January 29, 1976 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS 1685 EXTENSIONS OF REMARK.S AMERICA'S VOLUNTEER FIREMEN Maryland has one of the most modern such man who was one of our Nation's true facilities in the nation. heroes. An expected 250 firemen will give up Mike died at the age of 80 in this, our HON. ROBERT E. BAUMAN watching that pro football game next Sunday Bicentennial Year. But his passing does OF MARYLAND . to participate in a one-day fire school at Washington College in Chestertown, Md. not bring with it a forgetting of the 1~ T THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES They will start at 9 a.m. and finish about 5 man who gave so much to so many. He Thursday, January 29, 1976 p.m. is memorialized in the list of men who so They won't be paid time and half, either. highly distinguished themselves in the Mr. BAUMAN. Mr. Speaker, at a time George Mayer, a long-time member of the line of duty-the Congressional Medal when the news reports too often show us Easton Fire Company, is also a part-time in· the behavior of the selfish and self-seek­ structor with the University of Maryland Fire of Honor-and his name is inscribed ing, I would like to focus our attention School. He has given more than 100 classes in the hearts of the thousands who knew for a moment on the work of a very dif­ throughout the Eastern Shore and is still and loved him. ferent sort of person. I am referring to going strong. I insert an article which recently ap­ As of this year, those classes, with 15 to 20 peared in the local Long Beach news­ the volunteer firemen, who give so gen­ men each, run three hours a night, once a erously of their time to make their areas paper, the Nassau Star, which provides week, for 26 weeks. a detailed and fitting memorial to this safer and their neighbors more secure. They don't cost the public a dime in wages They do not go on strike, do not seek to the firemen, but they may save thousands great citizen: double time, do not waste their efforts in of dollars or, quite possibly, a life when the MICHAEL VALENTE, CONGRESSIONAL MEDAL OF job actions, do not cost the taxpayers man gets on the scene of an actual blaze. HONOR HOLDER huge sums of money. As an example, in Queene Anne's County Michael Valente, Congressional Medal of at the present time, there are 75 volunteers Honor holder and long time resident of In return, I do not think it is much taking the basic fire training classes in Cen­ Long Beach, died January lOth at the age to expect that we do all within our power treville, Grasonville and Romancoke. Begin~ of 80. to see that they can afford to continue ning the first of the year, 65 more men in Mr. Valente came to Long Beach in its their operations. Inflation has hit all of Kent County will be enrolled in various early, developing years. His construction us, and the volunteer firemen are not classes. company built many of Long Beach's beauti­ immune to its impact. A not insignificant These fellows, as all the volunteers in Del­ ful homes. A solid and devoted citizen, he part of their economic woes comes in the aware and Maryland, are not expected to be served as City Marshal and Court Attendant form of federal taxation on commodities paid for overtime, and rarely do they ever until his retirement eight years ago. essential to the maintenance of fire think of striking for better wages. Having emigrated at the age of 18 from The average volunteer fire fighter is not his native St. Apollinare, Italy, Valente made prevention services-telephone and looking for a hero's mantle, but he sure as his first home in Ogdensburg, New York. He communication devices, gasoline, diesel, hell hates to get slugged with a bum rap had been in the country only three years special fuels and vehicles. I have joined when he carries an axe to the roof and at­ when he enlisted in Company D of the New with several of my colleagues in spon­ tempts to ventilate a smoky building so the York National Guard. It was then that soring legislation to exempt these local fire can be located and extinguished. Valente started down the road that would departments from these Federal excise Remember that the next time your fire lead him to the trenches of World War I taxes, just as other nonprofit groups are company announces its annual fund drive. France and the immortality of having his exempted. It's an important non-profit organization in name inscribed in the distinguished line of your community. men on the Medal of Honor Roll. The following article written by Dan Valente's regiment was activated during Tabler of the State News provides an the American campaign against the Mexican insightful glance into the contributions bandit, Pancho Villa. Although the men were and efforts of volunteer firemen: MICHAEL VALENTE: LONG BEACH, itching to see action on that front, Com­ VOLUNTEER FIREMEN N.Y., LOST ONE OF ITS MOST DED­ pany D did not see action until it was ab­ (By Dan Tabler) ICATED AND CONTRIBUTING CITI­ sorbed into the 27th division instead and ZENS sent overseas to fight in France with the The fellow in the big boots, heavy coat and British. fireman's helmet whirls a large axe and punches a hole in the roof of a burning The Medal of Honor is the highest distinc~ building. HON. JOHN W. WYDLER tion which can be earned by a member of the Armed Services. It is awarded by the A couple of curious by-standers comment OF NEW YORK President, in the name of Congress, to an aloud: "That's all those guys do-break IN 'I'HE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES down doors, smash windows and throw a individual who, while serving in the Armed little water. They do more damage than the Thursday, January 29, 1976 Forces, "distinguished himself conspicu­ fire." ously by gallantry and intrepidit:r at the risk Mr. WYDLER. Mr. Speaker, on Janu­ of his life above and beyond the call of duty." Somebody else chimes in: "Yeah, they just want to ride on the back of the fire engine, ary 10, the city of Long Beach, N.Y., lost The first Medal of Honor was awarded during one of its most dedicated and contribut­ the Civil War. blow the siren and run red lights." The details of Michael Valente's act of It is a bum rap 99 per cent of the time. ing citizens, Michael Valente. The volunteer fire fighter is a dedicated Mike came to Long Beach when both .courage are contained in the citation he re­ fellow who could be your next door neigh­ he and the town were developing. His ceived with the medal. It reads as follows: bor, a state probation officer, a minister and, construction company took roots and For conspicuous gallantry arid intrepidity yes, even a newspaper editor. above and beyond the call of duty in action over the years has provided Long Beach with the enemy during operations against the It would be silly to say that all of the with its most outstanding homes. He not nearly 15,000 volunteers in Maryland are Hindenburg line, east of Ronssoy, France, 29 perfect and that some of them didn't join to only gave of his talents through his September 1918. Finding the advance of hjs blow the siren and become involved in the homes, but contributed his citizenship organization held up by a withering enemy excitement of a fire. through his activities as city marshal machinegun fire, Private Valente volun­ and court attendant until his retirement teered to go forward. With utter disregard of But the small towns of America (and even his own :- ersonal danger, accompanied by bigger ones like Dover) would be mighty 8 years ago. another soldier, Private Valente rushed for­ hard-pressed financially to pay high insur­ But Mike Valente's outstanding char­ ward through an intense machinegun fire ance premiums or fund full-time fire com­ acter and contributions did not stop in directly upon the enemy nest, killing two panies were it not for the guys who leave Long Beach. His meritorious service dur­ their businesses in the day and their homes and capturing five of the enemy and silenc­ ing World War I brought him the high­ ing that gun~ Discovering another machine­ at night to answer the alarm. gun nest nearby, which was pouring a deadly Property owners on the Eastern Shore and est award this country can offer, the Congressional Medal of Honor. fire on the American forces, preventing their throughout the Delmarva Peninsula are for­ advance, Private Valente and his companion tunate that fire training classes are the rule I, of course, knew Mike Valente per­ charged upon this strong point, killing the rather than the exception in most small town sonally having been brought up in the gunner and putting this machinegun out of firehouses. There is a fine, well-equipped fire city of Long Beach and always knew the action. Without hesitation they jumped into school outside Dover, and the University of pride the community had in this fine the enemy's trench, killed two and ~aptured ·1686 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS January 29, 1976 16 German soldiers. Private Valente was benefit from one or more provisions of THE $2 BILLION GIVEAWAY later wounded and sent to th• rear.