REMEMBERING FATHER VINCENT ROBERT CAPODANNO

On 2026-09-14, Representative Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY-11) delivered a floor speech titled "REMEMBERING FATHER VINCENT ROBERT CAPODANNO" in the House.

REMEMBERING FATHER VINCENT ROBERT CAPODANNO

Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 144 (Monday, September 14, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 144 (Monday, September 14, 2026)] [House] [Page H5538] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] REMEMBERING FATHER VINCENT ROBERT CAPODANNO (Ms. Malliotakis of New York was recognized to address the House for 5 minutes.) Ms. MALLIOTAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to tell a story of one of Staten Island's most extraordinary sons, Father Vincent Robert Capodanno, who 59 years ago last week gave his life in Vietnam while serving as Navy chaplain. His Medal of Honor citation tells us what he did in a moment of unimaginable danger. But to understand Father Capodanno, we must ask a deeper question: What kind of life prepares a man to walk willingly onto a battlefield under relentless fire unarmed because wounded men are coming for him? The answer began long before Vietnam. His first mission took him to Taiwan, where he served the Hakka people. He learned their language so he could know them, understand them, and better serve them. He administered the sacraments, distributed food and medicine, and cared for their spiritual and emotional needs. He worked with the youth, encouraging them throughout their scholastic challenges and achievements, some battling depression. Service was not something he summoned in one heroic moment, but it was a pattern in his entire life. He carried that same conviction to Vietnam where he carried a cross, not a gun. Father Capodanno refused to minister from a distance. He lived as the marines lived. He shared their brutal conditions because he believed he could not truly serve them without understanding their experience. He earned their trust and made their burdens his own. He prayed for them, and he comforted them. On September 4, 1967, during Operation Swift, he crossed a battlefield under relentless fire to reach wounded marines. Wounded by a mortar blast, he refused treatment, directed the corpsmen to care for the other wounded, and continued his ministry. He was killed just inches from a wounded fellow American he was trying to save. President Nixon posthumously awarded him the Medal of Honor in 1969, our Nation's highest military honor. Mr. Speaker, 20 years ago, in 2006, the Catholic Church gave him the title Servant of God, opening his path for sainthood. Father Capodanno was a priest whose faith and dedication to others led him to make the ultimate sacrifice. His last act did not create the man we honor. It revealed him. May his story inspire people from across our Nation and around the world. Honoring Sergeant Michael Sulsona Ms. MALLIOTAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Sergeant Michael Sulsona--a decorated United States marine, gifted playwright, and beloved advocate for his fellow Staten Island veterans--who passed away sadly last week. Some people serve their country for a chapter of their lives. Mike Sulsona served his country for an entire life. Mike joined the Marines as a teenager and served as a rifleman in Vietnam. On January 15, 1971, while walking point during an enemy ambush, he stepped on a land mine and lost both of his legs above the knee. He returned home with a Purple Heart and Bronze Star to a country that did not always give Vietnam veterans the respect they had earned. Yet, Mike refused to let his injuries define his future. He earned a master of fine arts in writing and became an accomplished playwright and screenwriter, receiving four national awards, including The Kennedy Center Award for playwrighting. He also appeared in the Academy Award-winning film ``Born on the Fourth of July.'' But his greatest legacy was helping others. For more than four decades, Mike devoted himself to veterans suffering from Agent Orange exposure and post-traumatic stress, as well as homeless veterans, amputees, and burn victims. He helped them with their paperwork. He made phone calls on their behalf. He answered their call whenever they needed him, day or night. Mike also fought tirelessly to have fellow Marine Sergeant Angel Mendez' Navy Cross upgraded to the Medal of Honor, an effort we were proud to work alongside him on and will continue on his behalf. Mike once said: I put my name on the dotted line to be my brother's keeper. That is exactly how he lived. He turned pain into purpose and a lifetime of service. My prayers are with his sons, Vincent and Philip; his grandchildren, Lucas and Madison; and all who loved him. I also remember his wife, Frieda, his partner in life and service, who passed away just months before him. Mr. Speaker, our community and country will never forget him. Semper Fidelis. ____________________