ACR177

A Concurrent Resolution urging the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the Congress of the United States to designate the Trenton-Morrisville Toll Bridge, which carries U.S. Route 1 across the Delaware River between the City of Trenton, New Jersey and the Borough of Morrisville, Pennsylvania, as the “Master Sergeant Fred William Zabitosky Memorial Bridge.”

Whereas, Fred William Zabitosky was born on October 27, 1942 in the City of Trenton, New Jersey; and

Whereas, Mr. Zabitosky joined the United States Army in 1959, served with the 5th Special Forces Group, and ultimately rose to and retired from the United States Army with the rank of Master Sergeant; and

Whereas, In addition to receiving the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart, Master Sergeant Zabitosky was presented with the Medal of Honor in 1969 for “conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty”; and

Whereas, While serving as the assistant team leader of a nine-man Special Forces long-range reconnaissance patrol in North Vietnamese territory, Master Sergeant Zabitosky and his team were attacked by a numerically superior North Vietnamese Army unit; and

Whereas, Master Sergeant Zabitosky rallied his team members, deployed them into defensive positions, and, repeatedly exposing himself to concentrated enemy fire, and directed the team’s return fire; and

Whereas, The team members were able to move to a landing zone for helicopter extraction while Master Sergeant Zabitosky covered their withdrawal with rifle fire and grenades and, after rejoining the team, coordinated a tight perimeter defense and controlled the defensive fire; and

Whereas, After boarding the helicopter, Master Sergeant Zabitosky positioned himself in the door of the helicopter to return fire on the enemy, ultimately being thrown from the helicopter as it spun out of control and crashed; and

Whereas, Master Sergeant Zabitosky recovered consciousness, moved to the flaming wreckage, attempted to save his team members from the wreckage, and was able to pull the severely wounded pilot from the flames; and

Whereas, After several unsuccessful attempts to rescue other team members, Master Sergeant Zabitosky, with serious burns and other injuries, carried the unconscious pilot through relentless enemy fire to a nearby hovering rescue helicopter, where he finally collapsed; and

Whereas, The State of New Jersey, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and the United States of America owe a debt of gratitude and reverence to Master Sergeant Zabitosky, who is a shining example of true American heroism and the only person from Mercer County to receive the Medal of Honor; and

Whereas, Assemblyman Reed Gusciora has introduced legislation in the New Jersey Legislature to designate the Trenton-Morrisville Toll Bridge, which carries U.S. Route 1 across the Delaware River between the City of Trenton, New Jersey and the Borough of Morrisville, Pennsylvania, as the “Master Sergeant Fred William Zabitosky Memorial Bridge”; and

Whereas, In order for the designation to be effective, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania must enact legislation having an identical effect to the legislation introduced in New Jersey; and

Whereas, Because the legislation directs the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission to designate the bridge as the “Master Sergeant Fred William Zabitosky Memorial Bridge,” congressional consent to the designation will eliminate any confusion as to whether the commission is required to comply with the provisions of the legislation; now, therefore,

Be It Resolved by the General Assembly of the State of New Jersey (the Senate concurring):

1. The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is respectfully urged to enact legislation identical in effect to legislation introduced in the New Jersey Legislature that designates the Trenton-Morrisville Toll Bridge, which carries U.S. Route 1 across the Delaware River between the City of Trenton, New Jersey and the Borough of Morrisville, Pennsylvania, as the “Master Sergeant Fred William Zabitosky Memorial Bridge.”

2. The United States Congress is respectfully urged to provide its consent to the designation of the Trenton-Morrisville Toll Bridge, which carries U.S. Route 1 across the Delaware River between the City of Trenton, New Jersey and the Borough of Morrisville, Pennsylvania, as the “Master Sergeant Fred William Zabitosky Memorial Bridge.”

3. Copies of this resolution, as filed with the Secretary of State, shall be transmitted by the Clerk of the General Assembly or the Secretary of the Senate to the Executive Director of the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission, the Governor of Pennsylvania, the Speaker of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, the President of the Pennsylvania State Senate, the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, the Majority Leader of the United States Senate, and each member of Congress elected from this State.

STATEMENT

This resolution urges the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to enact legislation identical in effect to legislation introduced in the New Jersey Legislature that designates the Trenton-Morrisville Toll Bridge, which carries U.S. Route 1 across the Delaware River between the City of Trenton, New Jersey and the Borough of Morrisville, Pennsylvania, as the “Master Sergeant Fred William Zabitosky Memorial Bridge.”

This resolution also urges the United States Congress to provide its consent to the designation of the Trenton-Morrisville Toll Bridge as the “Master Sergeant Fred William Zabitosky Memorial Bridge.”