[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 133 (Thursday, September 25, 2003)]
[Senate]
[Page S11982]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      TRIBUTE TO JOSEPH DE PIETRO

  Mrs. CLINTON. Mr. President, I would like to take some time today to 
tell the Senate about a hero who made the ultimate sacrifice on behalf 
of his Nation--a young man who died in the Korean war. His name is 
Joseph De Pietro.
  He came from Broad Channel, NY. For those Senators who are not 
familiar with Broad Channel, it is a populated island in Jamaica Bay. 
It is part of Queens County, which is one of the boroughs of the City 
of New York. Cross Bay Boulevard connects Broad Channel to the 
Rockaways, which are a magnificent gateway to the Atlantic Ocean.
  The American Legion Broad Channel Memorial Post 1404 recently honored 
the memory of Joseph De Pietro, and four other young men from Broad 
Channel who died in the Korean war. The occasion for the ceremony was 
the 50th anniversary of the armistice in Korea, which was observed by 
American Legion Post 1404 as part of the 85th Annual Queens County 
Convention Parade. July 27, 1953 is the day in history when negotiators 
signed the armistice agreement at Panmunjom. The armistice led to a 
North Korean withdrawal across the 38th parallel, and the Republic of 
South Korea regained its status as a free and democratic nation. Korea 
was a critical battleground in the defense of liberty against the 
totalitarian ideologies of the 20th century. Joseph De Pietro left his 
home and traveled half a world away to the Korean Peninsula to defend 
freedom.
  Private De Pietro was a member of Company H, 2nd Battalion, 38th 
Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division. He was killed in action 
during an attack on Hill 905 along ``Heartbreak Ridge'' near 
Sanggonbae, North Korea on October 10, 1951, while assisting a wounded 
comrade. Private De Pietro was awarded the Purple Heart, the Combat 
Infantryman's Badge, the Korean Service Medal, the United Nations 
Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal and the Korean War 
Service Medal.
  As our Nation's soldiers are once again fighting for the cause of 
freedom overseas, it is all the more important to remember those who 
helped protect America on the Korean Peninsula a half century ago.
  Joseph De Pietro, born August 3, 1932, killed in action October 10, 
1951.
  His loved ones and comrades in arms are eternally proud of him. I 
honor his memory.

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