[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 51 (Tuesday, April 13, 2010)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2236-S2237]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       TRIBUTE TO FRANKIE MANNING

 Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, I would like to take a moment 
today to recognize Mrs. Frankie Manning of the VA Puget Sound Health 
Care System in Seattle, WA. After over 40 years of service in the U.S. 
Army and the Department of Veterans Affairs, Mrs. Manning is retiring 
from government service. A pioneer in championing the needs of women 
veterans, she helped

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create the Women Veterans' Program for the Western Region in the 1980s. 
This program developed standards of care for women in the VA system and 
is still in place today. She was also instrumental in ensuring that the 
rural areas of our State received equal access and care from the VA 
system. My office worked closely with Mrs. Manning to establish the 
Veteran-Virtual Clinic in Port Angeles, a project that allows 3,000 
veterans living on the Olympic Peninsula to access specialty care at 
the VA in Seattle.
  Mrs. Manning has filled many roles within the VA system and served 
most recently as the nurse executive, overseeing the nursing operations 
at the Seattle and Tacoma facilities. Mrs. Manning also had a 
distinguished career in the U.S. Army Nurse Corps, spanning 23 years 
that included a deployment to Saudi Arabia during the gulf war. Mrs. 
Manning retired from the Army with the rank of lieutenant colonel.
  These decades of service to our country demonstrate a dedication to 
public service matched by few. Mrs. Manning worked tirelessly to ensure 
the men and women serving in our armed services received the best 
health care possible and that this care continued for the rest of their 
lives. I would like to thank Mrs. Manning for her years of service to 
our country and to the people of Washington State. Her career is a 
tremendous example of public service, and her commitment to our 
veterans is truly appreciated. I wish her all the best in her future 
endeavors and know that her many talents will be missed at the VA Puget 
Sound Health Care System.

                          ____________________