[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 16 (Friday, January 30, 2015)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E138]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 CONGRATULATING DR. JOHN ``ROB'' MARSH ON BEING NAMED THE 2014 COUNTRY 
                           DOCTOR OF THE YEAR

                                  _____
                                 

                           HON. BOB GOODLATTE

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, January 30, 2015

  Mr. GOODLATTE. Mr. Speaker, the character of a community is often 
defined by the individuals who call it home and the actions of those 
individuals in service to others. Dr. John ``Rob'' Marsh of 
Middlebrook, Virginia, who practices medicine in the heart of the 
Shenandoah Valley, exemplifies this type of service that is truly for 
the betterment of his community.
  It is my honor to congratulate Dr. Marsh on being named the 2014 
Country Doctor of the Year by StaffCare. The Country Doctor of the Year 
Award recognizes ``the spirit, skill, and dedication of America's rural 
medical practitioners.'' This is indeed a well-deserved recognition.
  In times of great change, especially in the field of health care, it 
is encouraging to know that someone like Dr. Marsh is still engaged in 
the practice of medicine. He is dedicated to serving those in his 
community and not always in conventional settings. He drops by for 
regular house calls, makes rounds at the hospital, and presides over a 
long-term care facility. Dr. Marsh also serves others who are just 
passing through at his clinic located alongside a truck stop by the 
interstate in Raphine, Virginia.
  Dr. Marsh's service in the United States Army as a military physician 
is well known. He cared for the wounded members of Delta Force in war 
zones and nearly lost his own life in a mortar attack in Somalia; 
despite his own wounds, Dr. Marsh continued to tend to others who had 
been injured. Dr. Marsh is a decorated military physician, having 
received the Legion of Merit, two Bronze Stars, a Purple Heart, the 
Department of Defense Meritorious Service Medal, and the Army 
Meritorious Service Medal.
  With his wife, Barbara, and their children, Dr. Marsh has deep roots 
in Virginia, and for that I am grateful. It has been an honor to know 
Dr. Marsh over the years as well as his father, former Virginia U.S. 
Representative and Secretary of the Army, John Marsh.
  For many in the Shenandoah Valley, Dr. Marsh is much more than a 
doctor. He is a friend, a fellow farmer, and a pillar of the community. 
Dr. Marsh's contributions are immeasurable, and this award is only the 
smallest token of gratitude he is owed. I wish him and his family the 
best.

                          ____________________