{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://womack.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=398438", "Times Record: Womack Honors Veterans At Golden Living Event", "2014-11-07", "2014", "2014-11", "Republican", "House", "AR", "Steve Womack", "W000809", "womack.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "One of the greatest pieces of the American fabric is that the nation\u2019s military is made up of those who volunteer themselves in order to serve and protect the country, U.S. Rep.\u00a0Steve Womack, R-Rogers, said at a Thursday Veterans Day event.\r\nThe ceremony at the\u00a0Golden Living\u00a0administrative center in Fort Smith was held to honor of the company\u2019s veteran employees, the veteran residents the company serves, as well as all veterans.\r\nWomack said he felt \u201chonored and privileged\u201d to celebrate the occasion and applauded those in attendance who offered their services to the country.\r\n\u201cOur nation has the best capacity to impose its will on its adversaries, and it\u2019s all voluntary,\u201d Womack said. \u201cPeople volunteer to put themselves in harm\u2019s way on behalf of their country. It\u2019s an honor and a privilege to be in your presence.\u201d\r\nHe said as the nation approaches Tuesday\u2019s national Veterans Day holiday, it is important to recognize all branches of the military and those who have served.\r\nWomack spoke of one of his heroes, 1st Lt. Alonzo H. Cushing, whose defense of Cemetery Ridge at the Battle of Gettysburg helped to change the tide of the Civil War.\u00a0On Thursday, President Barack Obama posthumously awarded Cushing the Congressional Medal of Honor.\r\nWomack also told the story of Army Sgt. Brendan Marrocco, who in 2009 was injured in an attack that caused him to have both arms and both legs amputated. Through a 13-hour surgery in 2012, Womack said, Marrocco was able to have a rare\u00a0bilateral arm transplant\u00a0courtesy of deceased donors.\r\n\u201cWhat does it say about our country that (injuries such as Marrocco\u2019s) could pique the interest of some of the brightest minds, to take cadaver arms and make them be able to work like his own?\u201d Womack asked, adding that Maracco has since received prosthetic legs. \u201cThat young man can now stand at attention and salute with someone else\u2019s arms, this great country.\u201d\r\nWomack, himself is a veteran who enlisted in the Arkansas Army National Guard and served for 30 years until he retired in 2009 as a colonel, commended Golden Living for acknowledging its veteran employees.\r\n\u201cIt\u2019s important for corporations like this one to honor the men and women in uniform, many of whom still serve in the Reserves, while still working and providing for their families,\u201d Womack said.\r\nWomack presented an American flag that was once flown over the U.S. Capitol to Ron Fravel, an Army veteran and 28-year employee of Golden Living, to honor the company\u2019s veteran employees. Fravel said the company plans to display the flag in the front lobby.\r\nWomack also presented each of the more than 20 veteran employees in attendance with his congressional challenge coin as an extra token of appreciation.\r\nThursday\u2019s ceremony coincides with the company\u2019s yearlong celebration of 50 years of service.\r\nThe Golden Living family of companies has more than 40,000 employees who provide health care to more than 60,000 patients across 21 states, according to a news release.\r\n\r\nClick\u00a0here\u00a0to read the original article.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://womack.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=398438"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.9537177868187428, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}