Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, last month, I had the pleasure of attending the

Salem Community College Foundation Veterans Dinner. At the event, Gwyn Parris-Atwell of Alloway, South Jersey was honored for her 21 years of service in the United States Air Force, where she earned the rank of colonel. During her time in the Air Force, she bravely served in Iraq. Gwyn earned many awards in the military including the Meritorious Service Medal, Air Force Commendation Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Air Force Longevity Service Ribbon, and Global War on Terrorism Service Medal. In addition to her military career, she also has experience as a professional nurse and served on the Executive Board of the New Jersey Emergency Nurses Association. I want to thank Gwyn for her heroic service to our country, and it was my honor to attend the Veterans Dinner. God Bless Gwyn, and God Bless our United States of America.

Madam Speaker, last month, I had the pleasure of attending the Salem Community College Foundation Veterans Dinner. At the event, Frank Hofacker was honored for his service to our nation in the United States Army from 1966 to 1969. He was ranked as a sergeant and received many awards and decorations for his exemplary service. Frank earned the National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, Good Conduct Medal, and Vietnam Campaign Medal. He also was honored with the Bronze Star Medal, which is a decoration for heroic achievement and heroic service, as well as meritorious achievement and service in a combat zone. I want to personally thank Frank for his brave service to our great nation and it was truly an honor to attend the Veterans Dinner honoring him. God Bless Frank, and God Bless our United States of America.

Madam Speaker, last month, I had the pleasure of attending the Salem Community College Foundation Veterans Dinner. At the event, Cordell Carr was honored. Cordell served in the United States Marine Corps from September of 1967 to September of 1969. During his service, he earned the rank of Corporal within the Marine Corps. Cordell also was awarded numerous medals and badges in honor of his heroic service. These awards include the National Defense Service Medal, the Rifle Expert Badge, the Vietnam Service Medal, and the Good Conduct Medal. Cordell should be proud of his military achievements and brave service to our nation, and I want to sincerely thank him for all he has done to keep our country safe. God Bless Cordell, and God Bless America.

Madam Speaker, last month, I had the pleasure of attending the Salem Community College Foundation Veterans Dinner. At the event, Wayne T. Carter was honored for his 21 years of service in the United States Army, where he earned the rank

of Sergeant First Class. He earned six impressive decorations during his 21 years of military service. Wayne earned the Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, Bronze Star Medal, Republic Vietnam Medal, and Meritorious Unit Citation. He performed outstanding service in warlike operations and should serve as a role model to many young men and women in South Jersey who hope to serve our country in the Army. I want to sincerely thank Wayne for his exemplary service to our nation, and it was my pleasure to attend the Veterans Dinner honoring him. God Bless Wayne, and God Bless our United States of America.

Madam Speaker, last month, I had the pleasure of attending the Salem Community College Foundation Veterans Dinner. At the event, Paul E. Hopkins, Jr. was honored for his service to our country in the United States Navy from May of 1969 to January of 1971. He earned the rank of Quarter Master 3rd class during his time in the Navy. Paul was decorated with three noteworthy medals including the National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, and Vietnam Campaign Medal. He should be very proud of his selfless devotion to the United States Navy, and I want to thank him sincerely for his service to our great nation, God Bless Paul, and God Bless our United States of America.

Madam Speaker, last month, I had the pleasure of attending the Salem Community College Foundation Veterans Dinner. At the event, Lester R. Sutton was honored. Lester served our nation in the United States Coast Guard and held the rank of Storekeeper Third Class. He was awarded with the National Defense Service Medal, First Coast Guard Good Conduct Award, Vietnam Service Medal, and Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal during his time serving in the Coast Guard. Lester retired from the Coast Guard in 1973 after 8 years of exemplary service. I am so proud of Lester for his time in the United States Coast Guard, and I want to thank him for his dedication to our great nation. God Bless Lester, and God Bless our America.

Madam Speaker, last week, I had the pleasure of attending a ceremony and reception for Wounded Warrior Week in Mays Landing, South Jersey. At the event, Staff Sergeant Trevor Brunell, a United States Army Ranger, was honored for his service to our nation.

Trevor was born in Pennsylvania in 1993 and was raised in Maryland, where he graduated top of his high school class. After attending community college for a few months, he enlisted in the United States Army with a contract for training to become an Army Ranger. Following the basic ranger training, Trevor attended airborne school and then the Ranger Assessment and Selection Program. In the spring of 2014, once he had completed all the required trainings, he was assigned to Fort Benning, Georgia.

Trevor was deployed in the winter of 2014 to bravely serve our great nation in Afghanistan. In 2016, he sustained injuries in Afghanistan and underwent 33 surgeries, had a prosthetic leg installed below the knee, and spent 6 months bedridden. Miraculously, Trevor regained his strength and returned to Afghanistan in the winter of 2017. During his final deployment, he reinjured parts of his knee and underwent 10 more surgeries. In August of 2022, Trevor was medically discharged from the Army due to these injuries.

SSG Trevor Brunell is a brave and resilient patriot, and I want to thank him for his heroic service to our great nation. God Bless SSG Trevor Brunell, and God Bless our America.

Madam Speaker, last month, I had the pleasure of attending the Dorothy Volunteer Fire Company's presentation of their 50-years of service plaques. At the event, Constantine Kiamos, Jr. was honored with a plaque for his dedicated service to the company.

Constantine is a lifelong South Jersey resident who graduated from Vineland High School in 1971. He joined the Dorothy Volunteer Fire Company right after his high school graduation in 1972 and has been an active member ever since. In addition to serving in the fire company, Constantine also served the South Jersey community as an EMT, Deputy Emergency Management Coordinator, and as a Crew Member with the NJ Forest Fire Service. His only break from actively working at the Dorothy Volunteer Fire Company was when he was an Active-Duty member of the United States military.

Constantine should be proud of his dedication to both the fire company and our country, and I want to sincerely thank him for his service. God Bless Constantine, and God Bless our America.

Madam Speaker, last week, I had the pleasure of attending Charles ``Sandy'' Wentzell's 100th birthday celebration.

Sandy is the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 253's oldest surviving World War II and Korean war veteran. In the Army Air Corps, he served as a technical sergeant and flew 34 missions over Berlin in a B-17 Superfortress during World War II. Then, Sandy joined the newly formed U.S. Air Force as a ground air controller with South Korean forces. During this time, he was captured and taken prisoner. However, Sandy bravely escaped captivity in the middle of the night during freezing cold temperatures. It is truly remarkable that he was able to flee, and it was such an honor to be able to meet him.

Sandy should be so proud of his bravery and successful escape, and I want to thank him for his heroic service to our country. God Bless Sandy, and God Bless our United States of America.

Madam Speaker, last month, I had the pleasure of attending the Dorothy Volunteer Fire Company's presentation of 50-years of service plaques. At the event, a 50-years of service plaque was presented for Robert James Gibney. Bob was born in Philadelphia and moved to Dorothy, South Jersey as a young child. After graduating from Vineland High-School, he worked at Wheaton Plastics for 35 years until its closing. Additionally, at just 15 years old, Bob joined the Dorothy Volunteer Fire Company, where he accumulated 56 years of service. Throughout his years of service, he volunteered on the Dorothy Rescue Squad, Mays Landing Rescue Squad, and the New Jersey Forest Fire Service. Bob was eventually named Chief of the Dorothy Volunteer Fire Company and served in this role for many years. In his free time, he enjoyed spending time at the Winding River Campground or cooking for his friends and family. Unfortunately, Bob passed away on October 17, 2021. Bob's service to the South Jersey community will never be forgotten, and may he rest in peace.

Madam Speaker, in July, I had the pleasure of attending Thomas Besser's Eagle Scout Court of Honor ceremony. Thomas is from Tabernacle, South Jersey and graduated from Seneca High School this year. He is currently a cadet at Norwich University, where he is on a four-year ROTC scholarship and studies Political Science. In addition to the ROTC program and his academics, Thomas is also on the University's football team. After graduation, he aspires to become an officer in the Army and then possibly run for public office one day. For his Eagle Scout project, Thomas built a large shelving unit for the Atco Christian Preschool, of which he is an alumnus. This shelving unit made the school's storage room more functional for the faculty and teachers. Thomas should be proud of his achievements, and I wish him the best of luck in all his future endeavors. God Bless Thomas, and God Bless our United States of America.

Madam Speaker, In July, I had the pleasure of attending Isabella Gatto's Eagle Scout Court of Honor ceremony. Throughout her scouting career, Isabella participated in the merit badge program, practiced leadership tactics, worked with other scouts on outdoor projects, and completed her Eagle Scout project. For her Eagle Scout project, she led a team to construct a GaGa ball pit. Isabella built this ball pit for the youth group at the Greentree Church in Egg Harbor Township, South Jersey. In addition to her Eagle Scout project, she also completed lifeguard certification training and the National Advanced Youth Leadership Experience, the highest level of leadership training available to the Scouts of America. Isabella should be proud of her scouting achievements, and it was a pleasure to attend her Eagle Scout ceremony. God Bless Isabella, and God Bless our America.

Madam Speaker, I would like to recognize the achievements of my friend, Mayor Anthony Fanucci. Mayor Fanucci is currently serving his second term as the mayor of the city of Vineland, South Jersey. Prior to becoming mayor, he served a single term as City Council President and was a two-term member on the Vineland Board of Education. Mayor Fanucci is also the owner of two successful businesses, A.R. Fanucci Insurance and A.R. Fanucci Real Estate. In addition, he serves on the New Jersey Conference of Mayors Board of Directors, as well as the Executive Board of the New Jersey League of Municipalities. Mayor Fanucci has left a very positive impact on South Jersey and has received several well-deserved awards for doing so. These awards include the Spirit of Achievement Award from the Italian Cultural Foundation of South Jersey, the Teach Anti-Bullying Community Award, the Greater Vineland NAACP Unit 2115 Community Award, and the Cultural Award from the St. Augustine Prep Hall of Fame. In his free time, Mayor Fanucci is a very active alumnus of St. Augustine Prep. He volunteers as a mentor and career counselor to local students, as well as aids student athletes by coaching sports teams and providing sponsorships. Mayor Fanucci has truly made such a positive impact on the South Jersey community, and I am so proud to call him a friend of mine. God Bless Mayor Fanucci and God Bless our United States of America.

Madam Speaker, last month, I had the pleasure of attending Nancy Hudanich's retirement celebration. Nancy began her career in education as a math teacher. She taught in Cape May County for 16 years and at Middletown High School for 23 years, where she worked as both a teacher and as the assistant principal. In August of 2006, she became the assistant superintendent of Cape May County Technical Schools. Then, in July of 2012, Nancy took on the role of Superintendent of the Cape May County Special Services School District. In 2018, she went on to become the Superintendent of Cape May County Technical School District. In addition to her active involvement with educating the youth in South Jersey, Nancy also made a positive impact in the city of Avalon. She served as an elected councilwoman for Avalon for 32 years and served 5 terms as President of Avalon Borough Council. As a councilwoman, Nancy served on the Finance Committee, Technology Committee, and Insurance Committee. She also started Avalon's first Brownie Girl Scout Troop, as well as the Avalon Garden Club. Nancy should be proud of all her service to the South Jersey community, and it is truly my honor to have had the opportunity to attend her retirement celebration and recognize her many accomplishments. God Bless Nancy, and God Bless our United States of America.

Madam Speaker, last week, I had the pleasure of meeting Kate Mihal (Me-Hall), a resident of Cape May Court House, South Jersey. Kate is currently a sophomore at Stockton University where she studies environmental science. In her free time, she participates in showings of horses, pigs, chickens, ducks, and rabbits through the 4-H Foundation. When I met Kate last week, she was auctioning off a pig she raised to help provide funding for her school. At the auction, a man named Warren bought Kate's pig for $40.50 a pound, a record price for Cape May County. Through her participation in the 4-H Foundation, Kate has not only taken part in animal showings, but also learned leadership and teamwork skills that have shaped her into who she is today. Kate should be proud of her many accomplishments through this organization, and it was my honor to speak with her last week. God Bless Kate, and God Bless our United States of America.