To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 103 West Main Street in McLain, Mississippi, as the "Major Ed W. Freeman Post Office".

I thank the gentleman for yielding and I also want to recognize that Mr. Graves has been a real stalwart on the Transportation Committee, particularly the Aviation Subcommittee, with his wealth of experience in flying. The knowledge that he brings to it has just been invaluable. I really appreciate all that Mr. Graves has done for aviation in the Congress. That's very important because last year the Congress developed a negative impression of flying. You all recall, I suspect, that some corporate leaders came in asking for government funds, and they flew here in their private jets. That made headlines across the country. Unfortunately, the news media didn't leave it there, but continued to pursue the entire issue of flying and presented the portrait of the average flyer as being very wealthy and having an airplane as a toy to play with. That is far from the truth. Most pilots do not have a lot of money. Very few of them own their own airplanes. This negative impression that was formed here by the Congress and in the Congress really troubled those of us who know something about flying.

I am not a professional pilot. I would love to be, but I've never had either the time or the money to do it. But I recognize injustice when it takes place. It took place right here in the Congress of the United States. And that led to a lot of activity on our part to try to educate the public about flying, about who the pilots are, what they accomplish for the economy as a whole, and in particular, what good works they do. A good example of that is the tremendous amount of effort the private pilots of the United States exerted in helping the island of Haiti.

Just last week, we had Harrison Ford here to describe what he had done. He owns several airplanes and did a number of flights into Haiti transporting doctors, medicines, and so forth. He is an example of what I'm talking about. Not everyone who took part is a movie star, as Harrison Ford is, but he was representing a lot of people who expended a lot of their own money to aid the people in Haiti through the use of airplanes flying goods in and out, flying patients out to the United States for medical treatment when they were in serious trouble, etc. And this is just one example of the many things that pilots and aviation in general do to help the public at large.

So I'm very proud to stand here and say we have to help aviation and private pilots in every way that we can. And one good way is to encourage them to learn to fly. Many individuals normally would not think of flying, but when they see that they can accomplish so much good with aviation, we hope that they will take the time to learn how to fly and to at least join a flying club or perhaps eventually own their own airplane so that they can really go forth and help a lot of people.

It's amazing how many people do this sort of thing in various fields. For years, I was interested in ham radio. Again, a tremendous help to the economy and to the people at large is done during emergencies by ham radio operators. It's very similar with pilots. When the need is there, they will rise to the occasion and they will provide the transportation that's necessary.

In my area, we have an Angels of Mercy program, which has done tremendous good work flying people to hospitals. The patients cannot afford to take a commercial plane to get distant medical treatment. They're not in good enough shape to travel by car. And so the Angels of Mercy fly individuals at essentially no cost or very low cost so that the patients can get medical treatment in the right place at the right time.

It is high time that we recognize the good service that these pilots provide and that we do everything we can to help them in that effort. This resolution is part of that--simply encouraging people to learn to fly. I know there's a local group in my district that has taken advantage of this to publicize flight lessons in my area. They have a number of people signed up already who are willing to learn to fly so that they can accomplish good for other people.

So I strongly urge that we adopt this resolution and recognize the good work that aviation does for the general welfare of our Nation.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1284) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 103 West Main Street in McLain, Mississippi, as the ``Major Ed W. Freeman Post Office''.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks.

I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, as chairman of the House subcommittee with jurisdiction over the United States Postal Service, I am pleased to present for consideration H.R. 1284, a bill to designate the United States Postal Facility located at 103 West Main Street in McLain, Mississippi, as the ``Major Ed W. Freeman Post Office Building.''

Introduced by my friend, Representative Gene Taylor, on March 3, 2009, and reported out of the Oversight and Government Reform Committee on March 10, 2009, by voice vote, H.R. 1284 enjoys the support of the entire Mississippi House delegation.

Born in Neely, Mississippi, on November 20, 1927, Major Ed W. Freeman proudly served his country in the United States Army as a fixed and rotary wing aircraft pilot. On July 16, 2001, President George W. Bush presented Major Freeman with the Medal of Honor--the United States military's highest commendation--in recognition of his brave actions during the Vietnam War.

Major Freeman began his distinguished military career at the age of 17, with 2 years of service in the United States Navy during World War II. He subsequently joined the United States Army, serving in Germany for 4 years before being deployed to Korea.

Notably, Major Freeman received his well-familiar nickname of ``Too Tall'' after being told that he was too tall to serve as an Army pilot. However, he quickly dispelled this notion by becoming one of the Army's finest helicopter pilots.

Major Freeman's bravery, dedication, and flying skills were never more evident than on November 14, 1965, during the battle of Ia Drang, at Landing Zone X-Ray, in Vietnam. As noted in his Medal of Honor citation, Major Freeman ``distinguished himself by numerous acts of conspicuous gallantry and extraordinary intrepidity'' as a member of Company A, 229th Assault Helicopter Battalion, 1st Cavalry Division.

Specifically, as a flight leader and second-in-command of a 16- helicopter lift unit, then-Captain Freeman supported a heavily engaged American battalion at the Landing Zone in the Ia Drang Valley by ``flying his unarmed helicopter through a gauntlet of enemy fire, time after time, delivering critically needed ammunitions, water, and medical supplies to the besieged battalion.''

Additionally, Major Freeman flew 14 separate rescue missions which resulted in the lifesaving evacuation of an estimated 30 seriously wounded soldiers. Major Freeman's Medal of Honor citation goes on to note that his ``selfless acts of great valor, extraordinary

perseverance, and intrepidity were far above and beyond the call of duty or mission and set a superb example of leadership and courage for all of his peers.''

Major Freeman's heroic acts in the Ia Drang Valley were subsequently immortalized in the Mel Gibson film We Were Soldiers.

While he retired from the military in 1967 and moved to Idaho with his beloved wife, Barbara, and sons, Mike and Doug, Major Freeman did not give up flying--as he went to work for the Department of the Interior's Office of Aircraft Services. Upon his official retirement in 1991, Major Freeman had logged more than 25,000 hours of flying time.

Regrettably, Major Freeman passed away in August of last year at the age of 80.

Mr. Speaker, let us honor Major Freeman and his service to our country through the passage of this legislation. I urge my colleagues to join me in passing H.R. 1284, and dedicating the McLain Post Office after this distinguished veteran.

I reserve the balance of our time.

Mr. Speaker, at this time I yield 5 minutes to the lead sponsor of this resolution, the gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Taylor).

Mr. Speaker, again, I simply want to thank Mr. Taylor of Mississippi and, again, I want to urge all Members to support H.R. 1284.

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 1284, to designate the facility of the United States postal service located at 103 West Main Street in McLain, Mississippi, as the ``Major Ed W. Freeman Post Office.''

Major Freeman perhaps balances the three initiatives here today--a young soldier; an inspirational young man who died far too young of cancer; and, thirdly, a man who lived a full and complete life but who gave and gave and gave.

Major Freeman was born on November 20, 1927, in Mississippi. Before graduating from high school, as many of his generation, often called America's finest generation, young Freeman enlisted in the Navy, and served 2 years before returning home to Mississippi, graduating from high school, and deciding to return to the military; this time, to the Army.

During the Korean War, Ed Freeman rose to the rank of master sergeant in an Army engineer unit, and did his battles in many places, including the battle immortalized as Pork Chop Hill, and was then awarded a Battlefield Commission.

As was earlier mentioned, Major Freeman was too tall to be initially allowed to be a pilot. At 6'4", he was certainly a big target for the infantry, I might say, too. But with his perseverance, he eventually attended flight school until the regulation changed in 1955. But he kept that nickname, ``Too Tall'' Freeman. He carried it through the rest of his military career.

After winning his wings, Major Freeman began to fly fixed-wing aircraft and later switched to helicopters. In 1965, he was sent to Vietnam and served in Company A, 229th Assault Helicopter Battalion, of the famous 1st Calvary Division.

On November 14, 1965, Major Freeman's helicopters carried a battalion into battle in the Ia Drang Valley, which became the first major confrontation between large U.S. forces and North Vietnamese regulars. For that, he received a number of commendations for his willingness to fly into the face of this heavy combat while dealing with casualties, going in and out and running low on supplies and fuel.

Major Freeman volunteered to fly into the battle area, risking his own life, delivering critically needed ammunition, water, and medical supplies to a battalion on the ground.

In all, Major Freeman carried out 14 separate rescue missions. For these actions, Major Freeman was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor on July 16, 2001, by President George W. Bush. A few months later, Major Freeman visited the White House again for the premier of We Were Soldiers, a 2002 feature film that depicted his role in the battle that day.

We will miss ``Too Tall.'' We will miss his generation.

Mr. Freeman died in Boise, Idaho, on August 20, 2008, from complications of Parkinson's disease, and is survived by his wife of 54 years, Barbara Freeman, and his sons, Mike and Doug.

Mr. Speaker, naming a post office after a man who gave and gave and gave to his country the way Major Freeman did is little enough to do. Today, recognizing his life and contribution, too, is little enough to do for one of the last of America's finest generations.

With that, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, in closing, I would urge the passage of H.R. 1284, recognizing a Medal of Honor winner, a great American, one who has lived a long life and contributed a great deal to our country. Again, I urge support for H.R. 1284.

I yield back the balance of my time.

I want to thank the gentlemen from Massachusetts and California for their very timely consideration of this. I want to thank all the members of the Mississippi House delegation for cosponsoring it.

Gentlemen, there really isn't anything that remains to be said. I think you all did a phenomenal job of honoring Ed Freeman's life. The only thing I would ask is that his Medal of Honor citation be included in the Congressional Record.

Thank you for the timely consideration.

Medal of Honor Citation, Captain Ed W. Freeman, United States Army

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of

his life above and beyond the call of duty:

Captain Ed W. Freeman, United States Army, distinguished

himself by numerous acts of conspicuous gallantry and

extraordinary intrepidity on 14 November 1965 while serving

with Company A, 229th Assault Helicopter Battalion, 1st

Cavalry Division (Airmobile). As a flight leader and second

in command of a 16-helicopter lift unit, he supported a

heavily engaged American infantry battalion at Landing Zone

X-Ray in the Ia Drang Valley, Republic of Vietnam. The unit

was almost out of ammunition after taking some of the

heaviest casualties of the war, fighting off a relentless

attack from a highly motivated, heavily armed enemy force.

When the infantry commander closed the helicopter landing

zone due to intense direct enemy fire, Captain Freeman risked

his own life by flying his unarmed helicopter through a

gauntlet of enemy fire time after time, delivering critically

needed ammunition, water and medical supplies to the besieged

battalion. His flights had a direct impact on the battle's

outcome by providing the engaged units with timely supplies

of ammunition critical to their survival, without which they

would almost surely have gone down, with much greater loss of

life. After medical evacuation helicopters refused to fly

into the area due to intense enemy fire, Captain Freeman flew

14 separate rescue missions, providing life-saving evacuation

of an estimated 30 seriously wounded soldiers--some of whom

would not have survived had he not acted. All flights were

made into a small emergency landing zone within 100 to 200

meters of the defensive perimeter where heavily committed

units were perilously holding off the attacking elements.

Captain Freeman's selfless acts of great valor, extraordinary

perseverance and intrepidity were far above and beyond the

call of duty or mission and set a superb example of

leadership and courage for all of his peers. Captain

Freeman's extraordinary heroism and devotion to duty are in

keeping with the highest traditions of military service and

reflect great credit upon himself, his unit and the United

States Army.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 1284) supporting the goals and ideals of International Learn to Fly Day, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material.

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

I rise in support of the resolution, H. Res. 1284, as amended, introduced by the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Boyd) which supports the goals and ideals of International Learn to Fly Day and recognizes the contributions of flight instructors, flight schools, aviation groups, and industry in promoting and teaching the Nation's next generation of pilots.

International Learn to Fly Day was established on May 15, 2009, to increase interest in flying and to encourage the aviation community to get others involved in aviation. The event was announced at the Experimental Aviation Association's AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Aviation groups, industry partners, flight schools, and flight instructors have come together to create a day dedicated to inspiring national interest in flight.

On International Learn to Fly Day, flight schools, airports, and independent flight instructors will offer free or discounted flight instruction and other educational aviation events. The aviation community will lend its time and expertise to introduce people to the thrill of flying and the opportunity to reflect back on Orville Wright. Airlines must be able to attract the next generation of commercial pilots. International Learn to Fly Day will be an important day to promote the experience of learning to fly, and to attract people to the pilot profession, of which my home city is the home to Federal Express, which employs many fine pilots and will, indeed, many more in the years to come as they continue to deliver cargo to the world.

International Learn to Fly Day will be observed each year on the third Saturday of May. I look forward to this first celebration on May 15, 2010, and urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H. Res. 1284.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, with your indulgence, I recognize the gentleman from west Tennessee (Mr. Tanner) out of order for such time as he may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I now yield such time as he may consume to the author of the resolution and a pilot himself, Mr. Boyd of Florida.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Boyd and Mr. Ehlers for bringing this resolution, and ask that all Members unanimously support H. Res. 1284, as amended.

With that, I yield back the balance of my time.