[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 51 (Tuesday, April 13, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E524]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   HONORING THE HAJDAK-MOKAN CHAPTER OF THE 82ND AIRBORNE ASSOCIATION

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. PATRICK J. MURPHY

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, April 13, 2010

  Mr. PATRICK J. MURPHY of Pennsylvania. Madam Speaker, I rise today to 
honor the Hajdak-Mokan Chapter of the 82nd Airborne Association as an 
exemplary organization for its membership's history of commitment to 
service, to community, and to our Nation.
  The 82nd Airborne Division, the division in which I am proud to have 
served, has had a long and distinguished history in the United States 
Army. Formed on August 25, 1917, at Camp Gordon, Georgia, the unit was 
given the nickname ``All-Americans,'' since members of the Division 
called all 48 States home. This is showcased in its famous ``AA'' 
shoulder patch.
  First deployed for combat in World War I, the 82nd Infantry Division 
fought for five grueling months in France. After the war ended, the 
Division was demobilized; when the duel threats of Fascist Germany and 
Imperial Japan threatened the very survival of the free world and 
democratic government, the 82nd was reactivated in 1942 to defend our 
Nation. That same year, the 82nd became the first airborne division in 
the U.S. Army, and was re-designated the 82nd Airborne Division. Over 
the course of the war, paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne Division saw 
action in North Africa, Italy, and as part of Operation Overlord. On 
the night of June 5th-6th, 1944, just before Allied transports landed 
on the beaches of Normandy, paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne 
Division began the largest airborne assault in history, and were among 
the first to fight for the liberation of Europe. The 82nd Airborne 
would go on to fight in Operation Market Garden in the Netherlands, and 
would brave the German counteroffensive in the Ardennes forest in the 
frigid winter of 1944.
  After the war, the 82nd Airborne Division assisted in the occupation 
of Berlin, and then upon its return to the United States made its 
permanent home at Ft. Bragg in North Carolina. Since then, the brave 
paratroopers of the 82nd have seen action in Korea, have helped keep 
order in the Dominican Republic, have fought in the dense jungles of 
Vietnam, and have defended American interests in Grenada. The 
paratroopers participated in interventions in Honduras and Panama, and 
in 1990 assisted in the liberation of Kuwait from Saddam Hussein's 
brutal dictatorship. After 9/11, the 82nd Airborne was one of the first 
American units to see action in Afghanistan. When the U.S. launched 
Operation Iraqi Freedom, the 82nd Airborne was there.
  The Hajdak-Mokan Chapter of the 82nd Airborne Association honors 
veterans, raises money for wounded warriors, provides honor guards for 
funerals, marches in parades, and supports community events. The men 
and women of the Hajdak-Mokan Chapter embody the spirit of the 82nd 
Airborne. They prove that love of country, commitment to one another 
and to community, and a respect for duty are all still integral parts 
of American society. This spirit also manifests itself in the life and 
work of Mr. Dan Bosak. Mr. Bosak was a founding member of the Hajdak-
Mokan Chapter. He served as its chairman for 13 years of its 15-year 
history.
  Madam Speaker, I am proud to recognize the Hajdak-Mokan Chapter of 
the 82nd Airborne Association for its outstanding dedication to 
service, and its longtime chairman and one of its founding members, Mr. 
Dan Bosak, for his years of steadfast commitment and loyalty to his 
fellow paratroopers, to his community, and to his Nation. I am 
extremely honored to serve as his Congressman.

                          ____________________