[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 156 (Thursday, September 26, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Page S5739]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    TRIBUTE TO MARCELLA RYAN LEBEAU

  Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, it is always a privilege to honor the men 
and women of America's Greatest Generation. They brought peace to the 
world and defended the freedoms we all enjoy every day, and we owe them 
a tremendous debt of gratitude for their service and sacrifice.
  Today, I wish to recognize one of these heroic Americans from my home 
State of South Dakota. Marcella Ryan LeBeau volunteered to serve in the 
U.S. Army Nurse Corps during World War II--WWII--providing care to 
wounded soldiers across Europe. Next month, Marcella will enjoy her 
100th birthday at a celebration with family and friends, and I wish to 
add my voice to the chorus of those praising her lifetime of 
achievement and dedication to public service.
  Marcella has dedicated her life to serving others. She completed a 
diploma in nursing at St. Mary's Hospital in Pierre, SD, in 1942 and 
served in the Army Nurse Corps as a first lieutenant in WWII, taking 
her from the United States to Wales, England, France, and Belgium. 
While serving in the Army from 1942 to 1946, Marcella cared for 
countless wounded soldiers, including D-Day and the Battle of the 
Bulge.
  In 2004, on the 60th anniversary of D-Day, Marcella was among 100 
WWII American veterans awarded France's highest civilian award, the 
French Legion of Honor, at the French Embassy in Washington, DC.
  Following her service in the Army, Marcella worked for the Indian 
Health Service--IHS--in Eagle Butte for 31 years. She would eventually 
become the Eagle Butte IHS Hospital's director of nursing. In addition 
to her work at the IHS Hospital, she served 4 years on the Cheyenne 
River Sioux Tribal Council while raising eight children with her 
husband, Gilbert.
  After retiring from the IHS, Marcella opened a quilting shop with her 
granddaughter. They make a variety of quilts, with the main feature 
being the star quilt used by the Lakota people for honoring and naming 
ceremonies, memorials, and various life achievements.
  In 2016, Marcella was inducted into the South Dakota Hall of Fame, 
and she received the Women in History award from the Spirit of the 
Prairie Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution. She also 
received an honorary doctorate of public service from South Dakota 
State University in 2018.
  With her lifesaving work in the Army and a longtime commitment to 
South Dakota, Marcella has made a lasting impression on the lives of 
many, and on behalf of all of them, I would I like to wish her a happy 
birthday and thank her for her remarkable service to the United States.

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