To recognize the Navy UDT-SEAL Museum in Fort Pierce, Florida, as the official national museum of Navy SEALS and their predecessors.

I would like to thank my good friend, the gentlewoman from Florida, and an original cosponsor of this bill for yielding time to me this afternoon. I would also like to recognize the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Reichert) for his support for this important bill.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 2779, legislation that I introduced to recognize the Navy UDT-SEAL Museum in Fort Pierce, Florida, as the official national museum of the Navy SEALs and their predecessors.

Mr. Speaker, I am sure that there are many today watching and asking how important is it to create a national museum recognizing brave men and women who have served in underwater demolition teams as frogmen and today as SEALs. In my life, I have had the privilege and honor of knowing and learning about brave men who have served our Nation and have seen the hell of combat, people like Reggie White, my daughter Bailey's grandfather, who was a combat engineer and who, like the men of UDT, had the job of clearing Omaha Beach that fateful day of June 6, 1944. My uncle, Bart Mahoney, a B-17 pilot, was one of the first to be shot down over Germany. Bart survived combat and then survived German concentration camps. Bobbie Maynard saw frontline action in Korea and survived some of the heaviest engagements in the Korean War. My friend, Pat Kelley, was a medic in Vietnam who had to endure the life-and-death realities of combat. These men are heroes. These men have seen the horrors of war and survived them. These men never bragged about their service. In fact, they rarely spoke of it, preferring to let the horrors of their experience rest. This bill is important because it gives voice to the heroes whose stories and honor need to be captured and passed down to future generations.

The ground upon which the Navy UDT-SEAL Museum rests was the birthplace of the Navy frogmen. Through World War II, thousands of brave soldiers were trained as members of naval combat demolition units and underwater demolition teams at the site. Since that time, the frogmen have evolved into one of the elite fighting forces in the world, the Navy SEALs.

The Navy UDT-SEAL Museum is the only museum dedicated solely to preserving the legacy of the honor, courage, patriotism, and sacrifices of those Navy SEALs and their predecessors, including the underwater demolition teams, naval combat demolition units, Office of Strategic Service maritime units, and Amphibious Scouts and Raiders.

I would like to personally thank Captain Mike Howard, a retired Navy SEAL; Ruth McSween; Rolf Snyder; and others, who have made the UDT-SEAL Museum possible. I would also like to thank all the men and women who worked to preserve the legacy of the Naval Special Warfare community. Since the museum was opened in 1985, thousands of visitors have learned of the accomplishments of the Navy SEALs through the museum's artifacts and photos tracing the history of Naval Special Warfare from its beginnings during World War II, through the Navy's SEALs current role in fighting the war on terror and in Iraq.

While we are here today to honor the Naval Special Warfare community, I would like to take a moment to remember Petty Officer First Class Robert Richard McRill and all of those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice while serving our Nation. Petty Officer McRill, from Lake Placid, Florida, was killed while serving in Iraq as part of SEALs Group Two when his team was hit by an IED.

By designating the Navy UDT-SEAL Museum as the official national museum of Navy SEALs and their predecessors, we are honoring Mr. McRill and all the warriors who have served in Naval Special Warfare. I ask all my colleagues to join me in recognizing the honor, courage, patriotism and sacrifices of the SEALs and their predecessors by supporting this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2779) to recognize the Navy UDT-SEAL Museum in Fort Pierce, Florida, as the official national museum of Navy SEALs and their predecessors.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 2779 to honor the legacy of the Navy SEALs by recognizing the Navy Underwater Demolition Team Sea, Air, Land, or UDT-SEAL, Museum in Fort Pierce, Florida, as the official national museum of Navy SEALs and their predecessors. I thank my colleague from Florida (Mr. Mahoney) for bringing this measure to the floor of the House.

Since the program's inception in 1962, the Special Operations Sailors, known as Navy SEALs, have risked their lives at sea, in the air and on land to protect the United States of America. The most elite fighting force in the world, the Navy SEALs have bravely executed some of the most dangerous combat operations in our Nation's history. Tracing the roots of these historic sailors, the Navy UDT-SEAL Museum in Fort Pierce, Florida, marks the birthplace of the Navy frogmen where thousands of brave volunteers were trained to become the first members of naval combat demolition units and underwater demolition teams during World War II. The Navy UDT-SEAL Museum is the only museum dedicated solely to preserving the legacy of the Navy SEALs and its predecessors.

Since 1985 when the facility first opened, the museum served both as a physical monument to our sailors' bravery as well as an educational repository that preserves the legacy of their honor, skill, courage and patriotism. The museum traces the SEALs' lineage from the UDTs conducting hydrographic reconnaissance on the beaches of Normandy to the present-day professionals who practice conventional warfare and counterterrorism. The museum exhibits memorialize the incredible courage and versatility of the Navy SEALs through emphasizing eyewitness accounts and photographs of sailors on the battlefield as well as on the homefront.

The Navy UDT-SEAL Museum in Fort Pierce, Florida, is an immensely important venture for the Navy underwater combat community as well as for the great State of Florida, preserving the rich history and valiant story of the Navy SEALs for both the program's veterans and future generations.

Our Nation can express its great admiration for these brave sailors and the gratitude for this monument to their sacrifices by recognizing the Navy UDT-SEAL Museum in Fort Pierce, Florida, as the official national museum of Navy SEALs and their predecessors.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 2779, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to my friend and colleague, the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Mahoney), who is an outstanding leader and staunch supporter of the Nation's Armed Forces.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague from Washington (Mr. Reichert) for his support. I would also like to thank my colleague and friend from Florida (Mr. Mahoney) for bringing this thoughtful bill to the floor of the House of Representatives.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 2779.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 2779, a bill that recognizes the Navy Underwater Demolition Team-SEAL Museum in Fort Pierce, Florida, as the official national museum of the Navy SEALs and their predecessors. H.R. 2779 has the strong bipartisan support of 44 cosponsors, including the distinguished members of the Committee on Armed Services and my good friends Susan Davis of California and Thelma Drake of Virginia whose districts contain the majority of present-day SEALs units.

The Navy SEALs are deservedly renowned around the world for their combat prowess and are a critical part of our special forces team. This elite fighting team and force traces its beginning to the Navy's World War II

frogman training facility in Fort Pierce, Florida, where this museum is located. During World War II, the Navy trained thousands of volunteers as combat demolition and underwater demolition experts at Fort Pierce. The brave men who mastered these difficult and dangerous skills set the standard for today's SEALs to attain.

The Navy Underwater Demolition Team-SEAL Museum, which we designate today as the official national museum, has an impressive and comprehensive collection of material about these elite Navy fighting forces, providing the public with an excellent education of today's Navy SEALs and their predecessors.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased that this bill has been brought to the floor. I urge my colleagues to join me in support of this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, at this time I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Armed Services Committee be discharged from further consideration of H.R. 2779 and the Senate then proceed to its consideration.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the bill be read the third time, passed, and the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table; that any statements relating thereto be printed in the Record.