[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 12]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 16449]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                    IN TRIBUTE TO DENNIS G. BABCOCK

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. JOE COURTNEY

                             of connecticut

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, October 22, 2015

  Mr. COURTNEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to Mr. Dennis G. 
Babcock, a loyal veteran and resident of Enfield, Connecticut who 
passed away last month.
  Born in Albany, New York in 1940, Dennis served in the U.S. Navy's 
submarine force from 1958 to 1960. After his service in the Navy, 
Dennis moved to Connecticut in 1960 where he would launch a 37 year 
career at Pratt & Whitney Aircraft. A self-identified ``post-Korea, 
pre-Vietnam'' veteran, Dennis served as a stalwart advocate for the 
Connecticut veterans. He served veterans across my district as a driver 
and advocate for the Disabled American Veterans group.
  After joining the Enfield Chapter in 1995, Dennis was appointed 
commander, remaining in that post until 2015. Dennis was exceptionally 
devoted to his fellow veterans, pouring his heart out to those who gave 
their lives for this country. He was a firm believer that ``vets help 
vets,'' and he would regularly clock in more than 250 miles per day 
shuttling veterans across the state to their medical appointments.
  In addition to serving as the Commander for the State of Connecticut 
Disabled American Veterans group, Dennis also was a member of the 
Veterans Council of Enfield, the Amvets Post 18 of Enfield, the 
American Legion Post 0114 of Ravena, NY, and an honorary member of 
Veterans Who Care. He received the Patriot Award in Enfield in 2012. In 
addition to these accomplishments, Dennis served as an active member of 
the Enfield Fire Department from 1972 to 1981, and he was elected as a 
Fire Commissioner for the last 18 years.
  Dennis was a beloved member of the Enfield community, and he will be 
missed greatly by all of those who benefited from his loyalty and 
service to helping those in need, especially Connecticut veterans. He 
is survived by his wife of 52 years, Diane, as well as his two 
daughters and their husbands, and four grandchildren.
  I ask my colleagues to join me in expressing our deepest sorrow to 
Dennis's family for their loss, and to the eastern Connecticut region 
who lost a loyal community member.

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