[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 16 (Monday, February 4, 2013)]
[Senate]
[Page S467]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      REMEMBERING GORDON MANSFIELD

 Mr. KIRK. Mr. President, today I rise to honor the legacy of 
former VA Deputy Secretary Gordon Mansfield; a combat veteran, friend, 
and tireless advocate for our veterans. He passed away last week. Over 
the course of his distinguished career Gordon served his nation, its 
veterans, and those persevering through disabilities. He will be missed 
but his legacy remembered.
  Like many in his generation, Gordon enlisted and served in Vietnam. 
During the Tet Offensive, while on his second combat tour, Gordon was 
wounded and sustained a spinal cord injury. He was awarded the Bronze 
Star, two Purple Hearts, the Combat Infantryman's Badge, and 
Presidential Unit Citation. While recovering from his injuries, Gordon 
earned his law degree, and upon moving back to Florida, began 
practicing law. He served as a counsel in a legal aid program devoted 
to assisting his fellow veterans.
  From 1981 to 1989, Gordon served as the executive director of the 
Paralyzed Veterans of America, advocating for disabled veterans' 
interests on a national level. His work at PVA was instrumental in 
standing up the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims as well as 
shaping landmark disabilities advocacy legislation. In 1989, Gordon 
joined the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and served as 
President George H.W. Bush's Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and 
Equal Opportunity. There he served as a strong advocate for accessible 
housing.
  In 2001, Gordon once again answered the call to help veterans, 
joining Secretary Anthony Principi as the Assistant Secretary for 
Congressional and Legislative Affairs at the Department of Veterans 
Affairs. In 2004, he became the Deputy Secretary and Chief Operating 
Officer, and served as Acting Secretary in 2007. During his time at the 
VA, Gordon oversaw the implementation of the post-9/11 GI bill and many 
other major transformation initiatives.
  I worked closely with Gordon to establish the Captain James A. Lovell 
Federal Health Care Center in North Chicago, the Nation's first fully 
integrated Department of Defense-VA medical center. Only a few years 
before, a Washington consulting company recommended the closure of the 
North Chicago VA. Instead, the idea behind the Lovell FHCC was born.
  Working with Gordon was a privilege, and through his dedication to 
this effort, we succeeded. Today, over 100,000 veterans, military 
servicemembers, and their families have access to state-of-the-art 
health care at the Lovell FHCC.
  It is for this, and his many other accomplishments, that we thank and 
honor Gordon Mansfield for his service to this Nation.

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