Congressional Record
Proceedings, Debates of the U.S. Congress

        

[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1756]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          IN MEMORY OF ROBERT U. CASSEL, WORLD WAR II VETERAN

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. ROBERT E. ANDREWS

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                      Tuesday, September 28, 2010

  Mr. ANDREWS. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and memory 
of Robert U. Cassel of Mantua Township, New Jersey, who died September 
1st, 2010 at the age of 95. A longtime resident of Gloucester County, 
Mr. Cassel has left a legacy of dedication and commitment to his 
community.
   Mr. Cassel was born in Philadelphia and graduated from Woodbury High 
School in 1932. An avid learner, Mr. Cassel continued on to Lebanon 
Valley College to study biology, leading to his career as a chemist 
with the Mobil Corporation.
   During World War II, Mr. Cassel's supervisor advised him that he was 
exempted from the draft as a result of the importance of his position. 
Understanding the call of his country, he ignored that exemption and 
entered the 94th Infantry Division, arriving in France three months 
after D-Day. He later became a battalion operations officer in the 
301st Infantry Regiment. In that position, he was awarded two Bronze 
Stars for helping fellow battalion members escape a trap that could 
have destroyed the unit. During his service, Mr. Cassel collected 
several battle artifacts that he shared at veteran events and Veterans 
Day presentations at schools. He later donated these items to the 
University of Georgia. Until recently, he was also the editor of the 
Hoodlum News, a quarterly newsletter for the 301st Infantry 
Association.
   Combining his passion for nature with his dedication to the 
community, Mr. Cassel was a founding member of the Gloucester County 
Nature Club in 1949. Furthermore, Mr. Cassel embodied a spirit of 
volunteerism, dedicating his time to the Battleship New Jersey Museum 
and Memorial, the Mennonite relief warehouse in Lancaster County, and 
the Boy Scouts of America.
   He is survived by his wife Carol and his two daughters, Claire 
Cassel and Judith Cassel Williams, as well as three grandchildren, two 
great-grandchildren and a sister. Mr. Cassel is predeceased by his 
first wife, Eve.
   Madam Speaker, Robert U. Cassel's endless dedication to Gloucester 
County and our country should not go unrecognized. I express my sincere 
condolences to his family for their loss and pay tribute to the memory 
of this exceptional man.

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