[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 120 (Friday, September 11, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1704]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       TONY STEIN: AMERICAN HERO

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                           HON. TONY P. HALL

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, September 11, 1998

  Mr. HALL of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I am honored to bring to the attention 
of my colleagues the sacrifices of Tony Stein, an American hero from 
Dayton, Ohio, the principal city in my district. As a corporal in the 
Marine Corps, he took part in the initial assault on the island of Iwo 
Jima and became the first Daytonian to receive the Congressional Medal 
of Honor in World War II.
  After hitting the beach, Corporal Stein showed selfless courage at 
great personal risk to protect his fellow soldiers. His initiative, 
bravery, and unflagging devotion to duty helped ensure the success of 
our war effort. He was killed in action on March 1, 1945, ten days 
after he received the Medal of Honor.
  Last month, the Dayton City Commission voted to name the Keowee 
Street Bridge in Stein's North Dayton neighborhood the Tony Stein 
Memorial Bridge.
  This Saturday, Tony Stein will be honored at a ceremony at the bridge 
marking the new name. In doing so, the City will pay tribute to an 
American hero and to all veterans who gave of themselves in the service 
of our country.
  I commend to my colleagues an article about Stein which appeared in 
the September 3, 1998 issue of the Dayton Daily News.

              [From the Dayton Daily News, Sept. 3, 1998]

                    Bridge a Memorial to Tony Stein

                             (By Derek All)

       Mention Tony Stein's name in some city circles and many 
     people will probably shrug their shoulders unknowingly.
       Countless motorists have driven on the street named in his 
     honor, but it's a pretty sure bet few Daytonians know much 
     about the man himself.
       Stein, a corporal in the U.S. Marine Corps, was the first 
     Daytonian to be honored with the Congressional Medal of Honor 
     for service during World War II.
       The two-block street, adjacent to the war monument at 
     Keowee and Valley streets in Old North Dayton, was renamed 
     Tony Stein Way in May 1987 in honor of the former Kiser High 
     School student who worked at the Delco Products division of 
     General Motors Corp. before joining the Marines in September 
     1942.
       A destroyer escort named after Stein was launched in 
     Seattle, Wash., in 1970. An American Legion post--the Tony 
     Stein American Legion Post No. 619--also was named in his 
     honor.
       Now, after lobbying from residents of Old North Dayton, 
     city commissioners on Aug. 26 unanimously approved naming the 
     bridge over the Mad River at Keowee Street the Tony Stein 
     Memorial Bridge.
       In a letter of support, Northeast Priority Board chairman 
     Joe Kanak wrote, ``This gesture would be in honor of a 
     notable war hero who was born and lived in Dayton, and would 
     also represent our respect for the many lives given in battle 
     to defend and preserve democracy.''
       Ronald Brookey of the Kiser High School Alumni Association 
     also urged commissioners to approve the change.
       Brookey said Stein, a graduate of the school, deserved the 
     bridge honor because he died protecting the country.
       ``The memorial bridge would not be a memorial to war, but a 
     memorial to the sacrifice of a north Dayton citizen,'' 
     Brookey said.
       Stein, who was 22, was killed less than two weeks after he 
     earned the medal during the initial assault on Iwo Jima on 
     Feb. 19, 1945.
       The citation awarding the medal to Stein stated:
       ``After hitting the beach at Iwo Jima, Stein, armed with a 
     personally devised aircraft-type weapons, provided rapid 
     covering fire as his platoon moved into position.
       ``When his comrades were stalled by machine gun and mortar 
     fire, Stein stood up in the enemy's view in order to learn 
     their position.
       ``He charged enemy pillboxes one by one, killing 20 of the 
     enemy during a ferocious assault. Stein ran out of ammunition 
     and removed his helmet and shoes for ease of movement in 
     returning to the beach. He made eight trips to the beach 
     under furious fire, carrying or assisting a wounded man each 
     time, and returning with ammunition.
       ``Stein then directed fire against an enemy pillbox, 
     destroying the unit. Later in the day, although his weapon 
     was shot from his hands twice, he personally covered the 
     withdrawal of his platoon to the company position.''
       On March 1, 1945, 10 days after receiving the Medal of 
     Honor, Stein was killed in the battle for Mount Suribachi on 
     Iwo Jima. He was the first of four Daytonians to receive the 
     Congressional Medal of Honor

     

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