[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 16 (Wednesday, January 29, 2003)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E106]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 HONORING THE HEROISM OF MICHAEL ONUSKO

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. MICHAEL N. CASTLE

                              of delaware

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, January 29, 2003

  Mr. CASTLE. Mr. Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I rise today 
to pay tribute to and honor the heroism of Mr. Michael Onusko of 
Lincoln, Delaware. His concern and care for the fellow citizens in his 
community resulted in a life being saved.
  Mr. Onusko, a mail carrier with the United States Postal Service, 
deserves a hero's recognition for his actions that saved 81-year-old 
Houston, Delaware resident Margaret Phillips. While on his delivery 
route, Mr. Onusko noticed that Mrs. Phillips had not picked up her mail 
from the previous day. Concerned for a friend for whom he had been 
carrying mail for 13 years, he walked toward the residence to check on 
Mrs. Phillips. Upon hearing Mrs. Phillips calling for help from the 
garage, he quickly alerted the police. Mrs. Phillips had fallen off a 
ladder in her garage and was suffering from hypothermia after lying 
incapacitated on the floor for almost an entire day. Had Mr. Onusko not 
checked on Mrs. Phillips, help might not have arrived in time.
  Mr. Onusko displayed a quality that all Delawareans should look for 
in a role model--a deep sense of community and concern for fellow 
citizens. We should all hope to emulate Mr. Onusko's actions and reach 
out when we can to those in need. It is people like Mr. Onusko who 
inspire others to do great things, and to realize that each of us is a 
part of a community, and a nation that can only succeed if we look out 
for one another. America needs everyday heroes who display true concern 
and goodwill when called upon to help their fellow citizens. I am proud 
to say that Mr. Onusko exemplified these qualities with his actions, 
and his recognition, Mr. Speaker, is duly deserved.
  Ordinary people who perform extraordinary acts of public service, 
like Michael Onusko from my great State of Delaware, are the true 
heroes in today's world, and are the true role models for the next 
generation of leaders, both inside and outside of Delaware's borders.

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