[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 176 (Thursday, November 17, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2076]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     IN TRIBUTE TO JOHN P. AMERSPEK

                                 ______
                                 

                      HON. RODNEY P. FRELINGHUYSEN

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, November 17, 2011

  Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Mr. Speaker, last week, our Nation paused to mark 
Veterans Day. America's soldiers, sailors, Marines and Airmen and 
Airwomen have always responded to the call of duty in defense of our 
great nation. These dedicated members of our community deserve our 
endless thanks, not only on Veterans Day, but at every single 
opportunity that we can show them our gratitude.
  Therefore, my colleagues, it is quite fitting that I call to your 
attention the dedicated service of one member of the ``Greatest 
Generation.'' John P. Amerspek of Succasunna, New Jersey, will be 
celebrating the 90th anniversary of his birth this week and I invite 
you to join his family and friends in thanking this great American for 
his many contributions.
  Like so many of his generation, John Amerspek knew the necessity of 
accepting one's responsibilities and was willing to make sacrifices for 
his country. As troops of the World War II era were known to say: ``if 
the country is good enough to live in, it's good enough to fight for.''
  Thus, John found himself in the United States Army's 3rd Division, 
far from home, fighting one of the most controversial, yet least 
publicized, major engagements of World War II--the Anzio Beachhead in 
western Italy.
  It was a brutal campaign, but essential to eventual Allied victory in 
Europe. The two German corps engaged on the Anzio front were originally 
destined for Normandy. The success of the Allied landings on the 
beaches in France in June 1944 were due largely to the tenacity of the 
Allied forces at Anzio.
  But the price of this crucial victory was high. Allied forces 
suffered nearly 87,000 casualties. In one measure of the courage and 
sacrifice of those who fought there, 22 Americans were awarded the 
Congressional Medal of Honor, the most of any single battle of World 
War II.
  John was there from the beginning. He was wounded twice and 
discharged himself from a field hospital so he could return to the 
fight with the mates in his own unit. As John says matter-of-factly, 
``I was one of the very fortunate ones that not only survived Anzio, 
but the many campaigns to follow. I would never regret the experience, 
but would never like to experience it again.''
  John's units were the first to liberate Rome. And then it was off to 
the Island of Corsica, Southern France, the Alsace Lorraine, the Vosge 
Mountains, crossing the Rhine into Germany and finally into Salzburg, 
Austria.
  In the course of this extended personal campaign, John Amerspek was 
among the liberators at the infamous Dauchau concentration camp. In 
late April 1945, American troops found approximately 32,000 prisoners, 
crammed 1,600 to each of 20 barracks, which had been designed to house 
250 people each. Nearly 32,000 people were exterminated at this camp, 
which John appropriately called the ``Dauchau Horror Camp.''
  After the war, John returned home to New Jersey, took advantage of 
the GI bill and eventually began 60 years of official and unofficial 
professional support of the Army's Picatinny Arsenal--an invaluable 
national military resource and the home of American firepower.
  An expert in all phases of military program management including the 
development of new concepts through research and development, cost 
control, field service, production and budgeting, he rose to senior 
leadership positions at Picatinny. His goal was always to provide our 
warfighters with superior firepower from a wide range of weapons for 
infantry, artillery, mortars, rockets, missiles and aircraft-launched 
munitions. There is no doubt that his material and management 
contributions strengthened the Army, Navy, Marines and Air Force.
  John ended his formal government career in 1981 after 40 years of 
uniformed and civilian service. He went on to continue his 
contributions to our great military in various senior roles with the 
National Defense Industrial Association, the Army ARDEC Advisory Board, 
among other organizations. His awards are too numerous to list.
  It should suffice to say that in 2004, Picatinny's Armament Research 
Development Engineering Center, ARDEC, named its headquarters' 
executive conference room after John Amerspek.
  Today as senior military and civilian leaders enter the conference 
room, they pass a simple bronze plaque, bearing his likeness and the 
phrase ``Soldier, Leader, Patriot, 1942-1981,''
  Anyone who has had the privilege of knowing John Amerspek, 
understands that he fits those descriptions precisely.
  Having just marked Veterans Day and as we prepare for the 
Thanksgiving season, it is fitting that all Americans give thanks for 
the service of John Amerspek and all of his fellow soldiers, leaders 
and patriots--past, present and future.

                          ____________________