[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 142 (Saturday, October 10, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2012]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      A TRIBUTE TO RICHARD CHERRY

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. MARCY KAPTUR

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, October 9, 1998

  Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay special tribute to 
Richard Cherry, a member of the American Legion in my district. Dick is 
being feted by his comrades and friends at a special Appreciation 
Dinner to be held on November 14, 1998 at the Adams Township Post No 
553 of the American Legion. I will be proud and humbled to participate 
in this well-deserved recognition.
  Dick Cherry currently serves as National Committeeman for the more 
than 164,000 members of the Ohio American Legion. In his 29 years with 
the Legion, he has also served as Commander of the Department of Ohio, 
First Vice and Second Vice Commander of the Department of Ohio, 
Commander of the Great First District of Ohio, Commander of Lucas 
County, Commander of the Adams township Post, and Delegate to Lucas 
County, the First District, Department of Ohio, and National 
Organization. He also diligently labors on countless committees on the 
County, District, Department of Ohio, and National levels.
  A member of the United States Army, Dick is a veteran of the Korean 
War who served with the Second Division, 23 Infantry Battalion. With 
the deepest of understanding of the importance of remembering our 
nation's veterans, he is an active member of the Toledo Soldiers 
Memorial Association, and the Lucas County Veterans Service Commission, 
and the Soldiers and Sailors Relief Association.
  Listing his involvement in civic and veteran organizations only gives 
one a glimpse of the man. Dick Cherry is a man of the greatest 
compassion and empathy, with a sharp mind and a deep soul. He has been 
a trusted advisor to me on veterans issues, offering wise counsel 
regarding health care in our nation's VA medical centers, compensation 
and pension benefits for veterans and their families, and the 
``veterans position'' on national issues. In any forum, he conducts 
himself with dignity and grace, quietly but effectively conveying the 
message that we must never forget our veterans, their courage, or the 
sacrifices they made to bring us the freedom we know today.
  If a measure of a man is the esteem in which others hold him, then 
Dick Cherry is a man beyond measure. I join his wife Carol, his family, 
friends, and colleagues in paying homage to a most down-to-earth yet 
most remarkable man.

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