[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 1]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 40]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                HONORING JOHN M. MELLA ON HIS RETIREMENT

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. BART STUPAK

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, January 12, 2010

  Mr. STUPAK. Madam Speaker, I rise to honor John M. Mella on his 
retirement from the Oscar G. Johnson VA Medical Center in Iron 
Mountain, Michigan after working at the facility for 34 years. His 
commitment to his work and to the veterans he serves is the definition 
of what it means to be a dedicated employee as well as a true patriot.
  John is a native of the Keweenaw Peninsula in Michigan's Upper 
Peninsula, where he graduated from Calumet High School. His commitment 
to our Nation's veterans can be traced to his father, Russell Mella, 
who served with the U.S. Army 91st Infantry Division, 5th Army in North 
Africa and Italy. John followed in his father's footsteps, attending 
the Military Police Academy in Fort Gordon, Georgia. He then served in 
the United States Army Military Police Corps from 1972 to 1975, 
patrolling the city of Bamberg, Germany and surrounding communities.
  In 1975, John was hired as a police officer at the VA Hospital in 
Iron Mountain. In 1983 he began working at the facility as a motor 
vehicle operator, transporting veterans to the VA Medical Center in 
Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Over the years he has gone from driving vans and 
sedans to motor coaches. For 27 years John's steady hand at the wheel 
has made sure veterans at the VA Hospital in Iron Mountain arrived at 
their destination safely, and with honor and dignity.
  Both on and off the job, John is an active veteran. He is a member of 
the Uren-Cooper-Johnson American Legion Post #50 in Iron Mountain and 
has been a Legionnaire for 30 years. Over the years John has served as 
Post Commander, 12th District Committeeman, Commander of the Upper 
Peninsula Association, and Michigan American Legion State Commander. He 
also has served as membership director for the Michigan District and is 
currently serving as chairman of the Time and Place Committee for the 
Upper Peninsula Association.
  John has served as chairman for the Dickinson County Office of 
Veterans Affairs, and is currently serving as finance officer. He is a 
21- year member of the Knights of Columbus, a member of Elks Lodge #700 
and a Habitat for Humanity volunteer.
  In 2006, John co-chaired the Upper Peninsula Veterans Memorial 
Committee, which raised $106,000 to build a memorial site in honor of 
members of the armed services who served our Nation. This tribute 
placed on Pine Mountain in Iron Mountain is an especially fitting 
tribute to preserve the memory, dedication and the honor of our Upper 
Peninsula veterans who proudly served their country.
  Madam Speaker, John is a friend, a patriot and has proven himself to 
be a man of distinction in his years of work at the Oscar G. Johnson VA 
Hospital. His service to our Nation and his commitment to the men and 
women who have served in the armed forces are a testament to his 
generosity and dedication. Therefore Madam Speaker, I ask that you, and 
all of my colleagues in the U.S. House of Representatives, join me in 
saluting John M. Mella for his service to our veterans and congratulate 
him on his retirement.

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