Date: 2012-09-13
Speaker: WASSERMAN SCHULTZ (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I rise to celebrate the life of a beloved member of our south Florida veterans community. William "Bill" Kling. who passed away on August 6 at the age of 84. Bill was a devoted husband and father. and he is survived by his two children. Marsha Mittentag and Steven Kling. My thoughts and prayers go out to them. to Bills extended family. and to all of his friends and colleagues who share in mourning this loss. Bill was a member of our Greatest Generation of Americans who served our Nation as a radar technician for the Navy during World War II. But Bills service to our Nation was far from over when he returned from war. In fact. it was just beginning. Bill Kling became a national leader and one of the strongest advocates for our Nations veterans. He was dedicated to helping generations of veterans as they returned to civilian life. He worked tirelessly to make sure our veterans were getting the benefits they deservedfrom education under the GI Bill to quality health care through our VA system. Im sure my Florida colleagues will agree that Bill was a force to be reckoned with. ever brightening our congressional doorways. pushing the urgency of the issue at hand. I know we are grateful for the remarkable legacy he leaves behind. and he will be sorely missed. I had the distinct pleasure of working with Bill for the last 23 years and have witnessed firsthand the many ways he helped thousands of veterans in Florida. Im also proud to have called Bill my friend. For the past 7 years. Bill served as the chairman of my Military Academy Nominations Board where he helped the next generation of military leaders realize the dream of serving the country they love. For 8 years. he served on the Florida Commission on Veterans Affairs. and for the past 27 years he was the president of the Broward County Veterans Council. He also led the Jewish War Veterans and was a member of the American Legion. Veterans of Foreign Wars. and the Disabled American Veterans. The list of superlatives for Bill shows him as the great American that he was. Bill was inducted into the Broward Senior Hall of Fame. received the Humanitarian of the Year award from the Dolphin Democrats. and changed the shape of veterans services in south Florida. In particular. he helped bring the Alexander "Sandy" Nininger Veterans Nursing Home to Pembroke Pines in 2001 and worked with other veterans to create the South Florida National Cemetery in Palm Beach in One of Bills greatest accomplishments and lasting legacies was ensuring that veterans would have easy access to quality medical care. Bill noticed that too often veterans in Broward County had to travel too far to go to a VA facility to get the care that they needed. With that in mind. he helped open the Oakland Park VA Outpatient Clinic more than two decades ago. When the building the clinic occupied began deteriorating. Bill worked to open a brandnew facility. Even though this effort took years. Bill kept a smile on his face and kept working to overcome every obstacle. because thats just how Bill operated. So in 2008. a new 98.000squarefoot clinic opened in Sunrise. and fittingly on Bills birthday. I think its fair to say that without Bill Kling. this wonderful center that serves thousands of our veterans each year might not ever exist. With that in mind. Im honored to announce that next week my good friend. Congressman TED DEUTCH. also of Florida. and I will file legislation. along with many other members of the Florida delegation. that will rename the Broward Outpatient Clinic as the William "Bill" Kling VA Clinic. This is such a fitting way to memorialize and thank Bill Kling. With passage of this bill. every veteran who walks through the doors of the Broward VA Clinic will know the name of the man who did so much for so many. Mr. Speaker. I look forward to the passage of this legislation so we may pay fitting tribute to a great American. William "Bill" Kling.