[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 8]
[Senate]
[Pages 11020-11021]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                     TRIBUTE TO DR. BARRY L. BOOTH

 Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. President, today I wish to pay tribute to 
Dr. Barry L. Booth of Spanish Fort, AL. I have had the great fortune to 
work with Dr. Booth on a variety of projects in South Alabama, 
including the Honor Flight South Alabama program, the Vietnam Veterans 
Memorial at the USS Alabama Battleship Memorial Park, and the creation 
of the Alabama State Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Spanish Fort, AL. 
They have been remarkable successes, in great part through the 
leadership of Dr. Booth.
  Barry Booth was born and raised in humble conditions in West 
Virginia. He worked hard, took care of his grades, and was admitted to 
Auburn University. He hitchhiked to Auburn where he says he arrived 
with ``empty pockets.'' He enrolled in the Naval ROTC and was 
commissioned as a lieutenant in the U.S. Navy Reserve upon his 
graduation from the University of Alabama, School of Dentistry in 1966 
and that same year he volunteered for active duty, signed with the 
Marine Corps in San Diego, and in 1967 volunteered to go to Vietnam as 
a medical civil action patrol dental officer with the 3rd Marine 
Division and the U.S. Army 5th Special Forces.
  Dr. Booth earned a Gold Parachutist Device, the U.S. Navy Unit 
Commendation, and the Vietnam Service Medal, among others. He was 
honorably discharged in July 1969. It is clear that his patriotism has 
continued to grow since joining the Marine Corps. In fact, in the wake 
of the terrible events of September 11, 2001, Dr. Booth attempted to 
rejoin the Marine Corps, at age 60, and had to be officially denied.
  Dr. Booth has been a busy and invaluable servant to the veterans in 
South Alabama. He was vital to the establishment of the Honor Flight 
South Alabama program. Honor Flight South Alabama has brought over a 
thousand veterans and their companions to the memorials they earned, 
including the World War II Memorial, here in Washington, D.C. I have 
taken great pleasure in having the chance to share in the fellowship of 
these veterans. They are truly a remarkable breed of patriots. They 
endured and survived the biggest war in the history of the world, and 
truly deserve such a great memorial in their honor. I appreciate the 
considerable good work Dr. Booth, and the rest of his team, have done 
to bring these wonderful veterans to our Nation's Capital.
  Dr. Booth also helped develop the Vietnam Veterans Memorial at the 
USS Alabama Battleship Memorial Park. Because of this memorial, many 
people in the Mobile region have had the opportunity to learn more 
about the sacrifices made by our Vietnam veterans. This memorial will 
serve as an important reminder of what these servicemembers endured.
  In addition, Dr. Booth was pivotal in the creation of the Alabama 
State Veterans Memorial Cemetery. In addition to his time and 
resources, he even donated 3 acres of family land for the now-active 
cemetery at Saluda Hill near Historic Blakely State Park. For 50 years 
before this, the State of Alabama had not had the space to bury new 
veterans in a State veteran's cemetery. The new cemetery provides South 
Alabama veterans a proper, dignified, and peaceful burial area.
  Lastly, Dr. Booth has contributed to a number of veteran and service 
organizations through his active membership. He is a member of the 
Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 864, the Navy League, the Military 
Officers Association of America, the Sons of the American Revolution, 
and is a life member of both American Legion Post 199 and the Veterans 
of Foreign Wars.

[[Page 11021]]

For his commitment, he was named 2009 Veteran of the Year by the Mobile 
Bay Area Veterans Day Commission and Fairhope, Alabama's Veteran of the 
Year for 2011.
  For years I have enjoyed the kindness and warmth of Barry's 
friendship. He has been critical to the success of a number of projects 
we have worked on together. He is a true patriot, and a good man who 
expects nothing in return for his efforts. He simply understands what 
our military personnel are called upon to do for their country, he has 
seen it first hand, he knows the pain of loss and injury, and his 
loyalty to them compels him to do all he can to honor their service. I 
would like to thank him for his service to his fellow veterans, to the 
State of Alabama, and to his country.

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