[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 97 (Thursday, July 12, 2001)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1321]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   HONORING PATRICIA HALSEY LAVERDURE

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. BARBARA LEE

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 12, 2001

  Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor and salute Patricia 
Halsey Laverdure for her faithful service to the United States 
Military.
  Colonel Laverdure has dedicated her life to providing legal counsel 
to military members and their families. When she joined the U.S. Marine 
Corps, she was interested in criminal law, and became a very successful 
judge advocate. However, Colonel Laverdure was drawn to family law 
because she knows the burdens that military families face, such as long 
periods of separation, spousal abuse and low pay. She saw the need for 
family services so she began to practice family law. Colonel Laverdure 
established the first spousal abuse programs for the U.S. Marine Corps 
Family Service Centers.
  Colonel Laverdure later became the Chief of the Legal Assistance 
Branch of the Maintenance and Logistics Command Pacific for the U.S. 
Coast Guard in Alameda, California. At a time when the military was 
downsizing, Colonel Laverdure was overwhelmed with huge caseloads. 
Despite the large amounts of casework, she enlisted the aid of military 
attorneys from the Navy Reserve and, together with other Coast Guard 
Attorneys, completed their cases and increased the number of clientele.
  Colonel Laverdure has won numerous awards such as the Meritorious 
Achievement Award, the ABA LAMP Distinguished Award and the Coast Guard 
Meritorious Award. It is only natural that Congress should recognize 
Colonel Laverdure for her patriotism, her service to the United States 
military service and her human compassion for her others.
  I proudly join Colonel Laverdure's family and friends to pay tribute 
to Colonel Patricia Halsey Laverdure.

                          ____________________