- Record: Extensions of Remarks
- Section type: Floor speeches
- Chamber: House
- Date: September 24, 2026
- Congress: 119th Congress
- Why this source matters: Extensions of Remarks are statements submitted for the official record, even if they were not spoken live on the floor.
speech of
HON. JENNIFER A. KIGGANS
of virginia
in the house of representatives
Wednesday, September 16, 2026
Mrs. KIGGANS of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of my bill, H.R. 7365, which would designate the United States Post Office located at 1225 Kempsville Road in Virginia Beach as the Colonel Edward D. Shames Post Office Building.
veteran, and a member of one of the most storied units in American military history: Easy Company of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division. Colonel Shames enlisted in the Army in 1942 and volunteered to become a paratrooper.
invasion. During the Normandy campaign, his leadership under fire earned him a battlefield commission, and he would go on to serve as an officer in Easy Company. He fought in Operation Market Garden, endured the brutal Battle of the Bulge at Bastogne, and participated in the Allied advance into Germany. For his courage and sacrifice in combat, Colonel Shames was awarded the Bronze Star and Purple Heart. The remarkable story of Easy Company would later become known around the world through Stephen Ambrose's Band of Brothers and the television series it inspired. But Colonel Shames' service to our country did not end with World War II.
community before retiring with the rank of colonel in 1973. He eventually made Virginia Beach his home, where he remained an active member of our community and a strong advocate for veterans and military remembrance. When Colonel Shames passed away in 2021 at the age of 99, he was the last surviving officer of Easy Company.
Mr. Speaker, in Hampton Roads, we understand that the freedoms we enjoy today were secured by generations of Americans who answered the call to serve. Colonel Edward D. Shames was one of those Americans. By placing his name on the Kempsville Road Post Office, we can ensure that his story, and the courage, sacrifice, and patriotism of the Greatest Generation he represented, continues to be remembered by the Virginia Beach community for generations to come.
- I thank my colleagues for helping us bring it to the House floor.
I urge all of my colleagues to support H.R. 7365 and help us provide this lasting tribute to a distinguished Virginia veteran and American hero.