[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 131 (Friday, September 28, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1660]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   CARROLLTON, GA VA FACILITY OPENING

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                           HON. PHIL GINGREY

                               of georgia

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, September 28, 2012

  Mr. GINGREY of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, we are here today to honor and 
celebrate our veterans, American heroes, who have bravely served their 
country, to open a first class health facility to aid our wounded 
warriors in their recovery and treatment, and to honor the legacy of 
the woman who made it all possible--Katherine ``Trinka'' Davis.
  With a war in Afghanistan, a recent one in Iraq, and unrest around 
the globe, the United States has more than 196,000 active duty 
servicemen and women that put their lives on the line, night and day, 
to protect our families and our freedoms. These men and women accepted 
the call of duty, leaving behind their loved ones and life as they know 
it to protect the lives of others.
  When our soldiers return from battle, sometimes they do not get the 
support and assistance they deserve. Simply put, we owe them more. Just 
as they have answered the call to serve our country, we must answer the 
call to serve them. That is what Trinka Davis did and why we are 
gathered here today.
  Trinka Davis was a businesswoman from Carroll County who founded The 
Trinka Davis Foundation in 2004 after realizing the struggles many 
servicemen and women faced upon returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. 
The Foundation exists to support veterans and their families. Though 
she is no longer with us, her memory lives on. Thanks to her generosity 
and the tireless dedication of her foundation, the Community Foundation 
of West Georgia, and the Georgia Department of Veterans Services, we 
are here today to open the Trinka Davis Veterans Village.
  This facility will serve 3,000 veterans, and allow them to receive 
treatment closer to home. Prior to construction, veterans were often 
forced to drive two hours or more for treatment.
  The facility will offer primary health care, mental health services, 
physical and occupational therapy, health and wellness counseling, and 
social services. I am happy to report that veterans began receiving 
outpatient treatment at the Trinka Davis Veterans Village on Monday.
  In the coming months, the facility will also include a 42-bed 
community living center for veterans needing inpatient rehab in a 
``homelike, family-oriented, atmosphere.''
  Like our veterans, Ms. Davis is a hero, who recognized the needs of 
veterans and worked tirelessly to meet them. The Trinka Davis 
Foundation ensured that Ms. Davis's commitment to the veterans and 
their families in our own community and beyond would be preserved 
through construction of this facility.
  The USO has a motto, ``Until everyone comes home.'' Trinka realized 
that our work did not end there. She is an example to us all.

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