United States HRES 434: Expressing the appreciation of the House of Representatives for Robert E. Wallace, retiring Executive Director of the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States, Washington Office.

Bill Text

IV
116TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION H. RES. 434
Expressing the appreciation of the House of Representatives for Robert E.
Wallace, retiring Executive Director of the Veterans of Foreign Wars
of the United States, Washington Office.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
JUNE 10, 2019
Mr. TAKANO (for himself and Mr. SMITH of New Jersey) submitted the
following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs
RESOLUTION
Expressing the appreciation of the House of Representatives
for Robert E. Wallace, retiring Executive Director of
the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States,
Washington Office.
Whereas the congressionally-chartered Veterans of Foreign
Wars of the United States (hereinafter, ‘‘VFW’’) has,
since its founding in 1899, existed to serve United States
veterans, members of the Armed Forces, and their fami-
lies, wherever they reside or are assigned;
Whereas since 1996, Robert E. ‘‘Bob’’ Wallace, has helped
lead the VFW Washington Office, which this year marks
a centennial of service and advocacy in our Nation’s Cap-
ital to ensure that veterans and military communities are
properly cared for by the Government that creates them;
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•HRES 434 IH
Whereas Bob received three Purple Hearts for injuries sus-
tained in Vietnam as a member of the Marine Corps, re-
turned home to pursue a career in banking after earning
a bachelor of science degree from Rutgers University and
a master’s degree in business administration from
Fairleigh Dickinson University, as well as graduating
from the School for Bank Administration at the Univer-
sity of Wisconsin;
Whereas Bob joined the VFW while in Vietnam and would
be the recipient of the national organization’s 1979
Young Veteran of the Year award, as well as from his
home State of New Jersey, and he would go on to ap-
pointed and to elected VFW positions, including being
the first Vietnam veteran and the youngest veteran to
command the VFW Department of New Jersey from
1980 to 1981, and culminating in his being elected as the
VFW National Commander from 1991 to 1992;
Whereas Bob has worked with five United States Presidents
and a countless number of members of Congress, their
staffs and fellow veterans organizations’ leadership to im-
plement change for America’s veterans, members of the
Armed Forces, and their families; his is a voice of reason
and motivation, coupled with a can-do attitude to meet
every challenge that improves the quality of life of the
military and veterans communities he serves;
Whereas the VFW’s service officer program impacts lives,
and Bob’s direct oversight of VFW National Veterans
Service has enabled a nationwide and international cadre
of 2,100 accredited service officers to recoup $8.3 billion
in earned disability benefits for more than 526,000
wounded, ill, and injured veterans in 2018 alone;
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Whereas the VFW’s advocacy on Capitol Hill creates change
that affects lives, and Bob’s direct oversight of the VFW
National Legislative Service ensured that the organiza-
tion continued to have its fingerprints on every piece of
quality-of-life legislation signed into law at the end of the
20th century and well into the 21st;
Whereas Bob’s proudest legislative accomplishments are
many, from Department of Veterans Affairs funding bat-
tles prior to the signing of advanced appropriations, to
the Millennium Act, significant improvements to the
Montgomery GI Bill, the GI Bill for the 21st Century,
and the Forever GI Bill, as well the passage of the VOW
to Hire Heroes Act, appeals reform, expansion of the
Caregiver program, and the new VA/Department of De-
fense electronic medical record, among numerous others;
and
Whereas the VFW’s support of our Nation’s Full Accounting
mission is without peer because of Bob Wallace’s hands-
on approach to ensure the governments of former en-
emies know from a veteran’s perspective—and from a
family perspective—that the return of fallen members of
the Armed Forces is a humanitarian mission that tran-
scends politics: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, that the House of Representatives— 1
(1) salutes the leadership, guidance, and friend-2
ship of Robert E. Wallace at the helm of the VFW 3
Washington Office for the past 23 years; he met 4
every challenge and the VFW, veterans, members of 5
the Armed Forces, and their families everywhere are 6
better off for his faithful service and advocacy; and 7
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(2) wishes him best wishes in his retirement, 1
where every day is Veterans Day. 2
Æ
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