[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 5]
[Senate]
[Pages 6719-6720]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




               TRIBUTE TO DONALD FRANCIS ``PAT'' PATIERNO

  Mr. LEAHY. Madam President, I rise to pay tribute to one of the 
foundational figures of the U.S. global demining effort, Mr. Donald 
Francis ``Pat'' Patierno.
  Pat is retiring after more than 20 years of global demining 
leadership both at the State Department's Office of Humanitarian 
Demining and subsequently as a member of the board of directors and 
four-term president of the 501(c)3 Mine Advisory Group, MAG, America.
  Pat was the first Director of the Office of Humanitarian Demining 
where he organized and led the U.S. Government worldwide demining 
program for nearly 10 years. Under his determined and capable 
leadership in those formative years, U.S. participation expanded its 
efforts to remove the scourge of landmines, unexploded bombs and shells 
left behind in former areas of conflict. From its modest beginnings 
that program today is working around the world to save civilians from 
becoming limbless victims of past wars.
  Before his retirement from the State Department in 2006, Mr. Patierno 
oversaw a $60 million program that supported humanitarian mine action 
assistance to over 40 countries. Subsequent to his retirement, he 
joined the board of directors of MAG America to carry on his 
humanitarian work in the area of demining and unexploded ordnance. At 
the same time Mr. Patierno served as the U.S. advocate for the 
Slovenian-based International Trust Fund for Demining and Mine Victims 
Assistance. Mr. Patierno became president of the MAG America board in 
January 2011. So strong and dedicated was his leadership that at the 
request of the board, he served four 1-year terms as president.
  Many Senators know of my long interest in stopping the death and 
maiming of civilians from landmines and other unexploded ordnance left 
behind when conflicts end. The carnage does not stop when the soldiers 
cease combat: civilians continue dying and suffering long after the 
fighting stops, and they continue to do so today. That is why I, as 
former chairman and now ranking member of the Department of State and 
Foreign Operations subcommittee of the Appropriations Committee have so 
strongly supported the dedicated work of Pat Patierno and his 
colleagues.
  I close by expressing my admiration of and appreciation for Pat 
Patierno's selfless service, outstanding leadership, commitment, 
determination, and tenacity in this most noble and worthy cause.

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