[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 20 (Tuesday, January 31, 2023)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E79-E80]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             HONORING MS. MARY GATANAS ON HER 80TH BIRTHDAY

                                 ______
                                 

                     HON. C.A. DUTCH RUPPERSBERGER

                              of maryland

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, January 31, 2023

  Mr. RUPPERSBERGER. Mr. Speaker, I rise before you today to celebrate 
Ms. Mary Gatanas as she reaches a significant milestone in her life--
her 80th birthday.
  Ms. Gatanas has lived an impressive life up to this juncture. A 
strong and loving mother to Andrew and Adrienne, grandmother to 
Tristan, Markella and Tatum, and a devoted military spouse to Major 
General Harry Gatanas, Mary's selflessness and generosity are a 
hallmark of every relationship she has forged.
  As an Army Officer's spouse through 29 years of service, Ms. Gatanas 
endeavored to leave her mark on every place she and Major General 
Gatanas were posted--a tall task considering their 24 separate moves. 
Nonetheless, everywhere she went, she always went above and beyond for 
the Army families around her.

[[Page E80]]

  In Germany, as a young spouse, she observed the struggles that other 
Army families faced finding adequate childcare amidst hectic lives as 
new parents in a new place. Rather than accepting the status quo, Mary 
put others first, creating a childcare center on base to minimize at 
least one stressor for these families willing to uproot their lives to 
serve our country.
  Further down the line, on station in New Mexico on the White Sands 
Missile Range, now the wife of the commanding officer, she once again 
pushed for improvements on base. Finding that elements of a nutritious 
diet were hard to come by in this remote location, Ms. Gatanas fought 
to ensure that fresh produce and dairy products would be available to 
families in the commissary.
  Ms. Gatanas was also an activist for military families off-base. She 
worked diligently to advocate for legislation that would ensure 
military spouses would be treated equitably in divorce proceedings when 
it came to accessing military retirement pay. In 1982, her efforts paid 
off as the Uniformed Services Former Spouses' Protection Act passed 
through Congress.
  Amidst these impressive accomplishments, Mary never wavered on her 
number one priority--the up-bringing of her son Andrew and daughter 
Adrienne. This devotion to her loved ones has continued unfettered, as 
she now relishes the opportunity to shower her grandchildren, Tristan, 
Markella and Tatum with that same love.
  Mr. Speaker, it is evident that wherever Ms. Gatanas lived, she 
became a catalyst for change, working tirelessly to improve the lives 
of all those around her. She is well-deserving of our praise on this 
day. I wish Ms. Gatanas a very happy 80th birthday.

                          ____________________