[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 41 (Friday, March 22, 1996)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E429]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    IN RECOGNITION OF DOROTHY BARNES

                                 ______


                           HON. RALPH M. HALL

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, March 22, 1996

  Mr. HALL of Texas. Mr. Speaker, one of the privileges that I have 
most enjoyed as a Member of the House of Representatives is the 
opportunity to offer assistance to the hundreds of veterans who reside 
in the Fourth District of Texas, and today I would like to recognize 
and pay tribute to someone who has devoted countless hours in this 
cause--Dorothy Bateman Barnes, whose exemplary service as the Van Zandt 
County Veterans Service Officer has earned her the respect and 
gratitude of those veterans who have called on her for help.
  ``Dottie'' Barnes was appointed to the veterans post in August, 1984. 
A native of Wills Point in Van Zandt County, she contributed to the war 
effort in the 1940's while working in the accounting office of North 
American Aviation. Years of Federal Government service followed, the 
last 7 with the Department of Defense. Her late husband, Maj. (Ret.) 
Matthew J. Barnes, was a veteran of World War II and the Korean war, 
and was wounded in the Korean war and left for dead but managed to 
escape. This ordeal gave Mrs. Barnes a heightened awareness of 
veterans' needs and an empathy for their plight.
  Known for her dedication, professionalism, and long hours of service, 
Mrs. Barnes was presented the Outstanding Veterans Service Officer of 
the Year award for the Dallas Region in 1991, having been selected from 
200 officers for the annual award. Commenting on the award, she stated, 
``My main purpose in life is serving the veterans of this county and 
anybody else who walks through my door.'' In addition, she was given a 
Distinguished Service Ward by the United States Marine Corps League and 
has received frequent commendations from the Van Zandt County Judges 
and Commissioners. The county's consultant on the Americans With 
Disabilities Act stated that Mrs. Barnes ``may be one of the best 
veterans services officers in the country.''
  Veterans Service Officers routinely provide an array of assistance to 
veterans--including compensation and pension matters, hospitalization, 
insurance, transportation, education, G.I. home and farm loans, 
disability retirement, military records, and others. Mrs. Barnes 
provides all these services--and more. She works long hours and takes 
paperwork home with her at night in an effort to provide efficient 
service to those in need. She organized the first veterans' health 
screening clinic in the area, which continues to be an overwhelming 
success.
  In addition to the long hours that she devotes to veterans, Mrs. 
Barnes somehow finds time for a number of other worthy causes. She is a 
member of both the Canton and Wills Point Chambers of Commerce, a 
member of the Business and Professional Women's Club, holds lifetime 
memberships in the Wills Point Historical Society, the Van Zandt County 
Genealogical Society, and the Van Zandt County Friends of the Library. 
She served as chairman of the Van Zandt County Historical Commission 
for a number of years, is the current vice-chairman, and was chairman 
of the county's Sesquicentennial Committee. She is also a certified 
nursing home ombudsman and is chairman of the Selective Service Board 
for the East Texas area.
  In recognition of her outstanding service to the county, Mrs. Barnes 
was named Van Zandt County Citizens of the Year in 1987. She also 
received an Award of Achievement and Appreciation from the Wills Point 
Chamber of Commerce and was given an Award of Merit for Outstanding 
Achievements from the Genealogical Society.
  Mr. Speaker, Van Zandt County is truly fortunate to have a veterans 
service officer with the depth of experience, compassion, and integrity 
that Mrs. Barness brings to her job--and a citizen so devoted to 
community service. Dorothy Barnes embodies the highest ideals of both 
government service and civic responsibility, and she deserves our 
profound gratitude and respect. I ask my colleagues to join me today in 
paying tribute to this outstanding American.

                          ____________________