[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 10]
[Senate]
[Page 13426]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                     TRIBUTE TO DR. GERALD M. CROSS

 Mr. ISAKSON. Mr. President, today I recognize Dr. Gerald M. 
Cross, a dedicated public servant who will be retiring from the 
Department of Veterans Affairs at the end of August.
  Before joining the VA, Dr. Cross served in the U.S. Army for nearly 
30 years. While in the Army, Dr. Cross was honored with several awards, 
including five Legion of Merit medals, the Uniformed Services 
University of the Health Sciences, USUHS, Commendable Services Medal 
and the Order of Military Medical Merit. His final Army assignment was 
as the U.S. Army Forces Command, FORSCOM, Surgeon at Fort McPherson, 
assembling medical support for overseas operations.
  Inspired by his experience working with servicemembers and their 
families, Dr. Cross began an 11-year career at the VA after retiring 
from the Army. His work as Principal Deputy Under Secretary for Health 
and Acting Under Secretary for Health earned him the Exceptional 
Service Award in 2010, awarded by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs. 
Among his many accomplishments, Dr. Cross's work at the VA includes 
increasing the number of Vet Centers throughout the country, and adding 
over 1,000 physicians and over 3,000 nurses to the VA staff nationwide, 
and leading the VA Central Office Task Force that implemented the 
Suicide Prevention Hotline. His legacy at the VA will live on, helping 
veterans for years to come.
  Dr. Cross is a truly inspirational public servant. I thank him for 
his many years of serving his country serving those who have served, 
and I wish him the best in his retirement.

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