[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 70 (Friday, May 9, 2014)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E730]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            HONORING BATTALION SGT. MAJOR ROBERT J. BLATNIK

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                          HON. JEB HENSARLING

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                          Friday, May 9, 2014

  Mr. HENSARLING. Mr. Speaker, it is my honor today to recognize 
Battalion Sgt. Major Robert J. Blatnik for his exceptional service to 
our country. He joined the US Army's 1st Battalion, 26th Regiment, 1st 
Infantry Division, on October 19, 1938, and would remain in this unit 
for the entirety of his time in the service. He saw combat during WWII 
in North Africa, Tunisia, Sicily, Germany, and France. On June 6, 1944 
he took part in the first wave of the invasion of Normandy at Omaha 
Beach--Fox Red 1. Mr. Blatnik earned 4 Purple Hearts, the Silver Star, 
5 Bronze Stars, and several other medals.
   Mr. Blatnik remains a true patriot, and last summer, he was among 
six Normandy vets from Texas selected to go back to the beachhead where 
so many gave the ultimate sacrifice for the cause of freedom. Humbly, I 
echo the words of President Ronald Reagan, ``We will always remember. 
We will always be proud. We will always be prepared, so we will always 
be free.'' And humbly, I offer my sincere gratitude to Battalion Sgt. 
Major Robert J. Blatnik for his service and acts of bravery that allow 
us the freedoms we enjoy today.

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