[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 79 (Wednesday, June 21, 2000)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5553-S5554]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       TRIBUTE TO ALICE M. McCUE

 Mr. DODD. Mr. President, I am delighted to rise today to pay 
tribute to a well-respected and remarkable public servant, Ms. Alice M. 
McCue, who has worked for the Department of Veterans Affairs Regional 
Office in Hartford since 1945. On June 25th, the Department of Veterans 
Affairs will recognize her 55 years of service to our nation's 
veterans, and I want to take a few moments to discuss Alice McCue's 
remarkable career.
  Alice started working for the VA following her graduation from high 
school at Mt. St. Joseph Academy in Hartford. She began in 1945 as a 
typist in the Communications and Records Section, and moved to the 
Administrative Division in 1949. Between 1950 and 1978, Alice held a 
number of different positions, including several years as a clerk in 
the office of the Chief Attorney. Since that time, Alice has been a 
Veterans Claims Examiner.
  Alice has been a constant force since her first days of employment. 
Her hard work and dedication to the veterans of Connecticut have earned 
her a number of awards and special accommodations. Alice received five 
Special Contribution Awards over the past several years, as well as a 
Time-Off Award in 1995, the same year in which she was the recipient of 
a Superior Performance Award.
  Over the years, Alice was involved in a plethora of activities at the 
VA's Hartford office and became an integral component of every project 
in which she was engaged. In the State Income

[[Page S5554]]

Verification Match Project, she handled several hundred cases. She also 
worked on the Social Security Unverified Match Project, the Committee 
on Waivers and Compromises, and as an Equal Employment Opportunity 
counselor and Third Party Inquiry Coordinator for the Social Security 
Administration.
  Alice's influence at the VA is perhaps most truly reflected by her 
colleagues' words of praise. They describe her as a dependable, hard-
working, and professional employee and friend. She not only treats 
every case as if it was her own, but she also takes the time to assist 
other adjudicators with their cases. When it comes to training and 
teaching less-experienced employees, Alice is an indispensable asset, 
and many in the Hartford office have benefited from her guidance. Her 
supervisors further cite her willingness to handle the most complex 
cases as well as her amicable air and trustworthiness which have long 
bolstered office morale and increased the sense of community among the 
employees.
  On June 26, 2000, the Hartford regional office of the Department of 
Veterans Affairs will hold a luncheon in honor of Alice, who will 
receive the Secretary's Service Award at that time. Today, it is my 
pleasure to join the Department of Veterans Affairs and the countless 
veterans and their families that Alice McCue has helped over the years, 
in thanking her for her exemplary service and commitment.

                          ____________________