[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 41 (Thursday, April 2, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3172-S3173]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        TRIBUTE TO DAVID MURRAY

 Mr. JEFFORDS. Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to 
David Murray, a well known and certainly well regarded patient advocate 
at the Veterans' Administration (VA) in White River Junction who is 
leaving the great state of Vermont to relocate to the state of 
Washington. Although I question why anyone would willingly opt to move 
from the most beautiful state in the union, I must concede that 
Washington state is probably a close second in terms of beauty and 
quality of life.
  I certainly wish Dave well as he embarks on this exciting venture, 
though life at the Veterans' Administration hospital will never be 
quite the same without him. Each day he goes beyond the call of duty in 
his never-wavering advocacy for veterans. He provides veterans and 
their families with their crucial link to understanding and moving 
through the system. Dave is probably the most sought after person at 
the VA and I would venture a guess that he receives more ``pages'' in 
one hour than most VA doctors receive in an entire day.
  Service is a word that Dave knows well. He served honorably in the 
Marine Corps during the Vietnam War, continued his federal service for 
the next 20 plus years culminating in his current job as Patient 
Advocate at the VA hospital in White River Junction. He is a member of 
the Disabled American Veterans, the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the 
American Legion and involved himself in his community as a boy scout 
leader. It is my understanding that Dave, when he's not working or 
wearing one of his many service

[[Page S3173]]

hats, actually enjoys camping, canoeing and gardening.
  Mr. President, I would like to publicly recognize Dave's outstanding 
contribution to his fellow veterans and wish him and his wife Diane the 
very best in their change of venue. I would ask them to remember that 
if they ever decide to come home to Vermont, we will leave the light 
on.

                          ____________________