[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 167 (Thursday, December 16, 2010)]
[Senate]
[Pages S10366-S10367]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             COLONEL GEORGE JUSKALIAN POST OFFICE BUILDING

  The bill (H.R. 6392) to designate the facility of the United States 
Postal Service located at 5003 Westfields Boulevard in Centreville, 
Virginia, as the ``Colonel George Juskalian Post Office Building,'' was 
ordered to a third reading, was read the third time, and passed.
  Mr. WARNER. Madam President, I rise today to express my support for 
the passage of H.R. 6392, a bill to designate the facility of the U.S. 
Postal Service located at 5003 Westfields Boulevard in Centreville, VA, 
as the Colonel George Juskalian Post Office Building.
  Colonel Juskalian passed away this past Fourth of July, at the age of 
96, having served our nation for nearly 30 years on active duty, 
including campaigns during World War II, Korea, and Vietnam. After 
growing up in Massachusetts, he joined the U.S. Army in 1939 and was 
called to active duty as a first lieutenant in 1940. He served with 
distinction in World War II, during which time he was captured by the 
Germans in Tunisia and spent 27 months in prisoner of war camps in 
Italy, Germany and Poland.
  Upon his return home, Colonel Juskalian served in General 
Eisenhower's secretariat in the Pentagon between 1945 and 1948, and 
continued to serve our nation with distinction until his retirement 
with the rank of colonel in 1967. He received the Army's highest award 
for noncombat service, the Legion of Merit, as well as four Silver 
Stars, three Bronze Stars, and the Army Commendation Medal, among 
others.
  Apart from his military service, the colonel was a longtime resident 
of Centreville and was actively involved in his community. He was an 
active participant in organizations such as the Armenian Assembly of 
America, American Legion Post 1995, and the Blue and Grey Veterans of 
Foreign Wars Post 8469 up until his death earlier this year. Many knew 
the colonel through his volunteer work at local schools, where he 
shared his strong belief in giving back to our communities and our 
nation, through military service or otherwise.
  By passing this bill and naming the Centreville Post Office facility 
after Colonel George Juskalian, we will be honoring both Colonel 
Juskalian's many years of service as well as the sacrifices made by all 
members of the United States Armed Services. H.R. 6392 has the strong 
support of the Virginia American Legion, Post 1995, as well as the 
local division of Veterans of Foreign Wars, Post 8469. I have letters 
of support from both organizations and, without objection, would like 
to submit them for the record.
  I applaud the efforts of my friend and colleague in the House, 
Congressman Frank Wolf, who united the Virginia delegation as co-
sponsors of this bill and effectively ushered it through the House of 
Representatives by a unanimous vote. Now it is time for the Senate to 
act. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting swift passage of 
this bill to honor such a courageous, admirable veteran and proud 
Virginian.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record as follows:

                                    American Legion Post 1995,

                                 Centreville, VA, August 16, 2010.
     Hon. Mark R. Warner,
     U.S. Senate,
     Washington, DC.
     Hon. Frank R. Wolf,
     U.S. Congress,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Senator Warner/Congressman Wolf, It is with great 
     honor and privilege, and on behalf of American Legion Post 
     1995, Centreville, Virginia that I submit to you a proposal 
     for designating the United States Postal Facility located at 
     5003 Westfields Boulevard, Centreville, VA as the ``Colonel 
     George Juskalian Post Office.'' Sadly, Col Juskalian passed 
     away on 4 July 2010.
       As Congressman Wolf so eloquently stated in the chambers of 
     the House of Representatives on 26 July, Col Juskalian, U.S. 
     Army (Ret.), served the United States with high distinction 
     for nearly 30 years, including service in WWII, Korea, and 
     Vietnam.
       Colonel Juskalian survived the hardships of being a German 
     Prisoner of War, enduring nearly three years harsh treatment 
     in Nazi POW camps. Throughout his ordeal, and in later 
     service in our nation's wars, he upheld the highest ideals of 
     American servicemen. In so doing; he earned two Silver Stars 
     and four Bronze Stars for actions in combat.
       Upon leaving the military, he remained a long time resident 
     of the Commonwealth of Virginia and continued to serve his 
     community until his death at age 96. He volunteered and 
     educated our youth in local schools, mainly with a message of 
     the importance of one's giving back to our community and 
     nation. He shared a strong belief in serving--in the military 
     or in other ways--in appreciation for the freedoms and rights 
     enjoyed by all and paid for by few.
       Although Centreville, Virginia has many residents that have 
     served our nation with distinction, there is no monument, 
     plaque or memorial dedicated to the men and women of the U.S. 
     Armed Forces. Naming the Centreville Postal Facility for 
     Colonel Juskalian would represent a constant reminder to 
     patrons of the service and sacrifices made by military 
     veterans in their community.
       By placing Colonel Juskalian's name and a small memorial in 
     the Centreville Post Office, we honor him and all veterans 
     within our community, past, present, and future.
       For God and Country,
                                                Peter F. DeFreece,
     Commander.
                                  ____

                                                     Blue and Gray


                            Veterans of Foreign War Post 8469,

                             Fairfax Station, VA, August 16, 2010.
     Hon. Mark R. Warner,
     U.S. Senate,
     Washington, DC.
     Hon. Frank R. Wolf,
     U.S. Congress,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Senator Warner and Congressman Wolf: I am writing on 
     behalf of our VFW Post, of which the late Colonel George 
     Juskalian US Army retired was a member, to endorse the 
     recommendation to designate the United States Post Office at 
     5003 Westfields Blvd, Centreville, VA as the ``Colonel George 
     Juskalian Post Office.''
       This is what Colonel Juskalian looked like in recent years. 
     He always sported a smile and he had a quick wit and he was 
     both an active member of our Post, but he was also the recent 
     Commander of the local chapter of American Ex-Prisoners of 
     War. Here is what he looked like after he came home as a hero 
     of World War II. On 28 January 1943, George rushed forward of 
     friendly lines to help rescue a reconnaissance patrol which 
     had been discovered by an overwhelming German force. Although 
     George was captured and spent the next 27 months in various 
     prison camps, his valor was recognized by the Army and he was 
     awarded the Silver Star Medal, our nation's third highest 
     battlefield award for heroism. While imprisoned with the 
     British for 3 of his 27 months of captivity, George overcame 
     continuing claustrophobia and helped dig an escape tunnel but 
     was transferred to a camp of only US prisoners in Poland 
     before he could escape. During the bleak late winter of 1945 
     George and his fellow prisoners were force marched westward 
     to Hammelburg, Germany just in time to see the ill-fated Baum 
     rescue force enter their POW camp without enough force to 
     make it back. George forced an escape anyway and was 
     ultimately recaptured. He was bombed by US planes near 
     Nuremburg and watched as 40 of his comrades died, but he was 
     ultimately liberated by the US 45th Infantry Division.
       Upon return to the United States, the scrappy little 
     officer volunteered to undergo refresher infantry training 
     and join in the invasion of Japan but the war ended first. 
     After the war George worked for General of the Army 
     Eisenhower in the Pentagon and must have done an impressive 
     job because he was offered a Regular Army commission during a 
     period when the Army was reduced in size dramatically. During 
     the Korean conflict, George was offered a plum assignment 
     away from the fighting but asked instead to be assigned to 
     Korea. There, George was assigned to command the 1st 
     Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment of the 7th Infantry 
     Division, then in combat as part of X Corps. George was 
     ordered to re-take a key hilltop which had just been captured 
     by the Chinese, called ``Old Baldy.'' Because high explosives 
     had denuded the peak, the only covered approach to the 
     objective was across a minefield, through which a path was 
     cleared at the point of a bayonet. The battalion's attack was 
     pressed with such ferocity that much of the hill was re-
     taken, but the battalion was decimated and withdrawn under

[[Page S10367]]

     orders from higher headquarters. George was awarded a Silver 
     Star for heroism during the action.
       After Korea, George had assignments literally around the 
     world but not surprisingly, fate found George, now a full 
     Colonel, in Vietnam during 1963-4 assigned initially as a 
     deputy Corps Advisor in the Mekong Delta, and later as the 
     Inspector General of Military Assistance Command, Vietnam, 
     working directly under General William Westmoreland. George 
     was subsequently assigned as the Deputy Chief of Staff for 
     Operations and Training for the Military District of 
     Washington and retired on 30 April 1967. George's awards 
     include: the Silver Star with Oak Leaf Cluster, the Legion of 
     Merit, the Bronze Star Medal with three Oak Leaf Clusters, 
     the Air Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, the POW Medal, 
     numerous campaign medals; the Combat Infantryman Badge with 
     star, the War Department General Staff Device, and the 
     Parachutist Badge.
       Following retirement, George did volunteer work with 
     numerous benevolent and veterans groups. From 1974-80, George 
     was the Director of Graduate Admissions at Southeastern 
     University while he concurrently studied for his Masters in 
     Business and Public Administration. He served a three year 
     appointment to the Veterans Administration Advisory Committee 
     for Former Prisoners of War. He was active with the scouts 
     and served in Armenian community relief and religious 
     organizations and was most recently the Commander of the 
     local chapter of American Ex-Prisoners of War.
       In 1838 a young Abraham Lincoln spoke of ``the generation 
     just gone to rest,'' and the War for Independence by saying:
       ``At the close of that struggle, nearly every adult male 
     had been a participator in some of its scenes. The 
     consequence was, that of those scenes, in the form of a 
     husband, a father, a son or a brother, a living history was 
     to be found in every family--a history bearing the 
     indubitable testimonies of its own authenticity, in the limbs 
     mangled, in the scars of wounds received, in the midst of the 
     very scenes related--a history, too, that could be read and 
     understood alike by all, the wise and the ignorant, the 
     learned and the unlearned. But those histories are gone. They 
     can be read no more forever. They were a fortress of 
     strength; but what invading foemen could never do the silent 
     artillery of time has done; the leveling of its walls. They 
     are gone. . . .''
       Thousands of our World War II heroes are leaving us every 
     day. Centreville needs a lasting reminder of their service 
     and sacrifice for all the generations to come. Please lend 
     your support to designate the United States Post Office at 
     5003 Westfields Blvd, Centreville, VA as the ``Colonel George 
     Juskalian Post Office.'' Thank you for your consideration.
           Very respectfully submitted,
                                                 Floyd D. Houston,
     Commander.

                          ____________________