Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor World War II veteran Mr. Henry Sienkiewicz of Syracuse, New York. Mr. Sienkiewicz is the son of Polish immigrants and has lived his entire life in his hometown of Syracuse. Mr. Sienkiewicz served his country as a bombardier on a B-17, named ``The Saint,'' in Europe during World War II. He completed 35 brave missions with the 384th Bombardment Group of the 545th Squadron. On one such mission, on July 19, 1944, the crew was targeting a hydrogen peroxide and chemical works plant in Munich, Germany. Mr. Sienkiewicz recalls shells hitting the B-17 from every which way. He recalls how several of his fellow crew members were wounded, including the navigator, and how he helped save the lives of everyone on the plane when he stepped in and navigated them all back to safety. When faced with danger, Mr. Sienkiewicz did not cower in fear but rather did what needed to be done to keep fighting. Upon his return from the war, Mr. Sienkiewicz still felt the call to serve and did so for 30 years as a captain of the Syracuse Fire Department. During his time at the fire department, Mr. Sienkiewicz was known for his bravery and leadership and was even awarded a medal for saving a man from the second story of a burning home. While it wasn't easy work, Mr. Sienkiewicz felt rewarded by the opportunity to help his fellow neighbors and ensure the safety of his community. Even with all this, Mr. Sienkiewicz still wanted to do more.…”