H8464 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE July 21, 2009 CONRAD DEROUEN, JR. POST DeRouen was involved in the Battle of fire in order to guide tanks into areas OFFICE Saipan in the Marianas Islands. Re- of combat; and when the communica- Mr. LYNCH. Madam Speaker, I move grettably, Second Lieutenant DeRouen tions systems failed, DeRouen seated to suspend the rules and pass the bill was gravely wounded in the neck by himself behind the turret in order to (H.R. 2972) to designate the facility of enemy forces and subsequently died continue the resistance. the United States Postal Service lo- from his wounds at the age of 23. In another assault on Japanese forces cated at 115 West Edward Street in In recognition of his distinguished later on July 8, 1944, Lieutenant Erath, Louisiana, as the Conrad service, Second Lieutenant DeRouen DeRouen, despite being wounded in the DeRouen, Jr. Post Office. posthumously received the Navy Cross, neck by shrapnel from an enemy gre- The Clerk read the title of the bill. awarded for extreme gallantry and risk nade, refused to leave his post with the The text of the bill is as follows: of life in actual combat with an armed 1st Battalion to seek medical - H.R. 2972 enemy force and going beyond the call ance and, instead, continued to fight at his station. DeRouen eventually col- Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Rep- of duty. resentatives of the United States of America in As noted by the accompanying cita- lapsed due to pain and loss of blood and Congress assembled, tion, Second Lieutenant DeRouen, de- was carried off the field of battle by his SECTION 1. CONRAD DEROUEN, JR. POST OFFICE. spite his wounds, ‘‘gallantly refused to comrades. He finally succumbed to his (a) DESIGNATION.—The facility of the be evacuated and remained steadfast in wounds on his ship and was buried at United States Postal Service located at 115 his station until he collapsed from pain sea. West Edward Street in Erath, Louisiana, and blood loss.’’ Lieutenant DeRouen’s actions were shall be known and designated as the Additionally, the citation noted that, an inspiration to the marines he fought ‘‘Conrad DeRouen, Jr. Post Office’’. beside and were a contributing factor (b) REFERENCES.—Any reference in a law, ‘‘By his initiative, courage, and devo- tion to duty throughout these haz- in the success of the campaign in the map, regulation, document, paper, or other Mariana Islands. Because of his heroic record of the United States to the facility re- ardous operations, Second Lieutenant ferred to in subsection (a) shall be deemed to DeRouen upheld the highest traditions death at the age of only 23 years of age, be a reference to the ‘‘Conrad DeRouen, Jr. of the United States Naval Service.’’ he was posthumously awarded the Post Office’’. Madam Speaker, Second Lieutenant Navy Cross for his bravery in a combat The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursu- Conrad DeRouen’s life stands as a tes- zone, the second highest decorated ant to the rule, the gentleman from tament to the bravery and dedication Medal of Honor. Today I join the town Massachusetts (Mr. LYNCH) and the of the heroic men and women who have of Erath in honoring this fallen hero gentleman from (Mr. CHAFFETZ) offered the ultimate sacrifice in service with the dedication of their post office each will control 20 minutes. to our Nation. to the name of Second Lieutenant The Chair recognizes the gentleman Let us together honor this distin- Conrad C. DeRouen, Jr. for being the from Massachusetts. guished Marine through the passage of highest decorated veteran in its his- GENERAL LEAVE this legislation to designate the West tory, a real hero and someone we Mr. LYNCH. I ask unanimous consent Edward Street Postal Facility in his should all honor. that all Members may have 5 legisla- honor. As we honor Lieutenant DeRouen tive days within which to revise and I urge my colleagues to join Mr. today, we also must recognize our present-day heroes in Iraq and Afghani- extend their remarks. BOUSTANY, the lead sponsor of this res- The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there olution, in supporting H.R. 2972. stan, those who have fallen and those objection to the request of the gen- I reserve the balance of my time. who continue to fight, and we thank tleman from Massachusetts? Mr. CHAFFETZ. I yield such time as them as well as their families and the There was no objection. he may consume to my distinguished families of all of our troops who put on Mr. LYNCH. Madam Speaker, I now colleague from Louisiana (Mr. a uniform. I now ask my colleagues to support yield myself such time as I may con- BOUSTANY). this resolution. sume. As chairman of the House sub- Mr. BOUSTANY. I thank my friend Mr. LYNCH. Madam Speaker, I have committee with jurisdiction over the and colleague from Utah and my friend no further speakers at this time, but I United States Postal Service, I’m from Massachusetts for this courtesy. will continue to reserve the balance of pleased to present H.R. 2972 for consid- Madam Speaker, I rise today in sup- eration. This legislation will designate my time. port of House Resolution 2972, to des- Mr. CHAFFETZ. It’s an honor to the United States Postal Service Facil- ignate the facility of the United States stand and rise in support of H.R. 2972 ity located at 115 West Edward Street Postal Service located at 115 West Ed- and the great American hero that we in Erath, Louisiana, as the ‘‘Conrad ward Street in Erath, Louisiana, as the know as Conrad DeRouen. I appreciate DeRouen, Jr. Post Office.’’ Conrad DeRouen, Jr. Post Office. I’d bringing this to our attention, and we Introduced by my colleague, Rep- like to thank the Oversight and Gov- look forward to having this post office resentative CHARLES BOUSTANY of Lou- ernment Reform Committee for bring- named after him. It’s the least we isiana, on June 19, 2009, and reported ing this bill to the floor. could do from a country that’s so out of committee on July 10, 2009, by Today, it’s really a distinct honor for grateful. unanimous consent, H.R. 2972 enjoys me to celebrate the life of United I yield back the balance of my time. the support of the entire Louisiana States Marine Corps Reserve Second Mr. LYNCH. I yield back the balance House delegation. Lieutenant Conrad C. DeRouen, Jr., an of my time. Born on February 12, 1921, Conrad extraordinary hero in World War II. The SPEAKER pro tempore. The ‘‘Snookie’’ DeRouen graduated from A native of Erath, Louisiana, a small question is on the motion offered by Erath High School in 1937, and subse- coastal town in my district, DeRouen the gentleman from Massachusetts quently attended Vanderbilt Univer- graduated from Erath High School, (Mr. LYNCH) that the House suspend sity, graduating with a master’s degree then went on to Southwestern Lou- the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 2972. in health and physical education. isiana Institute, and subsequently re- The question was taken. At the age of 21, Conrad DeRouen ceived a master’s degree from Peabody The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the volunteered for service in the United College in Nashville, Tennessee. opinion of the Chair, two-thirds being States Marine Corps and was commis- He married Marguerite Domingues of in the affirmative, the ayes have it. sioned as a second lieutenant at Abbeville, Louisiana, and at the age of Mr. BROUN of Georgia. Madam Quantico, Virginia. Following addi- 21 he volunteered to serve in the Speaker, on that I demand the yeas tional training at Camp Pendleton, United States Marine Corps. and nays. Second Lieutenant DeRouen was de- The yeas and nays were ordered. ployed to the Asiatic theatre during b 1915 The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursu- World War II, serving with the 1st Bat- While fighting against the Japanese ant to clause 8 of rule XX and the talion, 2nd Marine Division. forces in Saipan, Mariana Islands, on Chair’s prior announcement, further In July of 1944, after serving overseas July 3, 1944, Lieutenant DeRouen en- proceedings on this motion will be for a few months, Second Lieutenant dured continuous exposure to enemy postponed.

VerDate Nov 24 2008 02:57 Sep 28, 2009 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00054 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 0634 E:\RECORD09\RECFILES\H21JY9.REC H21JY9 smartinez on DSKB9S0YB1PROD with CONG-REC-ONLINE July 21, 2009 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H8465 CONGRATULATING NBA CHAMPION championship and achieve historic cham- Madam Speaker, the pionships for Head Coach , and Lakers stand as one of sporting his- ; tory’s greatest franchises. The team Mr. LYNCH. Madam Speaker, I move Whereas the Lakers’ Kobe Bryant was pre- to suspend the rules and agree to the sented with the NBA Finals was founded in 1946 in Detroit and resolution (H. Res. 566) congratulating Most Valuable Player Award; moved to Minneapolis where it adopted the 2008–2009 National Asso- Whereas in addition to the contributions of its name, the Lakers, after Minnesota’s ciation Champions, the Los Angeles superstars Bryant, Gasol, and Odom, strong State nickname, Land of 10,000 Lakes. Lakers, on an outstanding and historic contributions by Ariza, Brown, Farmar, The Lakers relocated to Los Angeles in season. Ilunga-Mbenga, Bynum, Fisher, Powell, 1960. Vujacic, and Walton returned the glory that In the 1980s, the Lakers became one The Clerk read the title of the resolu- has marked much of the Los Angeles Lakers tion. of the NBA’s most electrifying and suc- franchise history; cessful teams, winning five champion- The text of the resolution is as fol- Whereas Lakers owner , General lows: Manager , Head Coach Phil ships with Hall of Famers Earvin H. RES. 566 Jackson, and the entire roster and coaching ‘‘Magic’’ Johnson, Kareem Abdul- Whereas the Los Angeles Lakers are one of staff have joined previous great Lakers Jabbar, , and Coach Pat the most successful and respected franchises teams in winning the NBA championship; Riley. The Lakers’ dominance extended in the history of the National Basketball As- and into the 21st century as they won three sociation (NBA); Whereas the hustle, team defense, and consecutive NBA championships from Whereas prior to the 2008–2009 season, the overall unselfish play of the 2008–2009 Lakers 2000 to 2002. Lakers won 14 NBA championships, with a are emblematic of the tradition that has Thanks to this year’s impressive been a hallmark of the franchise for more cast of players that, over the years, have in- NBA Finals victory over the Orlando cluded NBA greats such as Wilt Chamber- than 63 years, and serves as a model for coaches and players everywhere: Now, there- Magic, the Lakers now boast the NBA lain, Erving ‘‘Magic’’ Johnson, James Wor- franchise record for the most wins, the thy, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Shaquille O’Neal, fore, be it , , A.C. Green, Resolved, That it is the sense of the House highest winning percentage, and the and other Lakers stars, whose accomplish- of Representatives that— most NBA Finals appearances. Of ments were captured courtside by legendary (1) the 2008–2009 National Basketball Asso- course, I would be remiss if I failed to Lakers sportscaster Francis Dayle ‘‘Chick/ ciation (NBA) World Champions, the Los An- mention that my own beloved Boston Chicky Baby’’ Hearn; geles Lakers, are to be congratulated for an outstanding and historic season; and Celtics still hold the record for the Whereas in the off-season, the Lakers’ Gen- most NBA Finals championships. You eral Manager, Mitch Kupchak, with the sup- (2) the Lakers, in winning their 15th NBA World Championship, capped a remarkable, would think they would have picked port of the team’s owner, Jerry Buss, main- someone else to do this resolution, but tained the Lakers core of Kobe Bryant, unprecedented single-season turnaround that , , , and captivated basketball fans across America I am happy to congratulate a job well ; and around the world. done. Whereas the combination of Bryant, Odom, The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursu- Led by Head Coach Phil Jackson, one Fisher, Gasol, and Ariza, led the 2008–2009 ant to the rule, the gentleman from of the most successful coaches in NBA Lakers to a 65–17 regular season record and Massachusetts (Mr. LYNCH) and the history, and Finals MVP Kobe Bryant, the number one spot in the Western Con- gentleman from Utah (Mr. CHAFFETZ) the Lakers’ road to the NBA champion- ference playoffs; each will control 20 minutes. ship was lined with its fair share of Whereas Ariza first came to fame as a The Chair recognizes the gentleman challenges. While playing in the highly member of the 2002 and 2003 State from Massachusetts. Championship teams at Westchester High competitive Western Conference, the GENERAL LEAVE School in Los Angeles, California; Lakers earned the conference’s best Whereas the Lakers entered the NBA play- Mr. LYNCH. Madam Speaker, I ask regular season record and were domi- offs with home court advantage as a result of unanimous consent that all Members nant throughout the playoffs. the team’s regular season performance and may have 5 legislative days within For this accomplishment, Madam defeated the in 5 games; which to revise and extend their re- Speaker, we stand to commend the Los Whereas the Lakers then faced the Hous- marks. Angeles Lakers franchise, the players, ton Rockets in the Western Conference The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there coaches and, of course, the diehard semifinals, winning in 7 games, with Pau objection to the request of the gen- Lakers fans on a job well done. I am Gasol scoring 21 points in an 89–70 victory in tleman from Massachusetts? the deciding game; sure that the Lakers’ championship is There was no objection. an enormous source of pride for the Whereas the Lakers squared off against the Mr. LYNCH. Madam Speaker, I now residents of Los Angeles, the sur- high-octane , clinching the yield myself as much time as I may series in 6 games, thanks to the outstanding rounding area, and the great State of consume. play of Pau Gasol and Kobe Bryant; California as well. Whereas the Lakers’ matchup with the Or- Madam Speaker, as chairman of the House Subcommittee on the Federal In closing, I urge the adoption of lando Magic in the NBA finals represented a House Resolution 566. battle between a veteran team, the Lakers, Workforce, Postal Service, and the Dis- trict of Columbia and on behalf of the I reserve the balance of my time. and a young Magic team, led by Dwight How- Mr. CHAFFETZ. Madam Speaker, I ard; House Oversight and Government Re- Whereas the Lakers won the first 2 games form Committee, I am pleased to join sympathize with the anguish and the agony that my colleague from Massa- of the finals in Los Angeles, including a my colleagues, and principally Ms. WA- chusetts must have in reading and sup- hard-fought Game 2, during which Kobe Bry- TERS from the State of California, in ant and Pau Gasol combined for 53 points, the consideration of H. Res. 566, which porting this resolution. I can only hope propelling the Lakers to a 101–96 victory; provides for the recognition of the Na- that this is truly captured on film for Whereas although the Lakers lost Game 3 future use. in Orlando by a score of 108–104, NBA fans tional Basketball Association Cham- pion Los Angeles Lakers for capturing I rise in support today, as a Utah were treated to a 31- performance by Jazz fan, in recognizing a great accom- Lakers guard Kobe Bryant, who played all their 15th NBA championship. but 8 minutes of the game; House Resolution 566 was introduced plishment in the world of sports. What Whereas the Lakers were able to defeat the by Representative MAXINE WATERS of these athletes are able to do and how Magic in Game 4 despite a 25-point perform- California on June 19, 2009, and cur- they do it is truly remarkable. So I rise ance by Magic forward Hedo Turkoglu; rently has the support and cosponsor- in support of H. Res. 566 to congratu- Whereas the Lakers won Game 5 against ship of 50 Members of Congress, none of late the 2008–2009 Los Angeles Lakers the Magic by a final score of 99–86, clinching whom are from the city of Boston, in bringing home their 15th NBA cham- a historic championship, Kobe Bryant’s first courtesy of Chairman TOWNS. The pionship. championship without Shaquille O’Neal, measure has been considered and ap- For the Lakers, this was a season of Head Coach Phil Jackson’s 10th title as a redemption that ultimately ended in coach, and the Lakers organization’s 15th proved by the Oversight Committee championship; and now comes to the House floor as a victory and a historic achievement. Whereas the Lakers recovered from a dev- means of highlighting the Lakers’ suc- The conclusion of the 2007–2008 season astating loss in the 2008 NBA finals against cessful 2008–2009 NBA season and their saw the Lakers experiencing a the to win the 2009 NBA final victory. humiliating 39-point blowout to the

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