To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 225 North Main Street in Spring Lake, North Carolina, as the "Howard B. Pate, Jr. Post Office".

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to urge my colleagues to support H.R. 3369, a bill recognizing the life and legacy of Howard B. Pate, Jr., by naming the Spring Lake, North Carolina, Post Office in his honor.

Born in Bladen County, North Carolina, in 1925, Mr. Pate first moved to Spring Lake, a town in the Eighth Congressional District I am proud to represent, where his father was stationed at Fort Bragg.

Being from a military family, when the United States entered World War II, Mr. Pate answered the call to serve his country and continued his service as a member of the North Carolina National Guard until 1952.

After finishing his military service, Mr. Pate assumed the position of Spring Lake's postmaster. He served in this position for 30 years, until his retirement in 1982.

After retiring, Mr. Pate remained active in the community as a member of many civic organizations, including being named town historian in 1994, a post he held for more than two decades. For all his efforts, the local Chamber of Commerce named their Volunteer of the Year award after Mr. Pate.

The town of Spring Lake unanimously adopted a resolution to dedicate their post office in honor of Mr.

Howard Pate, Jr., because there was never a person who embodied the spirit of the community more than he.

Sadly, Mr. Pate passed away 1 year ago yesterday, on November 14, 2016. On the first anniversary of his passing, I can think of no better way to honor his respected life than to name the post office after him in a town he loved and where he lived and served most of his life.

As any Spring Lake resident will tell you, Mr. Pate was not only a pillar of our community, but also a cherished friend. He worked tirelessly to ensure we kept a strong grip on our past while making Spring Lake a better place for future generations.

It is my honor to make sure he will always be a part of our legacy in the future by naming the Spring Lake Post Office in his honor.

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. 3369, a bill to designate the facility of the United States Post Office located at 225 North Main Street in Spring Lake, North Carolina, as the Howard B. Pate, Jr. Post Office.

Born in 1925, Howard Pate joined the Army in 1944, 2 years after his high school graduation. In early 1945, Howard deployed to Europe as part of the famed 101st Airborne Division.

Later serving in the 82nd Airborne Division, Howard was discharged from Active Duty in 1946, but he continued his service as a member of the North Carolina Guard and the U.S. Army Reserve. He retired in 1965, as a sergeant major in the 13th Special Forces Group.

Following his military service, Howard was appointed postmaster of Spring Lake, North Carolina, and served as both a State vice president and president of the National Association of Postmasters.

He was also an active member of his community, serving as a deacon at the First Presbyterian Church of Spring Lake, charter president of the Spring Lake Jaycees, and a member of the Greater Spring Lake Chamber of Commerce for over 50 years, where the Volunteer of the Year award is named in his honor.

Howard Pate passed away a year ago this week, as we heard, on November 14, 2016.

Mr. Speaker, we should pass this bill to honor Howard Pate's life of service to his community and to his country.

Mr. Speaker, I urge passage of H.R. 3369, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3369) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 225 North Main Street in Spring Lake, North Carolina, as the ``Howard B. Pate, Jr. 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 to 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. 3369, introduced by the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Hudson).

The bill names the United States Post Office at 225 North Main Street in Spring Lake, North Carolina, after Howard B. Pate, Jr., a World War II veteran and former postmaster of Spring Lake.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Hudson) to discuss the bill.

Mr. Speaker, I join Mrs. Watson Coleman and Mr. Hudson in urging passage of this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.