WASHINGTON -- The U.S. House of Representatives voted Monday to name an Arkansas post office after the first U.S. prisoner of war executed by the North Vietnamese nearly 50 years ago.
U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Harold "George" Bennett was 24 years old when he was executed after his third escape attempt.
The House approved House Resolution 4355, which renames the postal facility at 201 B St. in Perryville as the Harold George Bennett Post Office. The legislation was sponsored by U.S. Rep. Tim Griffin and co-sponsored by the other three members of the House delegation.
On the House floor, Griffin called Bennett "one of Arkansas' finest sons."
Before the vote, Griffin said Bennett's sacrifice should be remembered and his memory preserved for future generations.
"If we don't commemorate, if we don't memorialize [Bennett], how many people are going to hear of this story and know of this example?" he said. "There are a lot of true heroes who have given so much, who we may not learn about if they are not memorialized in an official way."
Bennett, a Perryville native, grew up as one of nine children in a family with a history of military service. His father had served in World War I, and his three brothers also served in the Army. In 1957, he enlisted and received his basic training at Fort Chaffee. He eventually became a paratrooper with the 101st Airborne Division.
He re-enlisted in 1960 in the hope of serving overseas and, three years later, received Special Forces training. As an Army Ranger, he volunteered to go to Vietnam and became an infantry adviser to the 33rd Vietnamese Ranger Battalion.
On Dec. 29, 1964, Bennett and his unit were airlifted to the South Vietnamese village of Binh Gia, which was under assault by the Viet Cong. Most of the villagers were North Vietnamese Catholics trying to escape communist forces.
Enemy forces overran the South Vietnamese unit and captured Bennett and his radio operator, Pfc. Charles Crafts.
Bennett twice called off American helicopter pilots who were trying to navigate through the combat zone to rescue Bennett and Crafts.
The Viet Cong executed Bennett in June 1965, in part for injuring a guard in one of three escape attempts. According to an Associated Press account at the time, the U.S. State Department called Bennett's death a "wanton act of murder" and said it was retribution for the execution of Viet Cong guerrillas convicted of terrorist activities in South Vietnam.
The Army posthumously promoted Bennett to staff sergeant in August 1965. His remains were never returned to the United States.
After years of petitioning by his comrades, Bennett received in 2006 the Combat Infantryman's Badge, National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, Prisoner of War Medal, U.S. Army Good Conduct Medal and the Purple Heart.
He later was awarded a Silver Star.
Several Arkansas post office locations are named after service members.
In 2013, the Rosebud post office was renamed in honor of Medal of Honor recipient Nicky "Nick" Bacon. That same year, the Little Rock main post office was renamed as the Sidney "Sid" Sanders McMath Post Office Building in honor of the former Arkansas governor and ex-Marine.
Bennett's family was not scheduled to travel to Washington for Monday's proceedings, Griffin's staff members said. Griffin said he planned to call Bennett's family after the vote.
"Once it gets past the House floor, it's a pretty good indication it will be successful," he said.
Typically, the House and Senate allow facilities to be renamed as long as all members of the delegation agree and the honoree is no longer living. There is an exception for when the honoree is a wounded veteran, a U.S. president or vice president. A current or former member of Congress, local or state elected official, or judge can also be honored once he reaches age 70, according to a 2012 report from the Congressional Research Service.
In recent years, about 20 percent of all legislation approved by Congress renamed post offices, according to the report. The House was scheduled to vote to rename nine other post offices Monday.
Renamed post offices receive a plaque, roughly the size of a piece of standard printer paper. Costing between $250 and $500, it is placed in the facility and is paid for by the Postal Service, according to the report.
Metro on 07/15/2014