[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 147 (2001), Part 16]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 22950]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



    RECOGNIZING MAJOR VICTOR BADAMI FOR HIS HEROISM AT THE PENTAGON 
                  FOLLOWING THE SEPTEMBER 11TH ATTACKS

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. BENJAMIN A. GILMAN

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, November 16, 2001

  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to share with my fellow 
colleagues another story of heroism on September 11th and to honor 
Major Victor Badami, one of my appointees to the U.S. Military Academy 
at West Point.
  As we are all too well aware, on September 11, Osama bin Laden and 
his Al-Qaeda terrorist network perpetrated a barbaric assault on our 
Nation, attacking our military and economic symbols in New York and 
Virginia, taking the lives of thousands of innocent American lives in 
the World Trade Center and at the Pentagon.
  We have all heard the stories of many who rose to that crisis, 
unselfishly placing their lives on the line to save others. I am proud 
to honor another hero, to thank, and to recognize, Major Victor Badami, 
United States Army. Major Badami's office was directly in the path of 
destruction at the Pentagon. Even though his office was on fire and 
filling with smoke, he made certain that his office was emptied. But 
his service did not end there. Major Badami assisted a civilian who was 
organizing an effort to move several barrels of flame retardant from 
the hanger to the other side of the walkway, for use by firemen. This 
area was within the blast area and chemical flames were burning nearby 
with intense heat. He was going the first to volunteer and fought 
through those horrific conditions until the end.
  But his service was still not done. Major Badami then volunteered for 
stretcher duty to carry out the injured from the building and remained 
in the area until his detail was dismissed. As set forth in his 
soldier's medal, Major Badami's heroic acts are ``a testament of his 
bravery and reflect great credit upon himself and the United States 
Army,'' and are indicative of the compassion and sense of duty so 
proudly displayed in the American spirit.
  Mr. Speaker, U.S. educator, Paul Zweig, once wrote, ``By hero, we 
tend to mean a heightened man who, more than other men, possesses 
qualities of courage, loyalty, resourcefulness, charisma, above all, 
selflessness. He is an example of right behavior; the sort of man who 
risks his life to protect his society's values, sacrificing his 
personal needs for those of the community.''
  In this spirit, I invite my colleagues to honor and thank Major 
Victor Badami for his courage, loyalty, and selflessness in a moment 
when, like never before, his nation needed a hero.

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