[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 10]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 14358]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                   HONORING THE SERVICE OF ALAN PERRY

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. JIM COSTA

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, November 15, 2016

  Mr. COSTA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today along with my colleagues, Mr. 
Denham, Mr. Nunes, and Mr. Valadao to recognize Mr. Alan ``Al'' Perry 
for his dedication and commitment to the veterans of California's 
Central Valley. Since 2013, Mr. Perry has proudly served as the 
President of the Central Valley Honor Flight. As he embarks on his last 
trip to Washington, D.C., it is important that we recognize him for all 
his benevolent work and for ensuring that our Valley World War II and 
Korean War veterans are given the opportunity to take a final tour with 
honor.
  Mr. Perry's dedication to working with veterans stems from his own 
background as a Vietnam Era veteran. He served as an officer in the 
Army Medical Service Corps from 1971 through 1973. Mr. Perry has also 
worked for numerous Veterans Affairs (VA) medical centers and has held 
different leadership positions within the VA. In 1998, Mr. Perry was 
appointed director of the Central California VA where he served for 13 
years, retiring in 2012. Mr. Perry has been recognized for transforming 
the Fresno VA Hospital to the modern hospital it is now, thus giving 
more Valley veterans the access and resources they need.
  Over the years, we have had the opportunity to work closely with Mr. 
Perry as he continuously champions for veterans of the Central Valley. 
As President of Central Valley Honor Flight and leader of the trip, Mr. 
Perry has led the trips for all 11 flights since 2013. Under Mr. 
Perry's watch, the veterans are always safe and on schedule. Time after 
time they have memorable experiences as they visit the Smithsonian-
National Air and Space Museum and the World War II and Korean War 
Memorials. To date, a total of 803 WWII and Korean War Veterans have 
visited D.C. and returned with a 100 percent safety record. For this 
success, Mr. Perry was recognized as a Rotary International Paul Harris 
Fellow in 2015. There is no doubt that Mr. Perry will be missed as he 
has been an integral part of Honor Flight.
  We commend Mr. Perry for his selfless dedication and work on behalf 
of our veterans. Mr. Perry, along with Honor Flight volunteers and 
staff are able to continue this program with the support of local 
sponsors and our community. It is always a highlight for our offices to 
help prepare for the arrival of our veterans, and because of Mr. Perry 
every Honor Flight has been unforgettable.
  Mr. Speaker, it is with great respect that Mr. Denham, Mr. Nunes, Mr. 
Valadao, and I ask our colleagues in the U.S. House of Representatives 
to join us in recognizing Mr. Alan Perry for serving as President and 
trip leader of Central Valley Honor Flight. Mr. Perry's genuine 
devotion to our nation's veterans makes him a remarkable individual. We 
wish him the best of luck as he moves on to his future endeavors.

                          ____________________