[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 10]
[Senate]
[Page 14639]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




               TRIBUTE TO LIEUTENANT COLONEL BARRY GASDEK

  Mr. ENZI. Mr. President, I wish to honor retired LTC Barry Gasdek of 
Laramie, WY, for his decades of past and present service to our 
country, the sacrifices he has made, and to commemorate his recent 
naming as commander of Region III of the Military Order of the Purple 
Heart.
  A man of distinction, heroism, and continuous achievement, Mr. Gasdek 
is a supremely decorated veteran, having been awarded the Distinguished 
Service Cross, the Silver Star, five Bronze Stars, the Soldier's Medal, 
17 Air Medals, and two Purple Hearts, among other awards. Mr. Gasdek 
earned these Purple Hearts during his service in Vietnam for wounds he 
sustained under heavy enemy fire and explosives. It was once said by 
his commander that Mr. Gasdek was a ``magnet'' for enemy fire, but this 
didn't stop him from charging forward to protect his men and give them 
the leadership they needed when they found themselves right in the 
thick of it.
  It is clear to anyone who knows Mr. Gasdek that he is an outstanding 
American veteran, and his valor has not gone unnoticed. I congratulate 
Mr. Gasdek for his achievement with the Military Order of the Purple 
Heart and wish him the very best with his continued work helping 
Wyoming veterans in need.
  Thank you.

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