[Page H8208]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                            HONORING ED DIAZ

  (Mr. SPANO asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Mr. SPANO. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor a great American, World War 
II veteran Seaman First Class Ed Diaz.
  Mr. Diaz, a native of New York, enlisted in the Navy in 1944 and was 
subsequently assigned to the USS Columbus heavy cruiser. During World 
War II, he served in the South Pacific and participated in Operation 
Road's End, a campaign in which 24 Japanese submarines were sunk and 
which led to the final destruction of Japan's submarine fleet.
  Mr. Diaz was discharged after the war but continued to serve in the 
Naval Reserve for another decade. He later worked as a machinist in 
Pennsylvania until a promotion relocated him to the heart of Florida 
District 15. In total, he served with Hazleton Pumps for 42 years.
  Like many from the Greatest Generation, Seaman First Class Ed Diaz 
humbly and sacrificially served this country in one of its darkest 
hours. He looked evil in the eye and stood up to it in the name of 
democracy and freedom.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Diaz for his service and his dedication. He 
showed us how to live and gave our State and Nation a better future. 
Today I salute him.

                          ____________________