Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank both of my colleagues for the remarks that they have made, and share with them I wish they had an opportunity to meet this man, a remarkable human being, who was…
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank both of my colleagues for the remarks that they have made, and share with them I wish they had an opportunity to meet this man, a remarkable human being, who was very humble, like many of his generation.
Mac Lawrence, if you were to ask Mac what was it like when you hit the beach at Omaha, and the only thing to protect you was the Red Cross on your sleeve, because he had no weapon and his only concern was to take care of his comrades, and there were many to take care of on that day.
When I asked Mac, Tell me, what was it like? I asked him that question because I was asked to give the radio address to the Nation on the 50th anniversary of Normandy, so I wanted to talk to some soldiers that actually had been on the beach that day and fought at Normandy. As he described that day to me, he wept. He said, Steve, I am one of the lucky ones. Many of the survivors of that battle, that is how they considered themselves, very lucky and very fortunate.
Mac came from humble beginnings in rural Indiana. He was morally centered. He was steeped in values, and received a pretty strong heritage from those who had come before him.
Some say that the measure of a man is the depth of the footprint that he leaves behind. I would say that Mac Lawrence left a deep footprint in the community of Francesville, not only as a war hero, but also as a community leader and as a teacher.
When you think of someone who just came out of the experience of freeing Europe from tyranny, he returns home, and what does he do, he wants to give back to his community and to serve his community in other manners. That is exactly what he did.
So yes, he was admired by his students; but he was also a very strict disciplinarian. One thing that his students remember is that principles mattered to this man. When I think about Mac, this is an individual of ordinary beginnings who, like many of his generation, were called upon to do extraordinary acts. They make the extraordinary very common.
This is a remarkable individual. I want to thank my colleague, Mr. Chocola. Francesville is in Mr. Chocola's congressional district, and I want to thank him for joining me in this legislation. I appreciate Senator Lugar also taking up this cause in the United States Senate.
Here in the House, we do this often, to name a post office on behalf of someone who makes a difference and can be exemplary as a leader, so when some young lady or young man or boy visit the post office might say, who was Mac Lawrence, and we have an opportunity to then describe who Mac Lawrence is and to set the principles for them on how to lead their life. That is what Mac did for those who knew him in Francesville, Indiana. I thank both gentlemen for bringing this bill to the floor and ask Members to support it.
Special thanks to the chairman, Tom Davis, and the ranking member, Henry Waxman, for reporting this legislation from the Government Reform Committee by unanimous consent on the first of February. Congressman Chocola and I introduced H.R. 4346 in November of last year to honor Malcolm Lawrence with the naming of a post office in Francesville, IN. Today we consider S. 2064, companion legislation to our bill, which was introduced in the Senate by Senator Richard Lugar.
Like many Post Office naming bills, we have the opportunity to honor a local hero by placing his name on an important community meeting place. Mac left an impression on not only his own community but on a country.
Some say the measure of a man is the depth of the footprint he leaves behind. Malcolm Melville Lawrence, known as ``Mac,'' left a deep footprint on the community of Francesville as a war hero, community leader, and a teacher.
Born on a farm in Wheatfield, IN, Mac attended Purdue University on scholarship where he pursued a degree in Vocational Agriculture, Education, and Science. Despite being denied acceptance into the ROTC program at Purdue, Mac was drafted 5 months after graduating from college and immediately called to Fort Benjamin Harrison in Indianapolis to serve his country.
It may be insufficient to say Mac simply did his duty. He landed on the beaches of Normandy on June 6, 1944, with so many other young men from the greatest generation, with nothing to protect him but the red cross on his sleeve. He worked tirelessly to save the lives of his comrades at great risk to his own life. Mac served as a medic alongside the 1st Battalion, 18th Regiment of the 1st Infantry Division and was awarded the Silver Star for valor, two Purple Hearts, and two Bronze Stars during five campaigns in World War II.
After the war, Mac and his wife Phyllis moved to Francesville, IN, where he began teaching at Francesville High School in 1946. Mac was beloved by his students for his patience, remembered for his discipline and dedication to his craft, teaching everything from vocational agriculture to industrial arts. He finished as an administrator after more than 30 years in education.
Mac was the kind of person every community needs. Whether it was his service to his country or community, Mac asked nothing in return. He served on the library board, was active in Future Farmers of America, and participated in 4-H for 25 years. He was an exemplary citizen of the Francesville community and deserves this honor bestowed to him. Though he left this world on July 8, 2004, his legacy lives on.
I welcome the opportunity to further honor Mac Lawrence with the naming of the Francesville Post Office, the Malcolm Melville ``Mac'' Lawrence Post Office. Leading by quiet example while he was living, Mac deserves resounding recognition after death. I strongly urge the adoption of this legislation.
