[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 11]
[Senate]
[Page 15086]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




  AMERICAN LEGION PENNSYLVANIA DEPARTMENT COMMANDER ROBERT D. ``BOB'' 
                                SHALALA

  Mr. SPECTER. Mr. President, today I recognize an American patriot 
whose commitment and dedication to the cause of our veterans has been 
long established. From 1960 to 1964, Bob Shalala served on active duty 
in the United States Navy aboard the U.S.S. Galveston, the U.S.S. 
Wright and the U.S.S. Fred T. Berry. Before his active duty ended, he 
served as the aide to the Commanding Officer of a naval air squadron 
and was also selected to join the Navy's Blue Jacket Choir, which 
entertained audiences around the country. Returning to Pennsylvania, he 
started his illustrious 40-year career as a Philadelphia police officer 
and twice was selected as Police Officer of the Year.
  His remarkable career in the American Legion of Pennsylvania began 
with the Legion's Philadelphia Police Post. In the next 37 years, Bob 
gave new meaning to the word ``leadership'' as he served in every 
position from the Post level to District Commander to Sectional 
Commander to the top position--Department Commander. In between, he 
managed to chair a host of different committees and served as the 
Pennsylvania American Legion top membership recruiter for 2 years while 
placing second nationally in the Legion's membership effort.
  Not surprisingly, Bob Shalala's goal as Department Commander over the 
past year has been to improve and promote membership. The American 
Legion in the State of Pennsylvania is the largest in the country and 
the position of Department Commander is a formidable one. From peers 
and members comes that Bob accepted the challenge of leadership and has 
set a high standard for his successors to emulate. An excellent 
spokesman, Bob Shalala departs his position as Department Commander in 
July 2004 with the gratitude of the Department's 240,000 members for a 
job performed exceedingly well. As the mantle of leadership passes to a 
new Department Commander, I express my gratitude to Bob Shalala for 
serving Pennsylvania veterans with such alacrity and dedication. He has 
faced the churning sea and completed his mission. In nautical terms 
that Navy men will understand, I raise high the flag hoist signaling 
Bravo Zulu--well done.

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