[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 157 (Wednesday, September 28, 2022)]
[House]
[Pages H8148-H8149]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SERGEANT GERALD T. ``JERRY'' DONNELLAN POST OFFICE
Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend
the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 6267) to designate the facility of
the United States Postal Service located at 15 Chestnut Street in
Suffern, New York, as the ``Sergeant Gerald T. `Jerry' Donnellan Post
Office''.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 6267
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SERGEANT GERALD T. ``JERRY'' DONNELLAN POST
OFFICE.
(a) Designation.--The facility of the United States Postal
Service located at 15 Chestnut Street in Suffern, New York,
shall be known and designated as the ``Sergeant Gerald T.
`Jerry' Donnellan Post Office''.
(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 ``Sergeant Gerald T. `Jerry' Donnellan
Post Office''.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from
New York (Mrs. Carolyn B. Maloney) and the gentleman from Georgia (Mr.
Hice) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from New York.
General Leave
Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous
consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise
and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on this
measure.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentlewoman from New York?
There was no objection.
Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such
time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support today of H.R. 6267, authored by my
good friend and colleague from the great State of New York.
This bill will designate the facility of the United States Postal
Service located at 15 Chestnut Street in Suffern, New York, as the
Sergeant Gerald T. ``Jerry'' Donnellan Post Office.
Sergeant Donnellan was born on December 18, 1946, in Nyack, New York,
as the youngest of five children. He graduated from Albertus Magnus
High School and went on to major in English at Rockland Community
College and Texas A&M University.
During the height of the Vietnam war, Sergeant Donnellan was drafted
into the Army and began his basic training at Fort Gordon in Georgia.
After several months, he was deployed to Vietnam.
On the front lines, Sergeant Donnellan sustained life-threatening
injuries after an enemy grenade exploded in front of him. While in
recovery at Valley Forge, he received the Purple Heart.
After recovery, Sergeant Donnellan worked in the Veterans Service
Agency office of Rockland County as commissioner of veterans affairs
until his retirement in January 2018.
During his tenure, he created the local Chapter 333 of the Vietnam
Veterans of America, started a veterans' health clinic, helped create
Camp Shanks Museum in Orangetown, established the Rockland County
Buffalo Soldiers Award to recognize the contributions of African-
American veterans, and established the Rockland County Public Service
Medal to honor those who served in Afghanistan, Iraq, and the global
war on terror.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in honoring Sergeant
Donnellan, a Purple Heart recipient, by naming the post office after
him.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. HICE of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 6267, which honors
Gerald T. Donnellan.
Mr. Donnellan served in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam war, rising
to the rank of sergeant and receiving three Purple Hearts.
After the war, his service to his country and community continued for
his entire life. He served as commissioner of veterans affairs in
Rockland County, New York, for 30 years and was responsible for
starting a veterans' health clinic in the county.
He leaves a legacy of other noteworthy accomplishments. He
established a local chapter of the Vietnam Veterans of America. He
helped create the Camp Shanks Museum, commemorating the military
facility that served as the largest point of embarkation for soldiers
headed for the front lines in North Africa and Europe during World War
II.
He also established the Rockland County Buffalo Soldiers Award to
recognize the contribution of African-American veterans.
He helped start the Memorial Day watchfires in 1987 as an alternative
to a parade for Vietnam veterans, and he established the Rockland
County Public Service Medal to honor those who served in Afghanistan,
Iraq, and the global war on terror.
[[Page H8149]]
Gerald T. Donnellan was a true patriot who committed his life to the
United States for veterans and his local community.
Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to support this bill, and I
reserve the balance of my time.
Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time
as he may consume to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Jones), the
distinguished vice chair of the Committee on the Judiciary's
Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property, and the Internet.
Mr. JONES. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of my bill, H.R.
6267, to designate the post office located at 15 Chestnut Street in
Suffern, New York, as the Sergeant Gerald T. ``Jerry'' Donnellan Post
Office.
I am humbled to honor the late Sergeant Jerry Donnellan, whose memory
brings great pride to all of us in New York's 17th Congressional
District.
Mr. Donnellan was a Valley Cottage native and a three-time Purple
Heart recipient who served in Vietnam as a U.S. Army sergeant. During
an ambush, he was wounded and lost his lower right leg to a grenade. He
underwent countless surgeries and extensive physical therapy before
returning home to Rockland County in 1970.
Against all odds, Mr. Donnellan persevered. He learned to walk again
alongside his newborn son. He even pursued his passion for theater and
built a successful career as a stage manager for nearly two decades,
including for Frank Sinatra.
But he never lost his love for public service. In 1986, when he
learned of high rates of servicemember and veteran suicides, Mr.
Donnellan was moved. He became a veterans counselor at Rockland
County's Veterans Agency Office.
In 1992, he was appointed Rockland County's commissioner of veterans
affairs. During his tenure, Sergeant Donnellan created local Chapter
333 of the Vietnam Veterans of America and started a veterans' health
clinic. He helped create Camp Shanks Museum in the town of Orangetown
and established the Rockland County Buffalo Soldiers Award to recognize
the contributions of Black veterans.
He helped to start the Memorial Day watchfires in 1987, the year I
was born, and established the Rockland County Public Service Medal to
honor those who served in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Sergeant Donnellan never relented in his advocacy for our veterans
and their families. He embodied selflessness as a soldier and civilian,
treating every veteran and every person with the respect and dignity
they deserve.
Today, we honor Sergeant Donnellan's life and his legacy. His
commitment to serving our country and our fellow Americans should
inspire us all.
Mr. HICE of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to
support this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I commend my
colleague and friend, Mondaire Jones, for his leadership on this bill
and so many other areas here in Congress. He certainly deserves this
name-changing for the post office there.
Mr. Speaker, I urge passage of H.R. 6267, and I yield back the
balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Carolyn B. Maloney) that the House
suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 6267.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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