[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 5]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 6539]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                     IN HONOR OF LESLIE L. MEGYERI

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. DENNIS J. KUCINICH

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                          Tuesday, May 3, 2011

  Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Leslie L. Megyeri, 
who is being honored by the American Hungarian Foundation. Leslie will 
be the recipient of the Abraham Lincoln award for his courageous 
actions during the 1956 Hungarian Revolution.
  During Mr. Megyeri's adolescence he read the great Hungarian poet 
Petofi, whose words he took to heart. These words were: ``Stand up 
Hungarians--Your Country is calling, the question is do you want to be 
a slave or free?'' Although he was only a teenager at the time, on 
October 23rd, 1956, he followed his father and took up arms against the 
Communists in power. However, the Soviets arrived to support the now 
collapsed Hungarian Communist government against the revolutionaries. 
He was one of 10,000 Hungarian freedom fighters who fought to defend 
his homeland; they were overwhelmed and Mr. Megyeri was driven into 
Austria.
  Following the 1956 Hungarian Revolution Mr. Megyeri emigrated to the 
United States and embraced freedom with open arms. He attained his 
extension education at several American universities and worked 
numerous jobs. Throughout his long career he has worked as an attorney 
for the Federal Aviation Administration, an audit manager for the 
Government Accountability Office, and on several congressional 
committee staffs. After spending several years practicing private law, 
in 2003, Mr. Megyeri began his tenure as President of the Hungarian 
Reformed Federation of America.
  Among other noteworthy achievements, Leslie has received the Gold 
Cross of Merit from the President of Hungary for his involvement in 
assisting Hungary in their efforts to join the North Atlantic Treaty 
Organization.
  Mr. Speaker and colleagues, please join me in honoring an outstanding 
individual who has committed himself toward the cause of freedom and 
liberty.

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