[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 20 (Tuesday, February 4, 2003)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E127]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 ROBERT J. DOLE VA MEDICAL & REGIONAL OFFICE CENTER DEDICATION CEREMONY

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. JERRY MORAN

                               of kansas

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, February 4, 2003

  Mr. MORAN of Kansas. Mr. Speaker, I would like to submit for the 
Record, remarks I gave at a dedication ceremony.
  Thank you Senator Dole, Secretary Principi, and distinguished guests, 
especially our veterans. I'm delighted to be here today on this very 
special occasion.
  I had intended to be very brief, but I concluded that the sooner we 
get done, the sooner I will go home. The sooner I go home, the sooner I 
will see my wife, and if she sees the nightly news with me seated so 
closely to Cindy Close, our favorite KWCH broadcaster, I'll have some 
explaining to do. So I'm going to take a few moments.
  This is an opportunity to pay a moment of tribute and, hopefully, a 
lifelong tribute, to a great Kansan. Before I do that, I would like to 
congratulate Senator-elect Dole. Russell, Kansas, must be an amazing 
place because we have three individuals with significant ties to 
Russell, Kansas, who are past, present and future members of that 
exclusive club, the United States Senate: Senator Bob Dole, Senator 
Arlen Specter, and now Senator-elect, Elizabeth Dole. We are delighted, 
as Kansans, to congratulate you on your success.
  We're here to pay tribute not only to Senator Dole, but to what Tom 
Brokaw calls the greatest generation. His words are these: ``They came 
of age during the Great Depression and the Second World War and went on 
to build modem America, men and women whose everyday lives of duty, 
honor, achievement, and courage gave us the world we have today.''
  Bob Dole exemplifies the greatest generation. My purpose in 
introducing this legislation was not to recognize Bob Dole the Senator, 
the presidential candidate, or the majority leader. I learned today Bob 
Dole is the longest-serving majority leader. Senator Dole, I always 
thought you were the longest-serving Republican candidate for 
president.
  But we recognize him today as that soldier from Russell, Kansas, 
serving in the mountains of Italy. We recognize him for the 
consequences of his service and for the course of action he took to 
rehabilitate his life, and in the process, to change the lives of 
others. So although we can say many good things about Senator Dole, 
presidential candidate Dole, and Majority Leader Dole, we are here 
today to pay tribute to Bob Dole, the soldier.
  As you know, Bob Dole seeks no recognition. In 1969, during his first 
year in the United States Senate, he said, ``Most veterans today want 
no special recognition or attention. We did our duty, take pride in 
having served, and seek to live our lives as good and constructive 
citizens.'' That's Bob Dole. I have no doubt that he's uncomfortable 
being here today receiving this recognition.
  He was also a product of rehabilitation through the VA. We are also 
here to pay tribute to the men and women who work for the Department of 
Veterans Affairs. We are here to pay tribute to the volunteers who help 
those employees take care of the veterans of the United States. What we 
do in Washington pales in comparison to what individuals do for our 
veterans who need health care and rehabilitation services. They also 
are the heroes.
  The bill to designate the Wichita VA as the Robert J. Dole Department 
of Veterans Affairs Medical and Regional Office Center was widely 
supported. It was introduced in the House of Representatives and 
supported by our entire congressional delegation. Congressman Tiahrt 
and I concluded that this was a noble cause to undertake and introduced 
this bill in April of 2002. Our colleagues in both the House and Senate 
joined us. My subcommittee and committee passed it unanimously. The 
bill had 75 cosponsors, republicans and democrats, including the 
leadership of the House. This legislation was also co-sponsored by a 
fellow Russell native, Arlen Specter, who will be the new Chairman of 
the Senate Corp Committee on Veterans Affairs. It passed unanimously in 
both the House and Senate and was signed by President Bush on May 29th, 
2002.
  In order to get to this point, the legislation had the support of 
every veterans' service organization in Kansas. Before we started this 
effort, we made certain that our veterans' organizations were fully 
supportive of acknowledging Bob Dole in this manner. And, Senator Dole, 
every one of them said a resounding, yes, this is an appropriate honor 
for the soldier, Bob Dole. Many of their leaders are here today, and I 
thank our veterans' service organizations for their support of this 
legislation and for all that, they do for the veterans of Kansas.
  Bob Dole is a role model and hero. He paid tribute, in his first year 
in the Senate, to one of his idols, his hero, another Kansan--General 
Dwight David Eisenhower. Bob Dole, talked about General Eisenhower, in 
1969, upon General Eisenhower's death, about his dreams as a boy in 
Abilene, Kansas.

       General Eisenhower could never have envisioned the heights 
     he was to scale in his lifetime. The honesty and sincerity, 
     so characteristic of General Eisenhower throughout his life, 
     can be traced to his heritage of his ancestors and strong 
     guidance of his mother. His broad grin and good humor that 
     reflected these qualities made him a popular idol and were 
     part of his magic. People reacted to the special qualities 
     exuded by this man. The contributions made by General 
     Eisenhower are legend. His success in time of war made him a 
     great leader of men. Thereafter, his unparalleled success in 
     politics underscored the respect-and confidence he enjoyed by 
     all Americans.

  The words that Bob Dole spoke about his hero, his role model, Dwight 
David Eisenhower, can today be said about our hero and role model, Bob 
Dole of Kansas. I grew up within 20 miles of Bob Dole's hometown, and I 
know the dedication, commitment, love and respect that the people of 
Russell, Kansas, share for their hometown hero.
  Let me conclude by quoting, Bob Dole's own words from Memorial Day 
2002.
       On the one hand, war represents the ultimate failure of 
     mankind or at least of the politicians and diplomats 
     entrusted with keeping the peace. Yet it also summons the 
     greatest qualities of which human beings are capable--courage 
     beyond measure, loyalty beyond words, sacrifice, and 
     ingenuity and endurance beyond imagining.

  Today, we pay tribute to Bob Dole's courage, his loyalty, his 
sacrifice, his ingenuity and his endurance. He is one of those veterans 
he pays tribute to.
  God bless America, and God, thank you for our Bob Dole.

                          ____________________