[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 176 (Tuesday, November 15, 2022)]
[House]
[Page H8498]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           HONORING THE SERVICE OF SERGEANT DENNIS L. PAVLIK

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Nebraska (Mr. Bacon) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. BACON. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor Sergeant Dennis L. Pavlik, 
who is believed to be the last living Korean war POW from Nebraska.
  Sergeant Pavlik joined the United States Army in October of 1952 when 
he was inducted at Fort Omaha in Nebraska. Sergeant Pavlik was then 
assigned to B Company, the 22nd Armored Engineer for artillery basic 
training, which he completed at Camp Chaffee, Arkansas.
  Following his completion of basic training, Sergeant Pavlik was 
assigned to C Battery, the 555 Field Artillery, also known as the 
Triple Nickel.
  Sergeant Pavlik then moved to a variety of locations across Korea, 
finally landing near Kumsong in a location known as the Kumsong 
Salient. It was there, on the night of July 13, 1953, that Sergeant 
Pavlik's artillery was under intense enemy counter barrage ending in 
the eventual imprisonment of multiple United States soldiers.
  Sergeant Pavlik and his fellow soldiers were then forced to march 
north to a POW camp the Chinese referred to as Camp Six. It was here 
Sergeant Pavlik spent 42 days as a prisoner of war, which he has 
referred to as ``the longest 6 weeks of my life.''
  Sergeant Pavlik stated the most important lesson he learned during 
those 6 weeks is the knowledge of freedom. As the war in Korea ended, 
Sergeant Pavlik was then released from Camp Six and eventually returned 
to United States soil on August 25, 1953, just 1 month after the 
official end of the Korean war.
  Sergeant Pavlik ended his military service on July 20, 1954, and was 
awarded the Bronze Star with the ``V'' for Valor Device, the Good 
Conduct Medal, the POW Medal, National Defense Service Medal, the 
Korean Service Medal with two Battle Stars, United Nations Service 
Medal, and the Korean Presidential Unit Citation.
  Today, he resides in Omaha, Nebraska, with his wife, Luella, and has 
three children and five grandchildren.
  Sergeant Pavlik also serves as the Post Commander for the American 
Ex-Prisoner of War Department of Nebraska.
  It is with great honor that I recognize the last-known prisoner of 
war survivor for the Korean war, and my good friend, Nebraska Sergeant 
Dennis L. Pavlik.

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