support for this 
bill.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. JODY B. HICE of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the 
gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Tom Price), my good friend, a great leader, 
and the sponsor of this bill.
  Mr. TOM PRICE of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a fallen 
hero from Georgia's Sixth Congressional District, Marine Lance Corporal 
Squire Wells from Marietta, Georgia.
  Known by his friends and family as Skip, Lance Corporal Wells was one 
of five servicemembers tragically murdered in a terrorist attack at the 
Naval and Marine Reserve Center in Chattanooga, Tennessee, on July 16, 
2015.
  Skip Wells graduated from Sprayberry High School in Cobb County in 
2012. In high school, he played clarinet in the marching band, was 
active in Junior ROTC, and was regarded by his classmates as a 
``protector''--someone who ``looked at everyone with love'' and would 
``go anywhere to protect anybody.''
  After graduation, he studied history at Georgia Southern University 
before going on to enlist in the Marine Corps in 2014. Mr. Speaker, his 
family had a long tradition of military service, and Skip Wells felt a 
strong calling to defend his country.
  While in the Marines, Skip Wells distinguished himself as a proud 
field artillery cannoneer. His desire to put the well-being of his 
fellow marines and the mission before that of his own was famous among 
fellow servicemembers. Once, while on a training exercise, a sledge 
hammer badly damaged his hand while attempting to drive a stake into 
the ground. Seeing the damage to his hand, his commanding officer 
ordered Wells to seek immediate medical attention for his injuries, but 
Lance Corporal Wells refused. He said:

       First Sergeant, I will not leave my gun. I'll refuse 
     medical treatment, but I am not leaving my position.

  Such was his resolve to serve and his commitment to his fellow 
marines, that he would not abandon them, not even during a training 
exercise. Mr. Speaker, this was one remarkable man.
  On July 16, 2015, Skip Wells was completing 2 weeks of training at 
the Naval and Marine Reserve Center in Chattanooga, Tennessee, when a 
terrorist opened fire on the facility. Disregarding his own safety, 
Skip Wells was last seen running to warn colleagues in the motor pool 
of the attack. He was 21 years old at the time of his death.
  Mr. Speaker, the valor of this young man's action and the tragedy 
surrounding the taking of his life at the hands of a terrorist moved 
people in my district deeply. At a memorial service that was held at 
his high school, more than 4,000 mourners filled the stadium to 
remember Skip Wells. Thousands more stood around the periphery of the 
field.

[[Page 13110]]

  Skip Wells was a proud marine and a true hero. He made the ultimate 
sacrifice and selflessly gave his life to protect his fellow 
servicemembers and to protect our Nation. There is nothing we could do 
that would be too much to honor this young hero's memory.
  Thus, I urge the House to pass this legislation to designate this 
facility of the United States Postal Service located at 2886 Sandy 
Plains Road in Marietta, Georgia, the post office closest to his high 
school, Sprayberry High School, as the Marine Lance Corporal Squire 
``Skip'' Wells Post Office Building.
  It is my hope, Mr. Speaker, that, for generations to come, young 
children and others at the post office will see that post office's name 
and ask: Who is Skip Wells? Mr. Speaker, that answer will be very, very 
clear. He was a valiant defender, a hero, and a patriot. He was truly 
the very best of us.
  To his mom, Cathy, and his family, we extend our deepest appreciation 
for his service and his sacrifice. May God bless his memory, the Wells 
family, and the United States of America.
  Mr. JODY B. HICE of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the 
gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Fleischmann), from the State where this 
tragedy occurred.
  Mr. FLEISCHMANN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this legislation 
that my dear friend and colleague, Dr. Price, has sponsored in this 
House.
  On that fateful day, July 16, 2015, five great American heroes lost 
their lives: Gunnery Sergeant Thomas Sullivan, Staff Sergeant David 
Wyatt, Sergeant Carson Holmquist, Petty Officer Second Class Randall 
Smith, and, yes, another great hero, Lance Corporal Skip Wells.
  I am honored to stand in the well of this House, as I was when I came 
here after those attacks, and I want all Americans to know and 
understand the love and support that not only Chattanooga and the great 
State of Tennessee--my State--showed, but the great support shown in 
the people's House for those five fallen heroes.
  Lance Corporal Skip Wells truly was and is an American hero. Think 
about that. He was a marine serving at the Naval and Marine Reserve 
Center. I had been there prior to these attacks. I have been there 
several times after these attacks. As a matter of fact, the Commandant 
of the great United States Marine Corps has visited there. General 
Miller has actually been to where we sustained this great loss of life. 
Those terrorist attacks that day on American soil in Chattanooga, 
Tennessee, took these five lives.
  Skip Wells stood proud as a marine and defended our great Nation that 
day. And yes, all five of these great service people were awarded the 
Purple Heart posthumously, as they should have been. But now, in some 
great way that we can, with Dr. Price's bill, we honor this great 
American marine and great American hero who gave the ultimate sacrifice 
for us so that we can serve in this House and so that we can remain the 
freest, greatest Nation that the world has ever seen.
  We will honor him and, hopefully, pass this bill on the naming of a 
post office. Yes, Dr. Price is right: this is just a small token of the 
debt that Chattanooga, Tennessee, and America, will always owe to Lance 
Corporal Squire ``Skip'' Wells.
  Mr. JODY B. HICE of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I am honored to be a 
cosponsor of this bill. I thank Dr. Price and my friend from Tennessee 
as well. At this time, I urge adoption of the bill.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Duncan of Tennessee). The question is on 
the motion offered by the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Jody B. Hice) 
that the House suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 5612.
  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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