CELEBRATING 2024 VETERAN OF THE YEAR U.S. ARMY COLONEL ORLANDO RODRIGUEZ

On 2024-12-12, Representative Laurel M. Lee (R-FL-15) delivered a floor speech titled "CELEBRATING 2024 VETERAN OF THE YEAR U.S. ARMY COLONEL ORLANDO RODRIGUEZ" in the House. The speech addressed defense and also covered crime and justice, veterans affairs.

CELEBRATING 2024 VETERAN OF THE YEAR U.S. ARMY COLONEL ORLANDO RODRIGUEZ

Congressional Record, Volume 170 Issue 185 (Thursday, December 12, 2024) [Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 185 (Thursday, December 12, 2024)] [House] [Page H7125] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] CELEBRATING 2024 VETERAN OF THE YEAR U.S. ARMY COLONEL ORLANDO RODRIGUEZ (Ms. LEE of Florida asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.) Ms. LEE of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate retired U.S. Army Colonel Orlando Rodriguez as the 2024 Veteran of the Year for Florida's 15th District. Colonel Rodriguez is a distinguished figure within our local and military communities with nearly three decades of faithful and dedicated service to his Nation. Born in Havana, Cuba, Colonel Rodriguez fled the island in 1959 but would soon return as part of the famed Brigade 2506, a CIA-sponsored group of Cuban exiles who carried out the Bay of Pigs invasion. Colonel Rodriguez spent 2 years in a Cuban prison following the Bay of Pigs invasion. He was then released to the United States and commissioned into the U.S. Army in 1963, serving multiple combat tours in Vietnam and with the 1st Cavalry and 82nd Airborne Divisions. As a Green Beret, Colonel Rodriguez served as a key adviser to Presidents George H. W. Bush and Ronald Reagan on Latin and Central American operations, and later served at Tampa Bay's very own MacDill Air Force Base as a senior military adviser at the U.S. Special Operations Command. His lifelong service and leadership have left a lasting mark on our Nation and community, and his dedication continues to inspire us all. It is an honor to recognize Colonel Rodriguez as Florida's 15th District Veteran of the Year. I thank him for his service and I congratulate him. ____________________