[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 118 (Tuesday, September 10, 2013)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1274-E1275]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       TRIBUTE TO WAYNE THOMPSON

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. MIKE COFFMAN

                              of colorado

                    in the house of representatives

                      Tuesday, September 10, 2013

  Mr. COFFMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Wayne Thompson of 
Denver, Colorado as he will be honored later this week by the Veterans 
of Foreign Wars (VFW), Post #5061, for over 40 years of committed 
service to Colorado's neediest veterans. Wayne Thompson's is one of the 
exceptional stories of lifelong dedication to public service. Mr. 
Thompson enlisted in the Navy in 1951 and was stationed in Korea, 
Japan, and Vietnam over his four-year military career.
  Born in Lincoln, Nebraska in 1932, Mr. Thompson began his career in 
public service in 1960 at the U.S. Department of Labor. While there, he 
worked on a task force dedicated to helping veterans find jobs. In 
1974, Mr. Thompson was assigned to work in Denver and has called the 
Centennial State home ever since. Mr. Thompson served under multiple 
Governors of Colorado over the course of thirty years as a top advisor 
on veterans' health and employment issues. As a member of the VFW for 
nearly fifty years, Mr. Thompson played key roles in the establishment 
of numerous veterans' homes in Colorado, the funding of the Western 
Slope Military Cemetery, and the long-awaited construction of the new 
veterans' hospital in Denver.
  Mr. Thompson's commitment to veterans extended beyond his work in 
government. In 1972, Mr. Thompson co-founded the United Veterans 
Committee, a non-profit coalition of veteran service organization which 
advocates for veterans and their families in Colorado. From 1980-1990, 
Mr. Thompson served on the Colorado Board of Veterans' Affairs and from 
1986-1990, he was its Chairman. He has also served on the board of the 
Fitzsimmons State Veterans Nursing home since its opening.

[[Page E1275]]

  Since coming to Colorado, Mr. Thompson has been a devoted champion of 
the state's veterans at every level and continues to work for the 
people of Colorado every day. Mr. Speaker, it is an honor to recognize 
Mr. Wayne Thompson for his unwavering support of the veteran community 
in Colorado and a lifetime of public service.

                          ____________________