To designate the community-based outpatient clinic of the Department of Veterans Affairs to be constructed at 3141 Centennial Boulevard, Colorado Springs, Colorado, as the "PFC Floyd K. Lindstrom Department of Veterans Affairs Clinic".

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3375) to designate the community-based outpatient clinic of the Department of Veterans Affairs to be constructed at 3141 Centennial Boulevard, Colorado Springs, Colorado, as the ``PFC Floyd K. Lindstrom Department of Veterans Affairs Clinic''.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 3375, which would name the Department of Veterans Affairs community-based outpatient clinic at 3141 Centennial Boulevard in Colorado Springs, Colorado, the PFC Floyd K. Lindstrom Department of Veterans Affairs Clinic.

We are here today to honor the life and sacrifice of Private First Class Floyd K. Lindstrom by naming a new VA community-based outpatient clinic in southern Colorado after him.

PFC Lindstrom was raised by his mother in Colorado Springs, which is part of the Fifth Congressional District that I am honored to represent. There, he spent much of his youth working summers on the Stratton farm and playing basketball. As a young man, he delivered fruit and produce between California and Colorado, while helping to support his mother and sister.

Just after his 30th birthday, PFC Lindstrom answered the Nation's call to serve by enlisting in the United States Army on June 22, 1942. He was trained as a machine gunner; assigned to 2nd Platoon, H Company, 3rd Battalion, 7th Infantry Regiment of the 3rd Infantry Division; and arrived in North Africa in the early months of 1943. That is when my father was also in North Africa.

On July 12, 1943, PFC Lindstrom's convoy was in Sicily and came under attack from enemy aircraft when he saw an out-of-control truck heading for a friendly dismounted soldier. Noticing that the soldier was unaware of the threat, Lindstrom abandoned the safety of his protective cover and redirected the truck, saving his fellow soldier's life. For these actions, Lindstrom was awarded the Silver Star.

This wasn't the only time he displayed extraordinary heroism and selfless sacrifice.

On November 11, 1943, PFC Lindstrom's unit was providing machine gun support for a rifle company attacking a hill near Mignano, Italy. When a German counterattack forced friendly forces to retreat to a defensive position, Lindstrom demonstrated complete fearlessness in the face of almost certain death by singlehandedly assaulting and knocking out an enemy machine gun position. That display of aggressive spirit and conspicuous gallantry was credited with breaking up the counterattack, and Lindstrom was subsequently nominated for the Medal of Honor.

I would like to read the last sentence from the citation for PFC Lindstrom when he received his Medal of Honor:

His spectacular performance completely broke up the German

counterattack. PFC Lindstrom demonstrated aggressive spirit

and complete fearlessness in the face of almost certain

death.

Mr. Speaker, at this time, I will introduce into the Record the citation for his Medal of Honor.

Medal of Honor citation

Private First Class Lindstrom's official Medal of Honor

citation reads:

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at risk of life

above and beyond the call of duty. On 11 November 1943, this

soldier's platoon was furnishing machinegun support for a

rifle company attacking a hill near Mignano, Italy, when the

enemy counterattacked, forcing the riflemen and half the

machinegun platoon to retire to a defensive position. Pfc.

Lindstrom saw that his small section was alone and

outnumbered 5 to 1, yet he immediately deployed the few

remaining men into position and opened fire with his single

gun. The enemy centered fire on him with machinegun, machine

pistols, and grenades. Unable to knock out the enemy nest

from his original position, Pfc. Lindstrom picked up his own

heavy machinegun and staggered 15 yards up the barren, rocky

hillside to a new position, completely ignoring enemy small

arms fire which was striking all around him. From this new

site, only 10 yards from the enemy machinegun, he engaged it

in an intense duel. Realizing that he could not hit the

hostile gunners because they were behind a large rock, he

charged uphill under a steady stream of fire, killed both

gunners with his pistol and dragged their gun down to his own

men, directing them to employ it against the enemy.

Disregarding heavy rifle fire, he returned to the enemy

machinegun nest for 2 boxes of ammunition, came back and

resumed withering fire from his own gun. His spectacular

performance completely broke up the German counterattack.

Pfc. Lindstrom demonstrated aggressive spirit and complete

fearlessness in the face of almost certain death.

Following that event, PFC Lindstrom was given the option of staying with his fellow soldiers or taking a significantly safer assignment as a guard far removed from enemy lines. Consistent with his previous actions, Lindstrom refused to put his own safety ahead of his fellow soldiers and chose to remain with his unit. Less than 3 months later, he was killed during a German counterattack at Anzio, Italy. On April 20, 1944, PFC Lindstrom was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his courageous actions near Mignano.

He is now interred in Evergreen Cemetery in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

The new VA community-based outpatient clinic in Colorado Springs is set to open in the next few months and was only made possible through many years of hard work by the veterans of southern Colorado and the support of my colleagues here in Congress. The new facility will double the size of existing clinics while providing health care that is more comprehensive and convenient to the veterans of southern Colorado. It is only fitting for the new clinic to be named after one of Colorado Springs'--and the Nation's--greatest heroes.

I can think of no one more deserving of this honor than Private 1st Class Floyd K. Lindstrom. It is my pleasure to offer H.R. 3375, and I am grateful for the leadership and support of the VA Committee Chairman Jeff Miller, Ranking Member Michaud, and the entire Colorado delegation.

I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring this great hero by supporting this bill. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague, the gentleman from South Carolina, for his words and his support on this bill. This has special meaning to me because my father fought, also, in North Africa, Sicily, and Italy, and he recently passed away as one of the members of the Greatest Generation. Floyd Lindstrom, though, never came back. I believe he was engaged. He had a fiancee or a girlfriend, but he never came back.

So it is only fitting that we honor the veterans who have served in the past on a building that is going to be serving the needs of our veterans in the

present. And I believe this will also inspire generations in the future as they know the story of Floyd Lindstrom.

With that, I reserve the balance of my time.

I ask my colleagues to also support H.R. 3375, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to offer my support of H.R. 3375, a bill to name the Department of Veterans Affairs community-based outpatient clinic that will be constructed at 3141 Centennial Boulevard, Colorado Springs, Colorado, as the PFC Floyd K. Lindstrom Department of Veterans Affairs Clinic.

Floyd Lindstrom was born on June 21, 1912. He was a truckdriver for the local store and frequently drove back and forth to California. He joined the Army from Colorado Springs in June 1942. By November 11, 1943, he was serving as a Private 1st Class in the 3rd Infantry Division. On that day, near Mignano, Italy, he singlehandedly charged and captured a German machine gun. PFC Lindstrom was killed in action 3 months later on February 3, 1944, at the age of 31. He is buried in Evergreen Cemetery in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

For his bravery and service, PFC Lindstrom was awarded two Italian military crosses, the Purple Heart, and a Silver Star. On April 20, 1944, he was posthumously awarded the United States military's highest decoration, the Medal of Honor, for his actions near Mignano, Italy, during World War II.

PFC Lindstrom went above and beyond the call of duty. He made the ultimate sacrifice for our Nation. It is most appropriate that the VA community-based outpatient clinic in Colorado Springs, Colorado, be named in honor of this local hero.

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

Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers at this time. I yield back the balance of my time, and I urge all of my colleagues to support H.R. 3375.

Mr. Speaker, on June 17, 2014, due to delayed transportation to Washington, I was unable to vote on rollcall 313, final passage of H.R. 3375, to designate the community-based outpatient clinic of the Department of Veterans Affairs to be constructed at 3141 Centennial Boulevard, Colorado Springs, Colorado, as the ``PFC Floyd K. Lindstrom Department of Veterans Affairs Clinic,'' and rollcall 314, final passage of H.R. 1671, to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 6937 Village Parkway in Dublin, California, as the ``James `Jim' Kohnen Post Office.'' Had I been present, I intended to vote ``yes.''

Mr. Speaker, on Tuesday, June 17, 2014, I was unavoidably absent due to a spousal medical emergency. On rollcall vote No. 313, on H.R. 3375, had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.'' On rollcall vote No. 314, on H.R. 1671, had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''

Mr. Speaker, on Wednesday, June 18, 2014, I unavoidably missed rollcall vote No. 315, on H. Res. 628 due to a spousal medical emergency. Had I been present, I would have voted ``nay.''

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Veterans Affairs' Committee be discharged from the consideration of and the Senate proceed to the consideration of the following measures, which are VA facility-naming bills, en bloc: H.R. 3682, H.R. 3375, S. 2921, and S. 229.

I ask unanimous consent that the bills be read a third time and passed, en bloc, and the motions to reconsider be laid upon the table, en bloc, with no intervening action or debate.