[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 11 (Thursday, January 22, 2015)]
[Senate]
[Page S419]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      TRIBUTE TO VINCENT PETRARCA

  Mr. WHITEHOUSE. I am honored to congratulate Mr. Vincent 
Petrarca of West Warwick, RI, a proud American veteran and beloved 
family man, on the occasion of his 90th birthday.
  Vin enlisted in the U.S. Navy at age 18 and served in the Pacific 
Fleet. He was a crewmember of the destroyer USS Newcomb when, in April 
1945, that ship encountered heavy air bombardment from Japanese forces 
off the west coast of Okinawa. Although struck multiple times by 
kamikaze attackers and sustaining heavy casualties, the Newcomb drove 
off or shot down several aircraft. ``Nelson's accolade to his sailors, 
`They fought as one man, and that man a hero,''' wrote historian Samuel 
Eliot Morison, ``could well be applied to her crew,'' which earned the 
Navy Unit Commendation.
  Vin married Jeanne Lesniak, and their union, now in its 62nd year, 
has been blessed with 7 children, 12 grandchildren, and 4 great 
grandchildren. Vin remains active, continuing a formidable amateur golf 
career. His tournament victories span a half-century, from the 1962 
West Warwick Country Club Championship to the 2012 Rhode Island Father/
Daughter State Championship.
  On behalf of the State of Rhode Island and the Senate of the United 
States, I congratulate Vincent Petrarca on 90 remarkable years, and 
wish him health and happiness in the years to come.

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