[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 127 (Friday, August 3, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1729]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             HONORING THE LEGACY OF CORPORAL ANGELO VACCARO

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                           HON. JOHN L. MICA

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, August 2, 2007

  Mr. MICA. Madam Speaker, today as I entered the grounds of Walter 
Reed Army Medical Center and approached the Warrior Transition Brigade 
Headquarters, I saw the name ``Vaccaro Hall.'' This morning the United 
States Army dedicated Vaccaro Hall in honor of my constituent, Corporal 
Angelo J. Vaccaro, from Deltona who lost his life performing heroic 
actions in Afghanistan. It was my honor to personally congratulate 
Corporal Vaccaro's wife, mother and father on the well deserved 
recognition of Corporal Angelo Vaccaro's heroic actions.
  The late Corporal Vaccaro, his wife and parents have been part of the 
Seventh Congressional District in Central Florida. His distinguished 
service to our country as a medic in the United States Army earned 
Corporal Vaccaro the honor of being the first member of the Armed 
Services to receive two Silver Star medals during the Global War on 
Terror.
  Corporal Vaccaro was the loving husband of Dana and the youngest son 
of Nelson and Linda Vaccaro. He led by example and never boasted of his 
accomplishments and efforts on the battlefield.
  Born in New York, Corporal Vaccaro moved to Deltona, FL where he 
lived until he joined the Army on March 14, 2004. According to family 
and friends, Corporal Vaccaro had found his place in life as a medic 
with the Army's 10th Mountain Division.
  Corporal Vaccaro's honorable service to our nation included a 
deployment to Afghanistan. He conducted more than 140 patrols and 
heroically risked his life in order to save the lives of fallen 
comrades. On one such occasion, Vaccaro's platoon came under heavy 
enemy fire and Vaccaro and four others suffered significant injuries. 
Ignoring his wounds and still battling Taliban forces, Corporal Vaccaro 
used his own body to shield fellow soldiers from the enemy while he 
dragged the wounded to safety and began emergency medical treatment. 
Corporal Vaccaro's actions during this battle earned him his first 
Silver Star.
  Corporal Vaccaro's second Silver Star was a result of his final 
heroic actions that saved two of his injured comrades in need of 
immediate evacuation from the battlefield. While serving as the senior 
line medic at the Koregal Outpost in Afghanistan, Corporal Vaccaro 
learned that members of his platoon had come under attack by Taliban 
forces and that two of them required immediate medical attention. 
Despite being informed that an ambush was in place for any attempted 
rescue efforts, Corporal Vaccaro volunteered for the mission without 
hesitation. Soon after reaching the battle site and while assisting in 
the successful evacuation of all the wounded, Corporal Vaccaro was 
struck and killed by a rocket propelled grenade. The country lost a 
true American hero.
  In addition to the Army naming the building that houses Walter Reed's 
Warrior Transition Brigade Headquarters to Vaccaro Hall and the two 
Silver Star medals, Corporal Vaccaro earned two Purple Hearts and the 
Army's Bronze Star for his actions during battle. In June the Army 
named Fort Drum's new state-of-art medical training facility that was 
opened on the day that Vaccaro was killed in battle, the Bridgewater-
Vaccaro Medical Training Simulator Center.
  Madam Speaker, with the passing of Corporal Angelo Vaccaro, America 
has lost a hero, an outstanding citizen and a shining example of 
service to our nation. He will be remembered as a patriotic American, a 
loving husband, beloved son and a friend to numerous others. It was a 
pleasure to have attended the dedication of Vaccaro Hall at Walter Reed 
Army Medical Center, and I am proud that those visiting Walter Reed 
will be reminded of Corporal Vaccaro's heroic sacrifice on behalf of 
his fellow Americans.




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