[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 188 (Thursday, December 8, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2211]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         HONORING ERIC MASSARI

                                  _____
                                 

                       HON. CHRISTOPHER S. MURPHY

                             of connecticut

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, December 8, 2011

  Mr. MURPHY of Connecticut. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the 
dedication and service of Mr. Eric Massari of Waterbury, Connecticut, 
one of our nation's distinguished heroes.
  Mr. Massari served in the 5307th Composite Unit (Provisional), also 
known as ``Merrill's Marauders,'' a group that operated in Southeast 
Asia during World War II. This elite and all-volunteer unit 
successfully conducted numerous daring missions behind Japanese lines.
  Throughout their service, these volunteers suffered from a multitude 
of illnesses and diseases, extreme malnutrition and countless 
encounters in which they were both outgunned and outnumbered. By the 
end of the war, the Marauders had advanced approximately 750 miles 
through one of the harshest jungles in the world. Of the 2,750 men to 
cross enemy lines, only two were left alive who had not been 
hospitalized. Mr. Massari was one of these two men, and explains that 
he ``had the good lord on [his] shoulders at all times.''
  The Marauders have received widespread and deserved recognition for 
their heroic acts. There have been books, movies, and comic books 
depicting their brave encounters.
  Waterbury is lucky to have such a hero living in Town Plot. Each 
soldier has been awarded the Bronze Star, and the unit has been awarded 
a Distinguished Unit Citation. However, one of the most meaningful 
recognitions for Mr. Massari came in the form of a postcard that he 
received last month. It was a thank you card from a group of Chinese 
students, who had recently learned about the Marauders in school. They 
wanted to express their appreciation for being rescued from the 
Japanese by Massari's unit some 67 years ago.
  Mr. Speaker, Eric Massari represents the kind of courage, honor, and 
character that all of us should admire. As a distinguished veteran and 
a former employee at the Waterbury Tool Company, Mr. Massari has spent 
his life serving our country and the great state of Connecticut. I ask 
my colleagues and the entire country to join me in honoring the service 
of Eric Massari, and all of our veterans.

                          ____________________