[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 38 (Tuesday, April 12, 1994)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: April 12, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                       HON. SAM BLAKELY HALL, JR.

                                 ______


                      HON. G.V. (SONNY) MONTGOMERY

                             of mississippi

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, April 12, 1994

  Mr. MONTGOMERY. Mr. Speaker, America has sent many great men and 
women to serve its best interests in this august chamber. Our friend 
and colleague Sam Hall must certainly be included among their ranks. On 
April 10, this esteemed Texan, distinguished statesman, and virtuous 
public servant succumbed to cancer. At that precise moment, America 
lost a dear friend.
  Sam Hall came to Congress in 1976 and resigned 9 years later to 
become a Federal judge. In that relatively brief time on Capitol Hill, 
I came to know a man defined largely by two characteristics: focused 
determination and high principle. As a member of the House Veterans' 
Affairs Committee for nearly 26 years, I can truly say that, in recent 
history, those who have worn the uniform have never had a more loyal 
ally. He traveled to Southeast Asia to promote progress on the POW/MIA 
issue and participated in the 40th anniversary commemorative observance 
of the Allied landing at Normandy. In all likelihood, his interest in 
matters of the Armed Forces and veterans' affairs was fueled by his own 
distinguished service and experiences in the Army during World War II.
  I and other members of the Veterans' Affairs Committee were front-row 
witnesses to Sam's intense desire to do right by those who answered the 
Nation's call to arms. From the time he joined the committee, he was an 
outspoken advocate of dramatic change in the way veterans' benefits 
claims appeals are handled. Judicial review as it was called, which was 
manifested in the establishment of a new Federal court for veterans, 
has Sam Hall's indelible mark. As the country owes its veterans a great 
debt, they, in turn, owe a lawyer from Marshall, Texas. He championed 
their concerns, took their worries upon himself, and used his 
compassion and skills to make things right.
  Judge Sam Hall was a dynamic personality with a brilliant legal mind. 
His remarkable legacy can be explained very simply: Sam Hall cared and 
the institution and the citizenry were made better as a result. We are 
not likely to see another like him in our lifetimes.

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