John Gibson, Dan James, William Sapp, and Frankie Smiley Va Clinic

Floor Speech

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Mr. BOST. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 593) to rename the Department of Veterans Affairs community-based outpatient clinic in Hinesville, Georgia, as the ``John Gibson, Dan James, William Sapp, and Frankie Smiley VA Clinic.''

The Clerk read the title of the bill.

The text of the bill is as follows: H.R. 593

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. NAME OF DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS COMMUNITY- BASED OUTPATIENT CLINIC, HINESVILLE, GEORGIA. The Department of Veterans Affairs community-based outpatient clinic in Hinesville, Georgia, shall after the date of the enactment of this Act be known and designated as the ``John Gibson, Dan James, William Sapp, and Frankie Smiley VA Clinic''. Any reference to such clinic in any law, regulation, map, document, record, or other paper of the United States shall be considered to be a reference to the John Gibson, Dan James, William Sapp, and Frankie Smiley VA Clinic.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 593, a bill to rename the Department of Veterans Affairs outpatient clinic in Hinesville, Georgia, as the John Gibson, Dan James, William Sapp, Frankie Smiley VA Clinic.

I would take a moment to tell each of these Americans' stories of service.

John Gibson was born in Riceboro, Georgia, and later joined the Marine Corps where he rose to the rank of private first class. He deployed to Vietnam in 1967, served 100 days in-country, 65 of which were in combat. He was killed by small arms fire on February 7, 1968, in Quang Nam, South Vietnam, during the Tet Offensive at just 21 years old.

Dan Ninkey James was also a native of Riceboro, Georgia, and deployed to Vietnam in 1968. He was an SP4 in the Army's 25th Infantry Division. While in Vietnam, out of a total of 100 days in theater, he also saw 65 days of combat. Dan James was killed in action by small arms fire on December 29, 1968, in Hua Nghia, South Vietnam. He was recently married and was just 20 years old.

Their fellow Georgian, William Edward Sapp, was born on March 12, 1943. He joined the Army's 4th Infantry Division during the war, reaching the rank of SP4. While deployed in Vietnam, he served 114 days in combat out of a total of 175 days in theater. William Sapp was killed in action on June 7, 1968, in Kon Tum, South Vietnam, at the age of 25.

Last, but certainly not least, Frankie Lee Smiley was born in Miami, Florida. He joined the Marine Corps and rose to the rank of lance corporal in the 1st Marine Division.

He deployed to Vietnam in 1968. He served 205 days in theater, with 133 days of combat. Lance Corporal Smiley was killed by small arms fire on August 25, 1968, in Quang Nam, South Vietnam, at the age of 24. He is buried in Cay Cemetery in Dorchester, Georgia.

All of these men rose to the call of the Nation and made the ultimate sacrifice. All of these men were 25 years old or less. To give your life for your country at the dawn of your life is an incredible sacrifice and one we can't forget. By naming the clinic after these men, they will continue to be remembered and honored in the place they called home.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Representative Buddy Carter for introducing this bill and his work in making this happen.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all my colleagues to support H.R. 593, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, let me say that, as the chairman of the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, along with working with the leadership, several times during this time here since January, certain things have been said: One, that we were going to cut funding for veterans back whenever the caps were increased, and that proved out that we did not do that.

I have told the ranking member and the Democrats who work with the committee that these two bills are vitally important, but we must be wise. We must move forward, and we must make sure they get across the threshold.

Now, also know this: On Elizabeth Dole, I want the bill. As my colleague from the other side of the aisle made a statement, she loved working with Elizabeth Dole. Well, I am going to tell you, I have been working with Elizabeth Dole for about 30 years on most things that she brought up back when she was a Senator, back when her husband was running for President.

We are going to be working to try to figure it out. It was said from the other side of the aisle that the CBO score came back, but there is still a cost. That cost has to be calculated.

I explained, when we passed the PACT Act, that there was a problem, not that we weren't going to provide exactly everything that the PACT Act said, but the TIF had some language problems that actually double- counted some of the things we are providing for our veterans already.

Now, if someone will work with me, let's get this working with this side of the aisle and across the rotunda to try to figure this out so that we can make sure we can provide all of these other things that we want to provide.

As far as the fact of how fast we brought them forward, let me say this: Whether you want to admit it or not, when the other side of the aisle joined with the eight to remove the Speaker of this House and then caused the chaos that occurred for 3 weeks, that is 3 weeks we have lost and can't get back. We are going to work very hard to try to get it back, and we are going to try to pass everything that they have talked about.

The ranking member quoted some Scripture, so let me quote some, and then I am going to shift to something else. Proverbs 29:11 said: A fool gives full vent to his feelings, but a wise man holds them back.

At this time, I am going to hold those feelings back about the things that were said. Let me say that what we are really talking about here is the naming of a CBOC for four amazing people who made a sacrifice.

For those of us with more gray hair who have seen the nightly news when we sat around the dinner tables back in the time when these valiant soldiers and marines fell, we remember what it was like to see Walter Cronkite come on and give a list of where the battles had been and a list of how many people were dead, how many were wounded, where the next battle was looking like it was going to come up.

Later on, right after you followed up with your local news, there was a list of young servicemembers who wouldn't be coming home, at the local level.

Good heavens, with that war for the first 13 years of my life, I thought you were born, raised, got out of high school, and then went to Vietnam. If you survived Vietnam, you could actually go home and live a real life. These guys didn't get the chance to do that.

Mr. Carter has worked very hard on making sure that we are going to name this in tribute to them, as we should.

I will still continue to have the other debates and discussions. I am sorry we had to do that now, that we had to at the sacrifice of what we were debating here, that all of this floor time couldn't have been given to those four heroes.

Mr. Speaker, I encourage all of my colleagues to support the gentleman's resolution and this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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Mr. BOST. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

The yeas and nays were ordered.

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