The publication is reproduced in full below:
HONORING THE LIFE OF MR. JERRY NALIPINSKI
______
HON. BETTY McCOLLUM
of minnesota
in the house of representatives
Thursday, October 21, 2021
Ms. McCOLLUM. Madam Speaker, it is with a heavy heart that I rise today to honor the life of Mr. Jerry Nalipinski who died on October 14, 2021 at the age of 91. Jerry was a decorated veteran of the Korean War and a long-time leader and advocate for Minnesota veterans and residents of the East Metro Twin Cities region where he lived.
I first met Jerry when I served on the City Council of North Saint Paul and as a member of the VFW Post 1350 Auxiliary in the late 1980s. He immediately impressed me as a go-to leader and doer on behalf of veterans and the broader community. His passing is a loss that is felt deeply throughout the Minnesota veteran community.
After graduating from Johnson High School in Saint Paul, Jerry served with the 31st Regiment, Seventh Division, U.S. Army in Korea as a communication officer, arriving in Inchon Harbor on a troop ship. He served with the American-led, United Nations forces from Canada, Turkey and the other 20 coalition members. Commanders ordered Jerry's rifle company to the front lines shortly after arriving in theater, and he sustained injuries during the battle of Pork Chop Hill for which he was awarded a Purple Heart. He was awarded a second Purple Heart and a Bronze Star during his subsequent service in Korea.
Upon his return to Minnesota, Jerry utilized the GI Bill to continue his academic studies. He went to work for Winzen Research, Inc., an aerospace pioneer that created high-altitude balloons in the 1950s and 1960s that were used by the United States Navy in its Projects Helios, Skyhook, and Strato-Lab, that set the altitude record for manned balloon flights. He later worked at Northwestern Bell for many years before retiring.
Jerry made a life-long commitment to serving veterans and others. He served as chair of the Minnesota Korean War Veterans Chapter 1 and led creation and completion of the Minnesota Korean War Memorial. Located on the grounds of the State Capitol, the memorial pays tribute to the 738 Minnesotans who lost their lives and honors all 94,646 from our state who served in the war.
Service defined Jerry's life, as well as that of his beloved late wife Marilyn, who worked tirelessly along his side until her death in 2013. A member of the Arthur O. Haukland VFW Post 1350 in North Saint Paul, Minnesota, Jerry went above and beyond to serve veterans and their families, working to connect veterans of all eras and to serve the broader community.
He served in multiple leadership roles, including chair of the scholarship committee and as chaplain. Jerry led a recent Post effort to ensure that all veterans' graves at Saint Mary's Cemetery were located and identified. Each Memorial Day he organized the volunteers that marked each grave with a flag or marker.
Additionally, he was chair of the Ramsey United Veterans Council and vice president of the Military Order of the Purple Heart Chapter 5. His efforts included ensuring each family of a deceased veteran received an American flag in a presentation case crafted by residents of the Hastings Veterans Home. Often, he took time to deliver each of these flags personally.
Few people who are as selfless as Jerry was, and through his commitment to service, vision and stewardship, our state and our community is much better off. It was a privilege to work with Jerry, and especially to call him a friend. My sincere condolences are with his beloved family, his fellow veterans and many friends. Madam Speaker, please join me in tribute to Jerry Nalipinski for his remarkable life of service to our Nation and our community.
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SOURCE: Congressional Record Vol. 167, No. 185
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