[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 123 (Tuesday, September 9, 2003)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1741]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        HONORING STANLEY GRAZIUL

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. MICHAEL BILIRAKIS

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, September 9, 2003

  Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Stanley Graziul, a 
veteran in my congressional district who has served his country with 
distinction.
  Stanley Graziul is a World War II hero. He served in the Army's 97th 
Infantry Division, in Battery B of its 365th Field Artillery Battalion, 
which saw heavy action during the war. Stanley single-handedly captured 
twenty-five German soldiers in Liebeneck, Czechoslovakia, on April 26, 
1945. He was alone that morning guarding Battery B's perimeter when a 
young soldier dressed in an American uniform approached him. Stanley 
sensed that something was wrong and ordered the man, a German soldier, 
to halt. After interrogating him, Stanley learned that twenty-four of 
the soldier's comrades were hiding in the woods and promptly took them 
into custody, until he encountered American GI's who could take the 
Germans to a nearby prisoner-of-war camp.
  Stanley Graziul's commitment to his country and the causes in which 
he believed did not end with his military service. He returned to the 
United States after the war and became actively involved in his 
community. He gave his time and energy to help many volunteer and 
service organizations assist those less fortunate than him. He also 
became active in the political process and donated his time and money 
to candidates and causes in which he believed. He and his wonderful 
wife, Caroline, live in my congressional district in Spring Hill and 
remain active in the community still today.
  Mr. Speaker, Stanley Graziul is a true American hero. His honor, 
courage, and bravery, and that of countless American veterans, helped 
us win World War II and ensure that our democratic republic endured. I 
am proud to call him a constituent, and more important, to have him as 
a friend. I urge our colleagues to remember his example, and those of 
their constituents, as we exercise the freedoms that they helped 
secure.

                          ____________________