[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 22 (Tuesday, February 12, 2013)]
[Senate]
[Page S649]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      HONORING GORDON H. MANSFIELD

 Mr. BURR. Mr. President, on behalf of Senator Sanders and 
myself, as the ranking member and chairman of the Committee on 
Veterans' Affairs, I wish to pay tribute to Gordon H. Mansfield, a 
great American hero, a distinguished public servant, and a boundless 
advocate and friend of veterans, who died on January 29, 2013, 
concluding a life of exceptional service to America.
  On February 4, 1968, Gordon, then a young Army captain, was leading 
troops in battle in Quang Tri province, Vietnam, during the Tet 
Offensive when he was shot twice in the spine by the enemy.
  Without the use of his legs, he made sure all his men were safe and 
all other wounded troops were evacuated before he allowed himself to be 
medevac'd. Gordon received the Distinguished Service Cross for his 
actions on that day--a day that marked a new beginning, not an end, to 
his service to our Nation.
  The wounds Gordon suffered required him to use a wheelchair for 
mobility for the remainder of his life, but after 5 years of 
rehabilitation and thanks to his amazing determination, he graduated 
from law school and started a new chapter in his life.
  In 1981, he joined the staff of the Paralyzed Veterans of America, 
and he later became its executive director. His passion for public 
service led him to become the Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and 
Equal Opportunity at the Department of Housing and Urban Development. 
And in 2001, he joined the Department of Veterans Affairs, VA, first as 
Assistant Secretary for Congressional and Legislative Affairs, then as 
Deputy Secretary, and briefly, in 2007, as Acting Secretary.
  At VA, Gordon brought his unique perspective on the needs of 
paralyzed veterans to the day-to-day management of the Department. He 
spoke out regularly on the need to improve access for paralyzed 
veterans to VA services; to ensure that disabled veterans were properly 
compensated for their services; and to provide opportunity for every 
paralyzed veteran to live a full, barrier-free, and productive life.
  In 2009, Gordon retired from VA, but he did not conclude his service 
to veterans and their families. He became a member of the board of 
directors of the Wounded Warrior Project, serving a new generation of 
veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan. He also joined the board of 
directors of the Disabled Veterans' Life Memorial Foundation.
  Gordon's lifetime contributions to our country and its citizens were 
well recognized. In addition to the Distinguished Service Cross, his 
military decorations included the Bronze Star, two Purple Hearts, the 
Combat Infantry Badge, and the Presidential Unit Citation. He was 
inducted into the Army Ranger Hall of Fame in 2007 and the U.S. Army 
Officer Candidate School Hall of Fame in 1997.
  He received the Department of Defense Medal for Distinguished Public 
Service, the Presidential Distinguished Service Award, the Robert Dole 
Service to Our Nation Award, the Disabled American Veterans Outstanding 
Disabled Veteran of the Year Award, and the Paralyzed Veterans of 
America Outstanding Service to Veterans Award.
  We offer his wife Linda; his children, Gordon and Leon; and his 
entire family our deepest condolences. They, and all Americans, have 
lost a remarkable leader, a courageous hero, and a role model to all 
individuals with disabilities. He will be sorely missed.

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