Congratulating Master Sergeant Silverine James

Floor Speech

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Mr. CLINE. Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate retired Army Master Sergeant Silverine James on the naming of the Salem VA Medical Center's Women's Health Clinic in her honor.

Allowed to enlist by her mother, James joined the Army in 1949 and, after leaving in 1951, she eventually returned to the service in 1953 as an administrative specialist at the New York Point of Embarkation.

Though the Army was still segregated at the time of her rejoining, Mrs. James was given an assignment that would help lead to the integration of her company and later was a trailblazer while serving at Camp Zama in Japan as the only African American in the Judge Advocate General section of the Far East Command.

By the time she retired in 1973, Master Sergeant James had completed 22 years of service. Taking a well-deserved year off after retirement, James began a job at the Salem VA, where she spent nearly 5 years before taking a job with FEMA.

In an article chronicling her life, Master Sergeant James said simply, ``I gave my country the best part of my life.''

It was great to be with Mrs. James last week to name the center in her honor. She surely did give the VA the best part of her life and her country the best part of her life.

Congratulations on this well-deserved honor.

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