[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 11]
[Senate]
[Page 15904]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                       HONORING OUR ARMED FORCES


                        Sergeant Steven DeLuzio

  Mr. DODD. Madam President, it is with a heavy heart that I rise today 
to mark the passing and honor the service of Army National Guard 
soldier SGT Steven DeLuzio of South Glastonbury, CT.
  Sergeant DeLuzio died August 22 during a fierce small arms attack 
while serving with the Vermont National Guard in Paktika, Afghanistan. 
He had only 19 days left before he was due home to his family and loved 
ones.
  Sergeant DeLuzio graduated from Glastonbury High School, where he was 
a born leader and active in school activities. He served as freshman 
class secretary and is best known for leading the Glastonbury hockey 
team to a State championship his senior year as cocaptain. Feeling a 
call to serve after the events of 9/11 he signed up to serve with the 
Vermont National Guard in 2004, just like his older brother, Scott. He 
served one tour of duty in Iraq in 2006 and was deployed to Afghanistan 
in March of this year.
  In his too short time, Sergeant DeLuzio proved himself as a selfless 
and heroic soldier. Many in the small town of South Glastonbury speak 
of Steven as always putting family and country first. His father, Mark 
DeLuzio, told the local paper that ``Steven is a hero and the greatest 
son.'' Due to his heroic actions on the day of his death, Steven was 
posthumously awarded the Bronze Star and Purple Heart.
  As a tribute to such an extraordinary young man hundreds of mourners 
attended funeral services for Steven this past weekend at St. Patrick's 
church in South Glastonbury. His brother, Scott, who is currently 
serving in Afghanistan as well, said that Steven was ``a best friend. 
He was more than just a brother. He was all you can ask for in a 
friend.''
  Steven DeLuzio was a man of dauntless courage and bravery. His 
service and his sacrifice are a credit to his parents, Mark and Diane. 
I know how proud they, along with the rest of their community, are of 
him, and I hope they know that we grieve alongside them. They, along 
with Steven's fiancee, Leeza Gutt, are in our hearts.
  Our freedom is won and our country endures because of the selfless 
sacrifice of heroic young men and women such as SGT Steven DeLuzio. All 
of us in Connecticut and across America mourn this tragic loss, and 
none of us will ever forget the debt of gratitude we owe to him and his 
family.

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