To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 306 River Street in Tilden, Texas, as the "Tilden Veterans Post Office".

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from New Jersey for yielding and for her kind words about the Tilden Veterans Post Office. I also want to thank my friend from Corpus Christi, Texas, for his kind words on the naming of this post office.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise to support and present H.R. 1207, which will name the post office facility in my district as the Tilden Veterans Post Office.

Across my district, there are many examples of fine men and women who have honorably served our country. It is imperative that we honor their service and dedication to our Nation.

Dedicating this post office to our veterans will serve as a constant reminder of the sacrifices that our friends, neighbors, and families made while serving their country. These are individuals who put country ahead of self and for whom I am proud to recognize with the dedicating of the post office facility.

For example, as the gentlewoman from New Jersey said, Anselmo Villarreal of Tilden, Texas, was drafted in the Army in 1968. He served in Vietnam. After his service, Mr. Villarreal

returned to Tilden and worked in a local plant for 28 years before retiring.

This veteran also continues to serve his community by volunteering for local veterans service organizations. We owe our freedom to veterans like Mr. Villarreal and others, which is why I am recognizing him and the other veterans with the dedication of this post office. He is one example of many veterans who have made countless sacrifices for our country in the face of danger.

The courage and dedication of our veterans toward our Nation demonstrates what it really means to be an American--the essence of being an American.

I also thank the veterans from Tilden and McMullen County for their service and sacrifice for our country. I also thank the veterans organizations throughout my district for their tireless work in providing the care our veterans need. There are many local organizations like the veterans service offices in McMullen County that provide essential care to those who have returned home from service.

Let us remember and express gratitude to these brave people: the veterans, their families, as well as the care providers.

In the words of President John F. Kennedy: ``As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.''

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1207) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 306 River Street in Tilden, Texas, as the ``Tilden Veterans Post Office''.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in 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 am here today to support H.R. 1207, introduced by the gentleman from south Texas (Mr. Cuellar).

H.R. 1207 honors the veterans of Tilden, Texas, for their service to this great Nation by naming the United States Post Office at 306 River Street in Tilden, Texas, as the Tilden Veterans Post Office.

This bill is particularly timely, as we just celebrated Veterans Day this past Saturday. I look forward to hearing more about this bill from my friend and colleague from Laredo, Mr. Cuellar.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Cuellar for introducing this bill.

For those of you not from Texas who don't know where Tilden, Texas, is, if you know about where San Antonio is, you go down south about a quarter of the way to the Rio Grande Valley and you are going to pass through Tilden. It is kind of northwest of my hometown of Corpus Christi.

I can tell you, having represented a lot of the area in south Texas, as does Mr. Cuellar, that this region is a region of the State that really does thank and appreciate the veterans who have sacrificed so much to serve for this country and for their families. I think it is entirely proper and absolutely a great idea to be naming this post office after our veterans, and I urge my colleagues to support it.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to join my colleagues in consideration of H.R. 1207, a bill to designate the facility of the United States Post Office located at 306 River Street in Tilden, Texas, as the Tilden Veterans Post Office.

Military men and women sacrifice their time, energy, and lives for our country every day. Whether serving in the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, or Coast Guard, these brave individuals risk their lives to protect others and demonstrate an unmatched level of selflessness, courage, and dedication.

While this bill will name the post office in Tilden, Texas, in honor of all veterans who have served, I would like to specifically recognize the service of Mr. Anselmo Villarreal.

Drafted into the Army in March of 1968, he served in Vietnam until 1970, and he continues to serve his fellow veterans through volunteer work at his local veterans service organization.

His story is not unlike other servicemembers who give their time at home and abroad to protect and improve their communities in so many ways. In recognizing his contributions, we recognize the contributions of veterans throughout Texas and the United States, and we thank them for their work.

Mr. Speaker, we should pass this bill to celebrate the lives of American veterans and commemorate the sacrifices that each have made for the good of our Nation.

Mr. Speaker, I urge the passage of H.R. 1207, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Cuellar).

Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to take from the Speaker's table the bill (H.R. 1207) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 306 River Street in Tilden, Texas, as the ``Tilden Veterans Post Office'', with

the Senate amendment thereto, and concur in the Senate amendment.

Mr. President, I know of no further debate on the bills en bloc.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table en bloc.

Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.