To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 30 East Somerset Street in Raritan, New Jersey, as the "Gunnery Sergeant John Basilone Post Office".

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor an American hero and a proud son of New Jersey, Gunnery Sergeant John Basilone, and I offer this bill to name the post office in Raritan, New Jersey, in his honor.

Gunnery Sergeant Basilone is an exemplar of brave service in our Armed Forces, and a member of the Greatest Generation, whose collective bravery and selflessness won World War II and liberated millions from oppression.

In Congress, there are many actions we take to honor and remember those who serve our Nation. These commendations matter. Younger generations ask whose name is inscribed on monuments and flag posts or on Federal properties; and in retelling these stories, we inspire young Americans to appreciate the generations that came before in public service.

Sergeant Basilone, indeed, has a tremendous story. Born on November 4, 1916, in Buffalo, New York, he was 1 of 10 siblings born to Salvatore and Dora Basilone. His father, an immigrant from Italy, and his mother, a native of Manville, New Jersey, decided to raise their family in the Somerset County, New Jersey, Borough of Raritan.

At just barely 18 years of age, a young Basilone decided to enlist in the United States Army in the 1930s. He would begin his military career with a tour of the Philippines.

In the Army, he was popular, extremely well-liked. He boxed and contributed to a sense of camaraderie that put the young men who were a world away from home at ease. He would later be honorably discharged from the Army and return home.

But in 1940, the trumpet summoned him again, and he re-enlisted, this time in the Marines. He would be dispatched to the height of battle in the Pacific theater.

Sergeant Basilone and many fellow marines were part of Operation Watchtower to regain territory in Guadalcanal, the site of a Japanese airfield. On August 7, 1942, the group took the airfield and defended it bravely from Japanese attempts to reconquer the territory.

In October of 1942, the Japanese began another land attack to regain control of Guadalcanal. Sergeant Basilone fought bravely for 2 days and

ultimately contributed to the annihilation of a considerable portion of the Japanese regiment.

In a moment of selfless service to his fellow marines, Sergeant Basilone endured brutal enemy fire during the assault to assist nearby machine gunners in trouble.

Seeing the immediate danger, he killed eight encroaching Japanese soldiers and quickly provided aid and equipment to the pinned marines. He saved many lives that day and, in later testimony, his fellow marines credited Sergeant Basilone's gallantry and heroic conduct for saving their lives, actions that would earn him the Medal of Honor in recognition of his actions at Guadalcanal.

Sergeant Basilone would return home for a short time, selling war bonds to continue doing what he could for the country he loved and the work of which he was so proud.

However, staying stateside was not where he wanted to be. He volunteered to go back to the Pacific. Before he left Camp Pendleton and returned to battle, he married Lena Mae Riggi on July 10, 1944.

One of Gunnery Sergeant Basilone's greatest traits was his tremendous regard for the safety of his fellow warriors. He could not let the narrow escape in Guadalcanal happen again, so he worked diligently to train recruits on proper machine-gun use. His trainees became known as the Basilone Boys.

One of his recruits, William Douglas Lansford, spoke of the pride and confidence Gunnery Sergeant Basilone instilled in him. ``We wanted to be just like him,'' Lansford was known to have said.

While he could have remained stateside at home with his new wife, he insisted on staying with the Basilone Boys. Gunnery Sergeant Basilone and his men stormed the shores of Iwo Jima with the first wave of marines on February 19, 1945.

The Japanese returned heavy fire. Sergeant Basilone ran toward one of the block houses, the source of Japanese fire, and quickly destroyed it with grenades and demolitions. After this, he scrambled to rescue an American tank that was trapped in a minefield.

But in a moment that will forever live in our hearts, Sergeant Basilone and a handful of his fellow marines were then hit by heavy mortar fire. He died alongside the brave men who stepped forward to serve this country and the men he wanted to return to battle to protect and defend.

Thanks to his bravery and his fellow marines, the Allied Forces were able to complete the invasion. He would be awarded, posthumously, the Navy Cross, the United States Navy's highest decoration, for his sacrifice and service on that fateful day, becoming the only marine in the war to receive both the Navy Cross and the Medal of Honor.

In the generations that have followed, Sergeant Basilone has rightfully taken his place as an American hero of the Second World War. Raritan has held a parade in his honor every September. His statue stands in the heart of the borough. His legacy of love and service to the country has been maintained by his extended family, such as his niece Kim Van Note, through the Basilone Foundation. Kim joins us today in the House gallery.

Gunnery Sergeant Basilone, more than self, his country loved, and it is that great love of country and an American spirit I hope that inspires future generations for years--might I suggest, decades--to come. It is the least we can do in the House of Representatives to name Raritan's post office in his honor. I am honored to sponsor this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, Sergeant Basilone was the first enlisted marine to receive the Congressional Medal of Honor in the war. In 1943, the Sunday News captured his picture with his award, the first that he would receive and the first of anyone in that war. I have had it in my office for the years that I have been on this particular issue, Mr. Speaker.

It is a great honor to salute Sergeant Basilone's family, a native of New Jersey, and a hero of our Italian-American community.

He started serving his country, as you already heard, very early in the U.S. Army; and then 3 years later, he enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps, where he was sent to a position on the Tenaru River in Guadalcanal and placed in command of two sections of heavy machine guns.

Despite being outnumbered, Sergeant Basilone and his men successfully defended Henderson airfield from the Japanese assault. In the process, he crossed enemy lines to replenish ammunition, he repaired artillery, and he went several days and nights without food or sleep to lead his troops. He led his troops to victory.

Sergeant Basilone's unprecedented heroics in the Pacific theater during World War II have become part of the Marine Corps lore, and for his brave service, we worked together a few years back to immortalize John Basilone with a postage stamp. How fitting, today, we want to name a post office after him.

Thanks to the campaign that spread through the Italian-American clubs and veterans halls nationwide, the United States Postal Service's Distinguished Marines stamp series included John Basilone, beginning in 2005.

He embodied the best we could hope for in a servicemember and was a true New Jersey guy: a scrappy fighter who always wanted to be on the front lines.

After his first tour, the Marine Corps offered to commission him as an officer, but Basilone responded: I ain't no officer. I ain't no museum piece. I belong back with my outfit.

He opted to return to the front lines rather than ride out the war helping promote war bonds here at home.

Tragically, Sergeant John Basilone died when he returned to the front lines while fighting at Iwo Jima, 27 years old. He earned the Congressional Medal of Honor, the Navy Cross, the Purple Heart, and the deep appreciation of a grateful nation.

John Basilone's story was brought to life to the masses in the 2010 award-winning HBO miniseries ``The Pacific.'' Montclair State University has a Basilone dormitory, and just last year, the U.S. Navy commissioned a destroyer as the USS Basilone.

I marched in that parade several years ago. I know that the people of Raritan, New Jersey, have never forgotten their favorite son, and they will be honored to have a Basilone Post Office.

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the Italian American Congressional Delegation, I thank my colleague Leonard Lance for introducing this measure, and I encourage my colleagues and all Americans to learn about the storied history of Sergeant Basilone.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2815) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 30 East Somerset Street in Raritan, New Jersey, as the ``Sergeant John Basilone 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 rise today in support of H.R. 2815, introduced by the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Lance). The bill names the United States Post Office at 30 East Somerset Street in Raritan, New Jersey, after Sergeant John Basilone.

Sergeant Basilone was among the first wave of marines to storm the shores of Iwo Jima on February 19, 1945. I thank Representative Lance for introducing this bill to pay tribute to the life and sacrifice of Sergeant Basilone.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Lance) to explain his bill.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to make the gentlewoman from Florida aware that I have no further speakers, and I am prepared to close.

Mr. Speaker, I urge adoption of the bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not present.

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

Mr. Speaker, I am honored to join my colleagues in consideration of H.R. 2815, a bill to designate the facility of the United States Post Office located at 30 East Somerset Street in Raritan, New Jersey, as the Sergeant Basilone Post Office.

We have already heard he was born in 1916 and enlisted in the United States Army at the young age of 18. While serving in the Philippines, Sergeant Basilone developed a reputation as a championship boxer.

He returned to the United States in 1937 to begin work as a truck driver, but we have heard that that was not enough. He reenlisted in the Marines in 1940.

Sergeant Basilone earned the reputation as the marine who proved that the opposition was not invincible. Sergeant Basilone was a hero. As stated, upon his death, he was awarded a Navy Cross, the Navy's highest decoration.

Mr. Speaker, we must pass this bill to name the post office in Raritan, New Jersey, after their hometown hero so that future generations might continue to be inspired by his selfless and heroic service.

Mr. Speaker, I urge the passage of H.R. 2815, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pascrell), my colleague.

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

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill (H.R. 2815) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 30 East Somerset Street in Raritan, New Jersey, as the ``Sergeant John Basilone Post Office'', as proposed to be passed under suspension of the rules, be modified by the amendment I have placed at the desk.