Recognizing Bill Haneke

Floor Speech

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Mr. WITTMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize First District constituent and U.S. Army veteran, Bill Haneke upon his retirement from the Families of the Wounded Fund Board.

A graduate of Hampton High School and a 1966 graduate of the United States Military Academy, Bill Haneke attended both the Army Ranger and Airborne Schools. After several Infantry assignments in the U.S. and Germany, he served as Commanding Officer of Camp Gates, Marktredwitz, West Germany. He then attended the Army Special Warfare School at Ft. Bragg, NC, where he was trained as an Advisor in preparation for a tour with Advisory Team 37 in Hoa Da District, Binh Thuan Province, South Vietnam in 1968.

Captain Haneke was instrumental in establishing and directing this new Advisory Team with the Vietnamese Regional Forces/Popular Forces. He was awarded three Bronze Star Medals (one with ``V'' for Valor), a Purple Heart, the Combat Infantry Badge, and the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry for his service in Vietnam.

On November 13, 1968, Bill suffered massive traumatic injuries when he was blown up by a Viet Cong Command Detonated Mine, causing multiple amputations, massive head injuries requiring five neurosurgical operations, severance of his carotid artery, and severe shrapnel wounds over 90 percent of his body. Following his extensive treatment and successful rehabilitation, he earned a master's degree in healthcare and business administration from Virginia Commonwealth University. He has worked for over thirty years managing organizations in all sectors of the Healthcare Field and is a true patient advocate.

Haneke has been a member of MOAA, Blinded Veterans of America, the DAV, Vietnam Veterans of America, as well as continuously volunteering as a patient advocate and counselor for Amputees, Head Injured, and those with severe traumatic injuries. Bill was presented with the prestigious award of the National Veteran of the Year by the Daughters of the American Revolution and is currently serving on the Veterans Service Board of Virginia.

Moreover, Bill is the Co-Founder and Board Member of The Families of the Wounded Fund, Inc., a charity gathering donated funds to provide assistance to family members and caregivers of combat wounded or injured military patients receiving treatment at McGuire Veterans Administration Medical Center, Ft. Belvoir Warrior Transition Medical Center, Walter Reed Medical Center, Hampton Road Medical Center and recently, combat wounded Special Immigration Visa holders from Iraq and Afghanistan service in supporting U.S. & Coalition forces. Under Bill's leadership, Families of the Wounded Fund has awarded 800 family caregiver grants totaling $5.2 million since 2005.

Bill Haneke's memoirs were published with the title Trust Not which recounts the harrowing events in Vietnam where he was given up for dead, until he was miraculously saved by a caring Army medical staff and a voice from above to reassure him.

I congratulate Bill on his recent retirement from the FOTWF Board after 18 years of service. Bill represents the best of Virginia, a Commonwealth made stronger through our ability to keep our promises to our veterans, our military families, and our allies. I thank Bill Haneke for his advocacy, his compassion, and his deep and abiding sense of service to our veterans, our country and our Commonwealth.

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