Indiana Hunt-Martin Post Office Building

Floor Speech

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Ms. NORTON. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2142) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 170 Manhattan Avenue in Buffalo, New York, as the ``Indiana Hunt-Martin Post Office Building''.

The Clerk read the title of the bill.

The text of the bill is as follows: H.R. 2142

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. INDIANA HUNT-MARTIN POST OFFICE BUILDING.

(a) Designation.--The facility of the United States Postal Service located at 170 Manhattan Avenue in Buffalo, New York, shall be known and designated as the ``Indiana Hunt-Martin Post Office Building''.

(b) References.--Any reference in a law, map, regulation, document, paper, or other record of the United States to the facility referred to in subsection (a) shall be deemed to be a reference to the ``Indiana Hunt-Martin Post Office Building''.
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Ms. NORTON. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 2142, to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 170 Manhattan Avenue in Buffalo, New York, as the Indiana Hunt-Martin Post Office Building.

Mrs. Indiana Hunt-Martin was born on May 30, 1922, in Georgia. Her family moved to western New York when she was in elementary school, and she was one of only two Black students in her high school class.

She aspired to a business career but faced limited opportunities and had to take jobs picking peaches and cleaning restrooms at a TNT factory.

In 1944, Mrs. Hunt-Martin joined the newly formed Women's Army Corps. The Women's Army Corps had more than 800 Black female soldiers serving in the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, known as the Six Triple Eight. The Six Triple Eight was the only all-African-American Women's Army Corps.

Mrs. Hunt-Martin was one of the original 500 African-American female soldiers who were chosen to sail across the Atlantic. The soldiers feared they would not make it alive because they were being chased by a German U-boat. Fortunately, they arrived safely in Liverpool, England.

In England, the soldiers were assigned to horrific conditions, staying in dilapidated schools infested with rats and parasites. Regardless of the conditions, the Six Triple Eight cleared a backlog of more than 17 million pieces of mail and packages in only 3 months.

They were then relocated to Rouen and Paris, France, where they continued adhering to their motto, ``No mail, low morale.''

In February 1946, the Six Triple Eight returned to a segregated United States. The unit received honorable discharges when they were disbanded but no recognition of their accomplishments.

Mrs. Hunt-Martin went on to have a distinguished career at the New York Department of Labor, working there for 41 years and retiring in 1987.

She met her husband at the New York Department of Labor, with whom she had a loving daughter, Janice Martin.

Throughout the years, Mrs. Hunt-Martin was an active life member of several veterans organizations and mentored young African-American women who chose to serve in the military.

She was inducted into the New York State Veterans Hall of Fame and received several service medals.

Mrs. Hunt-Martin passed away peacefully on September 21, 2020, at the age of 98.

I encourage all of my colleagues to join me in honoring this American hero by naming the post office at 170 Manhattan Avenue as the Indiana Hunt-Martin Post Office Building.

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Ms. NORTON. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Higgins), the author of this important bill.

Mr. HIGGINS of New York. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 2142, legislation designating the Central Park Post Office in Buffalo, New York, as the Indiana Hunt-Martin Post Office Building.

It is fitting that consideration of this bill celebrating the life and service of an American trailblazer take place today during Black History month and upon Women's History Month.

Born in 1922, Indiana Hunt-Martin moved to Niagara Falls as a child and graduated from Niagara Falls High School before joining the Women's Army Corps in 1944.

Following enlistment, she traveled by railroad to Fort Oglethorpe in Georgia, where she underwent training.

She recalled encounters with segregation as she traveled south: a train stop in Washington, D.C., where passengers were separated into railcars based on race; separate restrooms and drinking fountains; and fellow military members getting in trouble for refusing to sit in the back of the bus.

Indiana Hunt-Martin was a member of the Six Triple Eight Central Postal Directory Battalion within the Women's Army Corps, the first Black female battalion and the only all-women battalion to be deployed overseas.

The unit sorted and redirected millions of backlogged letters and packages sent to soldiers, working around the clock to deliver approximately 65,000 pieces of mail each shift.

Indiana Hunt-Martin served this Nation selflessly and was honorably discharged from the United States Army on November 10, 1945.

After the war, she worked for the New York State Department of Labor for 41 years, retiring in 1987.

In addition to serving her country, she served her community through numerous veterans, church, and neighborhood organizations.

In 2014, we had the distinct privilege of presenting her with the medals she earned while serving in the United States Army, including the Women's Army Corps Service Medal, the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal, the World War II Victory Medal, and the Honorable Service Lapel award for her service during World War II.

The idea for this legislation was brought to us by Korean war veteran Sandi Williams, who serves as president and founder of the United Veterans of Buffalo.

The bill has the bipartisan support of the entire New York congressional delegation, the Bennett-Wells American Legion Auxiliary Post, the Johnetta R. Cole AMVETS Post, the Jesse Clipper American Legion Post, and many others.

From 1978 until her passing, Indiana Hunt-Martin frequented the post office on Manhattan Avenue in Buffalo weekly to purchase stamps, pick up mail, and send letters.

There are post offices named for Presidents and famous celebrities, but I might argue that there would be none more fitting than the one paying tribute to the legacy of Indiana Hunt-Martin and her service to our country.

I am proud to lead this effort, and I urge my colleagues to join me in approving this legislation.

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Ms. NORTON. Madam Speaker, with no further speakers, I urge passage of H.R. 2142, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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