[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 162 (Monday, November 14, 2016)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1442]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 A NEW EXHIBIT HONORING A VIRGINIA HERO

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. BOB GOODLATTE

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                       Monday, November 14, 2016

  Mr. GOODLATTE. Mr. Speaker, I am delighted to congratulate my friend 
and distinguished public servant, former Secretary of the Army John O. 
Marsh, Jr., in the opening of a new exhibit in his honor at the 
National Infantry Museum at Fort Benning. As the longest serving 
Secretary of the Army, this is a well-deserved recognition of his 
service and contributions to our country and the Commonwealth of 
Virginia.
  Secretary Marsh began his public service at the age of 18 when he 
enlisted in the United States Army during World War II where he served 
with occupation forces in Germany. After the war, Secretary Marsh 
pursued a career in law while continuing to serve in the U.S. Army 
Reserve and the Virginia Army National Guard, retiring as a Lieutenant 
Colonel in 1976.
  In 1962, he was elected to represent the people of Virginia's Seventh 
Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives and served 
honorably for four terms. While serving in Congress, Secretary Marsh 
graduated from the Army's Airborne Infantry School, earning his Senior 
Parachutist Badge. In fact, he served during the Vietnam War without 
mentioning to his fellow soldiers that he was a sitting Member of 
Congress--a true display of his humble statesmanship.
  Following his service in Congress, Secretary Marsh served as 
Assistant Secretary of Defense and was a counselor to President Gerald 
Ford. In 1981, he was appointed as Secretary of the Army by President 
Ronald Reagan. He went on to serve as the Secretary of the Army until 
1989, making him the longest serving Secretary of the Army in history. 
He served during the sweeping reconstruction of our military's 
organization, and helped implement the joint and more efficient Armed 
Forces we see today.
  Secretary Marsh has received six Department of Defense Distinguished 
Public Service awards, the Presidential Citizens Medal, the Doughboy 
Award, the Gerald R. Ford Medal for Distinguished Public Service, and 
is a member of the Army's Officer Candidate School Hall of Fame and the 
Ranger Hall of Fame. On September 16, 2016, the National Infantry 
Museum at Fort Benning, Georgia, opened a new exhibit to honor 
Secretary Marsh's lifetime of service.
  It has been an honor to know Secretary Marsh and his family over the 
years. He is a native of Virginia and has deep roots in the Shenandoah 
Valley. As a fellow alumnus of Washington and Lee University, he is a 
true inspiration. As President Ford once said, ``Anyone who can make 
thirty-eight parachute jumps while serving as a Congressman has to be 
fairly calm and unflappable.''
  I congratulate Secretary Marsh on this much-deserved exhibit. Future 
generations will forever recognize his immense contributions to our 
nation. I wish him and his family the best.

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