[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 93 (Tuesday, June 19, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1072]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 HONORING THE OUTSTANDING CAREER OF RETIRING RED CROSS OFFICIAL ARMOND 
                                MASCELLI

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. MARK S. CRITZ

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 19, 2012

  Mr. CRITZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a son of 
southwestern Pennsylvania and a tremendous public servant.
  In 1971, a young man named Armond Mascelli took the advice of his 
Scranton college professor and went to work for the American Red Cross. 
Four decades later, after a distinguished career of philanthropic work 
that has taken him to many different parts of the world, Armond is set 
to retire from the Red Cross as Vice President for Disaster Operations.
  Over the last 41 years, Armond has served on and directed numerous 
disaster relief operations throughout the United States, Puerto Rico, 
Central America and the U.S. Virgin Islands. He has also served on Red 
Cross assignments in South Vietnam, Thailand, Japan, Canada, Mexico, 
Turkey and Guam.
  Over his long career, there have been many significant disasters and 
Armond remembers them all, particularly the Johnstown, PA, flood of 
1977.
  Any school child from my district can tell you about the Great 
Johnstown Flood of 1889 caused by a dam failure which resulted in the 
release of 20 million tons of water into Johnstown. The flood killed 
more than 2,200 people and was the first major disaster relief effort 
handled by the American Red Cross, led by Clara Barton.
  But on July 20, 1977, a line of severe thunderstorms moved slowly 
over Johnstown, dropping a foot of rain on the city in only 12 hours. 
Small streams overflowed and several dams failed, causing history to 
repeat itself. Water tore through highways, homes, factories and 
stores.
  The death toll would eventually reach 85 as a result of the flood. 
Property damage reached about $300 million. Hundreds were left 
homeless. Our town was once again reminded of its tragic history, 
opening old wounds and inflicting new ones. But not all of the stories 
from this flood were sad.
  The Red Cross and many other non-profit agencies, State and Federal 
Governments, and private individuals rushed to help with the relief 
efforts. Armond Mascelli was a young Red Cross disaster worker who had 
been assigned to the Johnstown relief operation for more than a month 
when he met a young and attractive Johnstown girl who was volunteering 
for the Red Cross in the operations. Armond and Kathy Lenzi were 
married 2 years later.
  Armond was also assigned to the Three Mile Island nuclear disaster 
near Harrisburg, PA, in 1979, and was part of the task force at 
Indiantown Gap near Lebanon, PA, helping the more than 19,000 refugees 
brought there during the Cuban Boat Lift in 1980 and 1981.
  Armond has been part of the Red Cross response to a number of major 
national and international disasters over the past four decades, 
including hurricanes Hugo, Andrew, Mitch and Katrina, the Loma Prieta 
and North Ridge earthquakes and the 1993 flooding in the Midwest. When 
the floods from Irene ravaged our State last year, Armond was in the 
Red Cross Disaster Operations Center coordinating the response.
  When asked if it was ever difficult to stay in a field that witnesses 
so much devastation and sadness, he said the good work the Red Cross 
does was motivation to stay in the job.
  ``Disaster is unfair, heartbreaking,'' he said. ``Working for the Red 
Cross is an opportunity to provide assistance to those in need. I've 
met a ton of real interesting people--good people--through my years 
with Red Cross.
  ``The people I work with really believe in the principles of the Red 
Cross, the mission,'' he said. ``And our volunteers--they amaze me. 
It's neighbor helping neighbor. People in this country want to help 
when something happens, it's part of their makeup.
  ``Part of being with the Red Cross is to make it better. I'm passing 
this to someone else for them to make improvements,'' Mascelli said. 
``The Red Cross is always looking to the future, to change, to improve. 
We're an old organization, but we're still relevant. I attribute that 
to our mission, our volunteers and adapting to meet the changing needs 
of those we serve.''
  Mr. Speaker, I congratulate Armond on his upcoming retirement and 
salute his great service to our Nation and to the American Red Cross. 
He and his wife Kathy have my best wishes as they transition into a new 
phase of their life together.

                          ____________________