[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 4]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 5940-5941]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




             HONORING LEWIS DEAN ``L.D.'' MINOR OF MINNEOLA

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. JERRY MORAN

                               of kansas

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 8, 2007

  Mr. MORAN of Kansas. Madam Speaker, I rise today to express my 
admiration for the life of Mr. Lewis Dean ``L.D.'' Minor of Minneola, 
Kansas, who passed away on Monday, February 26, 2007. A member of this 
country's ``Greatest Generation,'' Mr. Minor was a man of integrity who 
lived his life in service to others. He worked hard and loved God, his 
family and his country.
  Like so many young Americans of his generation, L.D. put country 
before self and joined the United States Navy in 1943. He proudly 
fought for freedom during World War II in the South Pacific. During his 
service he earned the American Campaign Medal, the Asiatic Pacific 
Campaign Medal and the World War II Victory Medal.
  When I entered Congress in 1997, L.D. was one of the first 
constituents to contact me regarding veterans' issues. Throughout his 
life, L.D. displayed tireless dedication to improving health care 
access for veterans, especially those living in southwest Kansas. He 
constantly worked on opportunities to bring the Department of Veterans 
Affairs to the area for general health care while finding ways to 
transport veterans to a VA regional hospital for specialty care. L.D. 
was one of many veterans whose efforts were rewarded when a VA 
Community Based Outpatient Clinic was opened at Ft. Dodge, Kansas, in 
1999. He provided me valuable counsel and never let me forget that our 
Nation's veterans deserve the best health care possible.
  I signed a picture taken of myself and L.D. during one of his trips 
to Washington, DC to represent the Veterans of Foreign Wars. I was 
proud and humbled to know the picture was displayed during his funeral. 
On that picture, I wrote the following words. ``I wish Congress would 
serve our veterans as well as you and all veterans have served our 
country.'' Veterans have brought honor to our country through their 
military service. It is only right that their government honor its 
commitment to them.

[[Page 5941]]

  In addition to his service to veterans, L.D. was devoted to his 
family. Over the course of their 63 year marriage, L.D. and his wife, 
Esther, were committed parents and grandparents. They raised twelve 
children and enjoyed 30 grandchildren.
  In the many important roles L.D. filled in his life, he served out of 
a sense of duty. He made his community better and his Nation safer. I 
join L.D.'s many friends and admirers in paying tribute to a great man. 
My thoughts and prayers go out to Esther and the Minor family during 
this time of loss.

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