[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 48 (Thursday, April 27, 2006)]
[Senate]
[Page S3700]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

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                         TRIBUTE TO JOAN LESLIE

 Mr. DODD. Mr. President, I rise today to honor Joan Leslie, a 
talented actress who served as a source of comfort and inspiration to 
millions of Americans during World War II. On May 14, the U.S. 
Department of Veterans Affairs in Connecticut will pay tribute to Ms. 
Leslie for her tireless devotion to our Nation's servicemen with a gala 
in her honor.
  Born Joan Agnes Theresa Sadie Bordel on January 26, 1925, in Detroit, 
MI, Ms. Leslie made her professional debut at age nine. As a child she 
worked as a model and performed a song and dance routine with her two 
sisters before she got her big break in 1940 when she signed with 
Warner Brothers.
  Joan Leslie shared the screen with many of the leading actors of her 
time, starring with Humphrey Bogart in ``High Sierra,'' Gary Cooper in 
``Sergeant York,'' and James Cagney in ``Yankee Doodle Dandy.'' In 
1943, she became Fred Astaire's youngest dance partner, celebrating her 
18th birthday on the set of ``The Sky's the Limit.'' Through these 
roles, Joan Leslie became known as America's quintessential ``girl next 
door.''
  As Ms. Leslie's popularity escalated, so did America's involvement in 
World War II. Americans found themselves turning to entertainers like 
Joan Leslie for reassurance about the goodness and strength of our 
country amid the tremendous stresses and burdens of war. Tens of 
thousands of American servicemen clung to Joan Leslie's picture as a 
reminder of the values they were fighting for and the loved ones they 
left behind. Ms. Leslie willingly accepted the responsibility of her 
role, taking it upon herself to visit the troops at defense plants and 
Army bases. Joan Leslie and other entertainers like her played a 
pivotal role in the overall war effort, serving as a source of comfort 
and inspiration for American soldiers and the rest of the country. 
Ultimately, they served as a reassurance that our Nation would prevail.
  It is only right that veterans of our Nation should honor 
entertainers like Joan Leslie, and I take particular pride in the fact 
that the veterans of Connecticut have taken a leadership role in her 
tribute. Ms. Leslie not only filled the role of the girl next door on 
the movie screen, but carried it into her personal life, as well. Her 
life lives up to her reputation, which is a rare achievement for a 
public figure. Perhaps her greatest accomplishments have occurred 
outside the public eye, as she has dedicated most of her life to 
raising her identical twin daughters, Patrice and Ellen, with her 
husband, Dr. William Caldwell.
  Joan Leslie served as a pillar of strength when America needed her 
most. She deserves the thanks of a grateful Nation for a life of 
service. I commend her for her continued dedication to American 
servicemen, and congratulate her, her husband, her children, and her 
other family members on this wonderful occasion.

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