[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 128 (Tuesday, July 25, 2023)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E715]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         RECOGNIZING THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF GEORGE GLEN PRIETTO

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. DARRELL ISSA

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, July 25, 2023

  Mr. ISSA. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to recognize and celebrate the 
life and legacy of George Glen Prietto, Kumeyaay Native and Sycuan 
Tribal Elder from the 48th District of California.
  Mr. Prietto was born on January 26, 1931, at the Soboba Indian 
Hospital. He moved to the Sycuan Reservation and attended Dehesa School 
and Grossmont High School.
  Before he was 18, Mr. Prietto joined the U.S. Army as an infantryman 
and served with distinction during the Korean War. He was honorably 
discharged after 4 years of service.
  After his military service, Mr. Prietto became a proud farmworker in 
Yuma--picking lettuce in the sun and train-hopping to Lodi to pick 
grapes. After years of painstaking labor, he transitioned to driving 
big-rig trucks.
  Mr. Prietto eventually returned to the Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay 
Nation and cofounded the Sycuan Fire Department with Hank Murphy. He 
served as a dedicated firefighter on the reservation, including 
transporting patients for the Southern Indian Health Clinic, for which 
he was celebrated upon retirement.
  Mr. Prietto dedicated himself to preserving and teaching the Kumeyaay 
language. He taught hundreds of children, stressing the importance of 
family values and celebrating their culture.
  Mr. Prietto loved spending time with his life-long friends, including 
Kenny Meza, Leroy Elliott, Paul Cuero, Jr., Steve Banegas and Bobby 
Wallace. His family meant everything--especially his marriage to Terri 
and spending time with his nephews Raymond and Joe Sandoval.
  While we mourn the loss of a great leader, tribal elder, family man, 
and veteran, we can find solace in the fact that Mr. Prietto's legacy 
will continue to enrich the lives of generations to come.

                          ____________________