[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 2 (Wednesday, January 8, 2003)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E45]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




A TRIBUTE TO LILLIAN WOOD FOR 50 YEARS OF SERVICE WITH THE MARINE CORPS

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. JERRY LEWIS

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, January 8, 2003

  Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Speaker, I would like today to pay 
tribute to Mrs. Lillian Wood, who is well-known in many of our offices 
as the ``go-to'' person to provide service and answers to constituents 
who are Marines or former Marines. After 50 years of service as a 
civilian with the U.S. Marine Corps, Mrs. Wood is retiring as head of 
the Legislative Affairs Correspondence Branch.
  As you and my colleagues know, when our constituents decide to ``call 
my Congressman'' to fix a problem, we turn to the agencies involved to 
help us with that solution. During her several decades with the Marine 
Corps legislative affairs office, Mrs. Wood helped tens of thousands of 
our constituents gain satisfaction, and she has become a shining 
example of a government official dedicated to public service.
  A native of East Millsboro, Pennsylvania, Lillian went to work for 
the Marine Corps as a clerk-typist in 1952, not long after her high 
school graduation. She soon moved up to clerk-stenographer and began a 
quick ascent in the Marine Corps support services. From 1955 to 1966, 
she served with the Marine Corps dental/administrative division, and 
later with the reserve, aviation and G-4 divisions.
  Her supervisors were so impressed with her business administration 
acumen that in 1966 Mrs. Wood was asked to join the Special 
Correspondence Branch of the Manpower and Reserve Affairs Department, 
formerly the Personnel Department. She was ultimately responsible for 
28 employees in that department, and advanced to assistant branch head 
before her assignment to the legislative affairs correspondence branch.
  Because of her personal integrity and the utmost respect and 
confidence she receives from the Corps, Mrs. Wood ensures that the 
Marines speak with one voice to congressional offices. She serves as 
the focal point for more than 4,000 written inquiries sent each year 
from Members of Congress. Her understanding of the needs of the average 
Marine and former Marine has been vital not only to our offices, but to 
the Secretary to the Navy, the Bureau of Medical Surgery and other 
military services.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask you and my colleagues to join me in thanking 
Lillian Wood for 50 years of dedicated service with the Marine Corps, 
for showing exemplary leadership and inspirational service that set the 
standard for civilian service in the Corps and the United States Naval 
Service. We wish her well in her retirement.

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