[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 65 (Thursday, April 15, 2021)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E395]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  TRIBUTE TO MICHAEL ``MICKEY'' DePALO

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. ADAM B. SCHIFF

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 15, 2021

  Mr. SCHIFF. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Michael ``Mickey'' 
DePalo for his innumerable contributions to veterans and the residents 
of the City of Burbank, California.
  Mickey has been a Burbank resident for sixty-five years. He graduated 
from Burbank High School in 1964, and the following year, began his 
four-decades-long career with the City of Burbank Parks and Recreation 
Department. Shortly after graduating from college, Mr. DePalo briefly 
left the City of Burbank to honorably serve in the U.S. Army for two 
years during the Vietnam War.
  As a child, Mickey played many sports, including flag football, 
baseball, softball and basketball. His love of sports continued into 
adulthood, and along with participating in Burbank sports leagues, he 
has generously volunteered his time and knowledge to the sports 
organizations for decades. He was a volunteer baseball, flag football 
and basketball coach for the City's Parks and Recreation Department, 
and a volunteer assistant coach for his son, Michael's youth basketball 
teams. Additionally, Mr. DePalo was Loyola High School Cross Country 
Team's volunteer coach and the race director for Burbank's Run for the 
Hungry for ten years.
  A staunch advocate for veterans and their welfare, Mickey has been 
Chairperson of the Burbank Veterans Commemorative Committee and the 
emcee for the Veterans Day and Memorial Day ceremonies at McCambridge 
Park in Burbank for over thirty years. Under his leadership, the 
committee has organized numerous veterans events in Burbank, including 
one event that Mr. DePalo is most proud of--assisting the City in 1998 
to be selected as a site to host The Moving Wall, a replica of the 
Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. that tours the nation. He 
also worked on the Hands Across the Battlefield program, which partners 
with community businesses and individuals to collect and send supplies 
to our troops, and has raised funds for youth and veterans 
organizations in his role as Sr. Vice Commander of the Veterans of 
Foreign Wars Post 8310.
  A few of the numerous community awards and commendations Mr. DePalo 
has received include the Burbank Association of Realtors' Citizen of 
the Year Award, an induction into the City of Burbank's Athletics Walk 
of Fame, the L.A. County Older Americans Volunteer Service Award, and 
the Veteran of the Year Award from both Assemblyman Paul Krekorian in 
2009 and from Assemblymember Laura Friedman in 2017.
  It is my honor to call Michael ``Mickey'' DePalo a friend and I want 
to thank him for over half a century of extraordinary support and 
dedication to our nation's veterans and the community of Burbank. I ask 
all Members to join me in paying tribute to this extraordinary American 
patriot.

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