[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 59 (Monday, April 18, 2016)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E501-E502]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 RECOGNIZING THE HONORABLE SERVICE OF COLONEL ROCKY McPHERSON, UNITED 
                       STATES MARINE CORPS (RET)

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. JEFF MILLER

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, April 18, 2016

  Mr. MILLER of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize and honor 
Colonel Rocky McPherson, United States Marine Corps (Ret), for his more 
than fifty years of dedicated service to the State of Florida and our 
great Nation.
   A 1966 graduate of the United States Naval Academy, Rocky received 
his commission in the United States Marine Corps. For more than 30 
years, his military career took him around the globe, which began upon 
commission with the first of two combat tours and included a myriad of 
command and leadership roles. In his first combat assignment, Rocky 
deployed to Vietnam and served as an Infantry Officer with A Company, 
1st Battalion, 7th Marines. When he returned home, he attended the Air 
Force flight school at Reese Air Force Base in Lubbock, Texas. Having 
earned his wings, he moved on to his next assignment, mission 
qualification in the all-weather attack aircraft A6 Intruder. As a 
newly minted pilot, Rocky returned to Vietnam aboard the USS Coral Sea 
(CVA-43) as a Squadron Landing Signal Officer. During this second 
combat tour, he recorded numerous sorties over Vietnam and had over 160 
carrier landings. His two combat tours earned him the distinction as 
the only Marine officer with both ground and aviation combat tours 
during the Vietnam war.
   For the next several tours, Rocky remained stateside. He served as 
the Marine Corps Representative at the United States Air Force Academy 
and at Marine Headquarters in Washington, D.C. He then commanded the 
Marine All Weather Attack Squadron 121 aboard the USS Ranger (CV-61); 
took on the responsibility of training and operations for more than 400 
tactical aircraft as Deputy Wings Operations Officer in El Toro, 
California; and commanded the Marine Air Training Support Group at 
Whidbey Island, Washington, before returning abroad as Chief of Staff 
to III Marine Expeditionary Force (MEF) in Okinawa, Japan. Rocky made 
his final stop at Marine Corps Headquarters as Manpower Division Deputy 
Director before retiring as Colonel in 1995.
   Colonel McPherson's commitment to public service did not end there, 
however. From 1999 to 2007, he continued to serve in support of our 
Nation's heroes and in particular the more than 1.5 million veterans 
and their families in Florida, as the Executive Director of Florida 
Department of Veterans Affairs. During his tenure, he oversaw the most 
significant expansion of state veterans' nursing homes and was a 
driving force behind the Florida World War II Memorial and monument and 
the expansion of Bushnell National Cemetery. Additionally, he helped to 
ensure that wounded service members returning home from the Global War 
on Terror received the support and care they had earned.
   Florida is proud of being home to our Nation's servicemembers and 
veterans, and Rocky understands the critical importance that the 
military missions based in the state play in providing for our strong 
national defense. To that end, he has spent the last decade of his 
career in support of Florida's military installations as part of 
Enterprise Florida, Inc. He played an integral role in standing up the 
Florida Defense Support Task Force, created by Florida Statute, to 
preserve, protect, and enhance Florida's military missions and 
installations and currently serves as its Vice President of Military 
and Defense Programs, Strategic Partnerships. Rocky also assisted in 
creating and publishing the Florida Military Friendly Guide, a summary 
of all laws and programs in Florida benefitting active duty, Reserve 
and National Guard personnel and their families, as well as production 
of the Florida Defense Industry Economic Impact Analysis. Furthermore, 
he played an integral role in establishing the first-ever program for 
applying state resources to non-conservation lands transactions in 
Florida Statute to protect military missions from non-compatible 
development and other encroachment threats to the military value of 
Florida installations. He has been an active and valued voice on the 
State Advisory Council for the Association of Defense Communities.
   Without question, Colonel Rocky McPherson can hang his hat up on a 
career he can be proud of. He has proven to be an accomplished leader 
who has dedicated his life to serving the State of Florida and the 
United States of America, and his unwavering commitment to men and 
women in the Armed

[[Page E502]]

Forces and veterans' community will be felt for years to come.
   Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the United States Congress, it gives me 
great pleasure to honor Colonel Rocky McPherson, United States Marine 
Corps (retired). My wife Vicki joins me in thanking Rocky and his wife, 
Connie, for their dedicated service. This includes Connie's 12 years in 
the United States Marine Corps. We wish them; their three children, 
Ashley, Nathan, and Courtney; grandchild; and all of the McPherson 
family all the best for continued success. Semper Fi.

                          ____________________