Chris Smith: “Mr. Speaker, H.R. 1318 would name the Department of Veterans Affairs outpatient clinic in the City of Sunnyside, Queens…”

“Mr. Speaker, H.R. 1318 would name the Department of Veterans Affairs outpatient clinic in the City of Sunnyside, Queens, New York, for Lance Corporal Thomas P. Noonan, Jr., a Marine, who on February 5, 1969, was killed in action in Quang Tri Province, Vietnam. Lance Corporal Noonan was 25 years old on that fateful morning in Vietnam when serving as a fire team leader he was mortally wounded while valiantly trying to drag a wounded Marine to safety. For his heroic actions, he was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor, our Nation's highest military decoration. I want to commend my distinguished colleague on the other side of the aisle, the gentleman from New York (Mr. Crowley), for introducing H.R. 1318. This is the second naming bill the Committee on Veterans' Affairs has brought to the floor today to honor servicemembers who gave their lives in Vietnam. These are bipartisan measures which pay homage to our fallen heroes. I hope that these stories of bravery and sacrifice are an inspiration to the new generation of soldiers, sailors, Marines, and airmen who are so ably serving our country in the war against terrorism.”