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United States Postal Service Henry Johnson Annex

Date: Sept. 22, 2004
Location: Washington, DC


UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE HENRY JOHNSON ANNEX -- (House of Representatives - September 22, 2004)

Mr. OSE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 480) to redesignate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 747 Broadway in Albany, New York, as the "United States Postal Service Henry Johnson Annex."

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

Mr. Speaker, I thank our colleague, the gentleman from New York (Mr. McNulty), for introducing this legislation which was unanimously reported by the Committee on Government Reform on September 15. It enjoys the full support of the entire New York delegation.

Sergeant Henry Johnson, an Albany native, served in the U.S. Army from June 1917 until February 1919. As an African American, he was unable to fight at that time in an American combat unit, and therefore, he became part of what was known as the "Harlem Hell Fighters," who fought in Europe under the French flag with great courage and distinction.

While on duty, he single-handedly fought off a German raider party of more than 20 troops, and despite numerous wounds, he rescued a fellow soldier from capture and killed several enemy soldiers. As a result of his heroism, as our colleague has indicated, he received numerous medals.

When he returned from Europe to a segregated America, he experienced great difficulty and died unrecognized by his own country in 1929. I truly believe that it is never too late to reward a person for service to their country, and for that reason, I am pleased to join with the gentleman from New York (Mr. McNulty) and our other colleagues to redesignate a U.S. postal facility in Albany after Henry Johnson.

I urge swift passage of this legislation.

Mr. OSE. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of our time.

Mr. DOGGETT. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from New York (Mr. McNulty), the author of this legislation.

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Mr. DOGGETT. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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