[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 119 (Monday, June 29, 2020)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E584-E585]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      RECOGNIZING THE LATE PEDRO SALAS FOR HIS DEDICATION TO MANY 
          CONTRIBUTIONS HE MADE FOR HIS COUNTRY AND COMMUNITY

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. BRIAN HIGGINS

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, June 29, 2020

  Mr. HIGGINS of New York. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the 
late Pedro Salas, a Vietnam War Veteran and active member of his 
community in Buffalo, New York. Salas, also known as Pete or Pello, was 
born in Moca, Puerto Rico in 1949 to Ignacio Salas-Lorenzo and Maria 
Gonzalez-Soto de Salas, and moved to Buffalo's West Side in the early 
1950s with his family. Salas' family was deeply involved in the 
flourishing Puerto Rican businesses within the growing Latino 
neighborhoods.
  Salas graduated from Grover Cleveland High School in 1968 and earned 
his degree at the University at Buffalo, where he was also a member of 
the University's Latino Student Organization, PODER.
  Salas was drafted into the Vietnam War, where he courageously served 
in the United States Army. He was stationed in Germany and received an 
honorable discharge as a ranking Specialist. Salas' extensive career 
also included working for General Motors and Westinghouse, as well as 
serving as an academic counselor at the University at Buffalo, and as a 
counselor at the New York State Division for Youth. Salas' dedication 
to civil service is also reflected in his active membership in the 
American Legion, where he served as an active contributor to the 
Francis A. Lombardo American Legion Post. Salas was also one of several 
veterans who worked to found the Gabriel A. Rodriguez American Legion 
Post 1928, and he served as the organization's First Commander, in 
which he recognized the contributions of Latino veterans in Western New 
York.
  In addition to Salas' dedication to his community, he was also a 
loving husband to his wife Ana Lopez, and a loving father to his three 
children: Mariana, nicknamed Mimi, Pedro Jose, nicknamed P.J, and 
Michael. Salas is also survived by his three grandchildren: Nick, Mari, 
and A.J, as well as his brother, Arturo. He was a dedicated sports fan, 
who was actively involved in local Puerto

[[Page E585]]

Rican softball leagues and was known to have never missed a Bills game.
  I wish to thank and honor Pedro Salas today, and his dedication to 
the United States Army, as well as his active participation in civil 
service organizations that aided in expanding the ways in which Latino 
Veterans are honored and remembered. His family, local community, and 
the United States as a whole are better for having known Salas and we 
stand here today to recognize his impactful leadership and heartfelt 
commitment. I thank Pete Salas, for his life-long service and 
dedication to this country.

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