House Unanimously Passes Barrett Bill to Honor Medal of Honor Recipient Killed at Pearl Harbor

September 16, 2026 Press Release Bill Dedicating Charlotte Post Office Is Barrett’s Ninth to Pass the House   Washington, D.C. - Today, the U.S. House of Representatives unanimously passed Congressman Tom Barrett's (MI-07) bipartisan bill ( H.R. 9570 ) to name the post office in Charlotte, Mich., after U.S. Navy Ensign Francis Flaherty, who was awarded the Medal of Honor for his bravery and sacrifice during Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor. "Ensign Francis Flaherty truly was a homegrown hero for our Charlotte community," Barrett said. "He selflessly laid down his life during the attacks on Pearl Harbor trying to get his fellow sailors to safety, and his ultimate sacrifice continues to serve as an example for us all. Naming the post office in his honor will further promote and preserve his heroic legacy for generations to come." Barrett's bill ( H.R. 9570 ) would name the Charlotte post office the "Francis C. Flaherty Post Office Building." He introduced the legislation in July with support from all 12 other members of the Michigan delegation in the House of Representatives. Background: Francis Charles Flaherty was born on March 15, 1919, in Charlotte, Michigan. He graduated from Charlotte High School and attended the University of Michigan before joining the U.S. Naval Reserve. Flaherty was stationed on the USS Oklahoma at Pearl Harbor during the December 7, 1941, attack. When the crew was ordered to abandon the sinking ship, Flaherty stayed in his turret, holding a flashlight to help the rest of his turret crew escape and sacrificing his own life. For this heroism, Flaherty was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor, which was presented to his brother. His remains were initially unable to be identified and were buried in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu, Hawaii. In 2019, the military was able to identify his remains using DNA samples from family members, and the family chose to have him reinterred at the Maple Hill Cemetery in Charlotte in 2021. Barrett, a state senator at the time, participated in the homecoming procession and ceremony along with thousands of attendees, including family members, local residents, and U.S. Navy Rear Admiral Jeff Spivey. Barrett previously led a successful effort to rename a portion of M-50 in Charlotte in honor of Flaherty. The bill that included Barrett's amendment naming the "Ensign Francis Flaherty Memorial Highway" passed the Michigan Legislature unanimously, and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed it into law on July 29, 2021. Click here to read H.R. 9570. Image Public domain photo from the U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command .