[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 148 (2002), Part 8]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 10377]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




 TRIBUTE TO VICTOR WAHBY, MD, DIRECTOR OF THE VA-MEDICAL MUSICAL GROUP

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. TOM LANTOS

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 12, 2002

  Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to a distinguished and 
unique individual--Victor S. Wahby, M.D., Ph.D., founder and director 
of the VA-National Medical Musical Group, the largest medical chorale 
and symphony orchestra in America. The musicians of this award-winning 
group are healers and medical clinicians, scientists or medical 
administrators by profession, but they are all also extremely talented 
and well-trained musicians. They embrace Dr. Wahby's vision of ``music 
that heals.''
  A renaissance man, Dr. Wahby is a physician, scientist, musician, 
poet, and a leading medical practitioner and administrator at the 
Veterans' Health Administration in Washington, DC. Dr. Wahby has had an 
extraordinary career. In his younger years at the Mayo Clinic, he 
provided critical medical care to such notables as the Rev. Billy 
Graham, Dr. Charles Malik and Corrie Ten Boom. Subsequently, while on 
faculty of Yale University, he published research on the hormonal 
correlates of depression and appetite. In his current position as a 
leading VA physician-executive, he has received many national 
recognitions. Just this year he and his team won the prestigious 
Government Executive Technology Award, the e-gov Pioneer Award, the 
Knowledge Management World Award, as well as numerous others.
  Mr. Speaker, in 1996 Dr. Wahby and the VA-National Medical Musical 
Group initiated a unique patriotic event that has become an annual 
tradition here on Capitol Hill--the Congressional Flag Day Concert. 
This program of word and music is sponsored by the prayer breakfast 
organizations of the House of Representatives and the Senate. It is 
held on or around Flag Day (June 14) for the past six years. The 
seventh in this annual concert series will take place tomorrow, 
Thursday, June 13, at 1:00 p.m. in the Cannon Caucus Room.
  The Congressional Flag Day Concerts have been embraced by members of 
both houses of the Congress and their staff, and it has enjoyed wide 
public support and strong media interest. Many leaders from different 
fields and varied backgrounds have endorsed and participated in this 
program, which emphasizes national healing and unity. I have personally 
had the honor of participating in several of these concerts, and I 
always come away entertained, refreshed and inspired.
  The 2002 Concert Honorary Committee is chaired by First Lady Laura 
Bush, and the vice chairs are my wife, Annette, and Mrs. Patricia Lott, 
the wife of Senate Minority Leader Trent Lott. Others who serve on the 
committee include Lynne Cheney, former President Bill Clinton, former 
Senator Bob Dole, Dr. Henry Kissinger and other distinguished 
Americans.
  Mr. Speaker, these Flag Day Concerts have emphasized the honoring of 
America's veterans and the men and women serving in our nation's armed 
forces. This year, the choir and orchestra will perform the ``Veterans 
Hymn''--composed by Dr. Wahby.
  It is a tribute to the energy, enthusiasm, patriotism, and 
showmanship of Dr. Wahby that the VA-National Medical Musical Group has 
been awarded the 2002 Congressional Medal of Honor Society's Bob Hope 
Award.
  Mr. Speaker, I invite my colleagues to join me in paying tribute to 
Dr. Victor Wahby for his service to our nation and for his outstanding 
leadership and dedication to healing through medicine and through 
music. And, Mr. Speaker, I invite my colleagues and their staff to join 
me tomorrow afternoon in the Cannon Caucus Room for the 2002 Annual 
Flag Day Concert.

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