To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 545 North Rimsdale Avenue in Covina, California, as the "Lillian Kinkella Keil Post Office".

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation be authorized to meet on Thursday, December 15, 2005, at 10 a.m. on pending committee business.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs be authorized to meet on Thursday, December 15, 2005, at 10 a.m., for a hearing titled, ``Hurricane Katrina: Who's In Charge of the New Orleans Levees?''.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affaris be authorized to hold an off-the-floor markup during the session on Thursday, December 15, 2005, to consider the nominations of George W. Foresman to be Under Secretary for Preparedness, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and Mary M. Rose to be Member, Merit Systems Protection Board.

Agenda

Nominations

(1) George W. Foresman to be Under Secretary for Preparedness, U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

(2) Mary M. Rose to be Member, Merit Systems Protection Board.

Post Office Naming Bills

(1) S. 1445, a bill to designate the facility of the U.S. Postal Service located at 520 Colorado Avenue in Arriba, CO, as the ``William H. Emery Post Office.''

(2) S. 1792/H.R. 3770, a bill to designate the facility of the U.S. Postal Service located at 205 West Washington Street in Knox, IN, as the ``Grant W. Green Post Office Building.''

(3) S. 1820, a bill to designate the facility of the U.S. Postal Service located at 6110 East 51st Place in Tulsa, OK, as the ``Dewey F. Bartlett Post Office.''

(4) S. 2036, a bill to designate the facility of the U.S. Postal Service located at 320 High Street in Clinton, MA, as the ``Raymond J. Salmon Post Office.''

(5) S. 2064, a bill to designate the facility of the U.S. Postal Service located at 122 South Bill Street in Francesville, IN, as the ``Malcolm Melville `Mac' Lawrence Post Office.''

(6) S. 2089, a bill to designate the facility of the U.S. Postal Service located at 1271 North King Street in Honolulu, Oahu, HA, as the ``Hiram L. Fong Post Office Building.''

(7) H.R. 2113, a bill to designate the facility of the U.S. Postal Service located at 2000 McDonough Street in Joliet, IL, as the ``John F. Whiteside Joliet Post Office Building.''

(8) H.R. 2346, a bill to designate the facility of the U.S. Postal Service located at 105 NW Railroad Avenue in Hammond, LA, as the ``John J. Hainkel, Jr. Post Office Building.''

(9) H.R. 2413, a bill to designate the facility of the U.S. Postal Service located at 1202 1st Street in Humble, TX, as the ``Lillian McKay Post Office Building.''

(10) H.R. 2630, a bill to designate the facility of the U.S. Postal Service located at 1927 Sangamon Avenue in Springfield, IL, as the ``J.M. Dietrich Northeast Annex.''

(11) H.R. 2894, a bill to designate the facility of the U.S. Postal Service located at 102 South Walters Avenue in Hodgenville, KY, as the ``Abraham Lincoln Birthplace Post Office Building.''

(12) H.R. 3256, a bill to designate the facility of the U.S. Postal Service located at 3038 West Liberty Avenue in Pittsburgh, PA, as the ``Congressman James Grove Fulton Memorial Post Office Building.''

(13) H.R. 3368, a bill to designate the facility of the U.S. Postal Service located at 6483 Lincoln Street in Gagetown, MI, as the ``Gagetown Veterans Memorial Post Office.''

(14) H.R. 3439, a bill to designate the facility of the U.S. Postal Service located at 201 North 3rd Street in Smithfield, NC, as the ``Ava Gardner Post Office.''

(15) H.R. 3548, a bill to designate the facility of the U.S. Postal Service located on Franklin Avenue in Pearl River, NY, as the ``Heinz Ahlmeyer, Jr. Post Office Building.''

(16) H.R. 3703, a bill to designate the facility of the U.S. Postal Service located at 8501 Philatelic Drive in Spring Hill, FL, as the ``Staff Sergeant Michael Schafer Post Office.''

(17) H.R. 3825, a bill to designate the facility of the U.S. Postal Service located at 770 Trumbull Drive in Pittsburgh, PA, the ``Clayton J. Smith Memorial Post Office.''

(18) H.R. 3830, a bill to designate the facility of the U.S. Postal Service located at 130 East Marion Avenue in Punta Gorda, FL, as the ``U.S. Cleveland Post Office Building.''

(19) H.R. 4053, a bill to designate the facility of the U.S. Postal Service located at 545 North Rimsdale Avenue in Covina, CA, as the ``Lillian Kinkella Keil Post Office.''

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent at the Select Committee on Intelligence be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on December 15, 2005, at 2:30 p.m., to hold a closed meeting.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 4053, a bill designating a post office located at 545 North Rimsdale, Covina, California, in honor of Lillian Kinkella Keil, the most decorated female veteran in U.S. military history.

The story of Lillian Keil is one of remarkable courage. Born in Arcata in Northern California, she studied to be a nurse before becoming an airline stewardess for United Airlines. In 1943, she joined the U.S. Army Air Corps (now the U.S. Air Force) as a flight nurse, where she rose to the rank of Captain. Captain Keil flew on 425 combat air evacuation missions in World War II and the Korean War. She helped load wounded soldiers onto airplanes and took part in 11 major campaigns, including the Battle of the Bulge in Normandy during World War II and the Inchon Invasion in Korea. She tended to about 10,000 soldiers while they were being flown to military hospitals. She endured hazardous conditions, sometimes sleeping on a keg of gunpowder or among medical supplies the planes were delivering to battlefields.

To a wounded soldier, Captain Keil represented hope and home. She won the hearts and touched the lives of countless service members and their families. Her life and service to our country serves as an inspiration to all Americans, particularly women serving in the U.S. military. Captain Keil was awarded 19 medals and ribbons, including: 4 Air Medals, 2 Presidential Unit Citations, 1 World War II Victory Medal, 4 battle stars in World War II, and 1 Korean Service Medal with seven battle stars. In 1954, the Hollywood movie ``Flight Nurse,'' starring Joan Leslie and Forrest Tucker, was based, in part, on her experiences. She was the honorary grand marshal of the National World War II Memorial Dedication parade in Washington, DC.

Keil was honorably discharged from the military in 1955. Her family moved to Covina in 1958, and she continued working as a nurse in emergency rooms and hospitals. After serving her country, she became an active member of the Veterans of War 8620, the American Legion Post 790, and the Chosen Few Veterans Military Organization. Captain Keil died of cancer at the age of 88 in June of this year. As a longtime resident of Covina, Captain Keil was not just a brave and self- sacrificing veteran, but she was a loving wife, a mother and a friend to many who live in the 32nd Congressional District.

I urge all my colleagues to join me in recognizing this beloved military hero. This bill is a tribute to all those who have died for our country and their families. The bill symbolizes the gratitude and admiration we have for our Nation's soldiers, who risk their lives to uphold our way of life and the American ideals of liberty, justice, and equality.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4053) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 545 North Rimsdale Avenue in Covina, California, as the ``Lillian Kinkella Keil Post Office''.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 4053 offered by the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Solis). This bill would designate this post office in Covina, California, as the Lillian Kinkella Keil Post Office.

Lillian Kinkella Keil, a registered nurse, was one of the first airplane stewardesses hired by United Airways. Keil was happily attending to her passengers when the United States entered World War II. She decided to send a letter to the School of Evacuation in Bowman Fields, California, and within 2 weeks she was accepted. By the summer of 1943, she was in England pulling wounded and frost-bitten soldiers out of B17s returning from bombing raids over Europe.

Keil made 250 evacuation flights, including one to collect the wounded after the invasion of Normandy. Twenty-three of these missions were transatlantic, moving from one man to another, stopping blood flow, bandaging wounds, and giving medicine and comfort.

After World War II ended, Keil returned to the United Airways as an assistant chief stewardess, but her career was interrupted again by the dawn of the Korean War. In 1950, she returned to her duties as an Air Force flight nurse. During the next 16 months, Keil flew 175 air evacuations out of Korea, logging 1,400 hours of flight time.

Her experiences as a flight nurse were used as the basis for the 1953 Hollywood movie ``Flight Nurse'' starring Joan Leslie and Forrest Tucker. Her experiences in World War II and Korea ultimately resulted in her being one of the most decorated women in American military history. She was awarded 19 medals, including a European Theater medal with four battle stars, a Korean service medal with seven battle stars, four air medals and a Presidential Citation from the Republic of Korea. Lillian Kinkella Keil was a true American hero.

I urge all members to come together to honor this brave and patriotic humanitarian by passing H.R. 4053.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all Members to support the passage of H.R. 4053, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, as a member of the House Government Reform Committee, I am pleased to join my colleague in consideration of H.R. 4053, legislation designating a Postal Service facility in Covina, California, after the late Lillian Kinkella Keil.

This measure, which was introduced by the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Solis) on October 7, 2005, was unanimously passed by the Government Reform Committee on October 20, 2005. H.R. 4053 enjoys the support and co-sponsorship of the entire California delegation.

Captain Lillian Kinkella Keil, a long-time resident of Covina, California, was a flight nurse for the United States Army Air Corps during World War II and the Korean War. Captain Keil flew over 400 combat evacuation missions and was one of the most highly decorated women in military history.

Lillian Kinkella Keil began her career as a stewardess with United Airlines. In 1943, she attended the Army Air Forces' Air Evacuation School near Louisville, Kentucky. She received training as a flight nurse and was involved with evacuating wounded in many missions, including operations in Normandy during D-Day invasions. She was also part of the team that followed General Patton's Army across France.

One year after the war ended in 1946, Lillian returned to United Airlines as a stewardess. She left her job 4 years later, signing up for military flight duty in the Korean War. After Korea, she returned to California, got married, had two children and became a homemaker. In 1954, the year she married Walter Keil, a Navy intelligence officer, Hollywood made a movie based on her life entitled ``Flight Nurse;'' and in 1961 her story was featured on ``This is Your Life.''

Sadly, Lillian Kinkella Keil passed away of cancer at the age of 88 on June 30, 2005. I commend the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Solis) for seeking to honor the tremendous legacy of the late Captain Lillian Kinkella Keil. She will forever be remembered as the ``Airborne Florence Nightingale'' and the most decorated female veteran. The Keil story is an inspiration to all, and I am proud and pleased that the postal facility in Covina, California, will be dedicated in her honor. I also note that the mayor and the City Council of Covina join in support of this measure and urge its swift passage.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.