[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 73 (Wednesday, May 22, 2013)]
[House]
[Page H2847]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               IN MEMORY OF ALMERINDO ``AL'' CARVALHEIRA

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New 
York (Mr. Bishop) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. BISHOP of New York. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the passing 
of Almerindo ``Al'' Carvalheira, a Vietnam veteran who lived an 
extraordinary life of service to his country and to his fellow 
veterans. Al succumbed to cancer on January 21, 2013, at the Veterans 
Affairs Medical Center in Northport, New York.
  Al was born on October 21, 1947, in Portugal. His family immigrated 
to the United States when he was 10 years old and settled in Nesconset, 
New York. Al proudly served his country in the United States Army 
during the Vietnam War and received numerous awards and decorations, 
including two Purple Hearts, the Bronze Star Medal, and the Air Medal.
  Honorably discharged with the rank of sergeant in December of 1969, 
Al returned to his home on Long Island where he pursued a career in 
nursing and was hired by the Northport VA Medical Center in 1977. There 
he dedicated himself to the care and treatment of his fellow veterans 
as a VA registered nurse and nurse leader for nearly four decades.
  Al was known as a highly effective and empathetic caregiver who was 
never too busy to spend time with his patients, especially the most 
challenging among them. His own experience gave him a unique 
understanding of what his patients had endured in combat. In 
discussions with them, he often cited his favorite book, ``The Things 
They Carried,'' written by fellow Vietnam veteran Tim O'Brien.
  Soon after the start of his career at the VA medical center, Al was 
promoted to nurse manager, which gave him the supervision of all 
inpatient psychiatric units and the outpatient treatment program. In 
addition to these significant responsibilities, Al trained and 
developed staff in crisis intervention and implemented a crisis 
response team for the safety of VA patients and staff. In order to 
provide veterans the best care possible, Al found the time to earn a 
master's degree in nursing from Stony Brook University.
  Dear to Al's heart was the Suffolk County, New York, chapter of the 
Vietnam Veterans of America, to which he devoted 38 years of service, 
working day in and day out taking care of ``his boys,'' advocating for 
the needs of all veterans and raising awareness of the contributions 
and sacrifices made by our Nation's veterans and their families.
  In May of 2009, I had the great pleasure of working with Al and his 
friends and fellow Vietnam veterans Richie Kitson and Clarence Simpson 
to rename the Riverhead, New York, Post Office in honor of Suffolk 
County's only Vietnam War Congressional Medal of Honor recipient, PFC 
Garfield M. Langhorn.
  That same year, Al took the lead in the construction and dedication 
of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Garden on the grounds of the Northport 
VA Medical Center, which recognizes and honors the sacrifices of our 
Nation's servicemen and -women. The memorial garden's dedication 
ceremony was held in October 2010 and was attended by more than 300 
people.
  In 2011, Al and members of the VVA were inspired by Dignity 
Memorial's replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall to expand the 
Northport VA Medical Center's Vietnam Veterans Memorial Garden for the 
inclusion of a permanent war memorial known as The Wall of Wars.

                              {time}  1050

  It was during this time that Al was diagnosed with cancer. Although 
Al will not be present at the VA's Veterans Day dedication of the The 
Wall of Wars, his legacy as a war hero, a VA nurse, and a veterans 
advocate is and will be forever present on the grounds of the Northport 
VA Medical Center and throughout Suffolk County's veteran community.
  On January 25, 2013, Vietnam veteran and U.S. Army Sergeant Al 
Carvalheira was laid to rest with military honors at Long Island's 
Calverton National Cemetery. Al is survived by his beloved wife of 40 
years, Geraldine, and their two sons, Almerindo and John, as well as 
six grandchildren.
  Mr. Speaker, on behalf of New York's First Congressional District and 
a grateful Nation, it is my honor and privilege to recognize Almerindo 
``Al'' Carvalheira for his distinguished service and many contributions 
to our Nation and his fellow veterans. He will always be remembered 
with our love and appreciation.

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