Roger Marshall: “I didn't know Charlie well; I only met Charlie once before I came to Congress and then had a few occasions to work with…”

“I didn't know Charlie well; I only met Charlie once before I came to Congress and then had a few occasions to work with him in Congress. I certainly knew his reputation. He was a great advocate for veterans and a great advocate for patients' rights and, on some subjects, willing to buck his leadership in order to advance the cause of patients' rights, and it was something I appreciated a great deal. As Charlie grew sicker, from time to time I would seek him out on the floor and ask him how he was doing. He was always upbeat about it, he was always positive about it. He was never down and sad. He would be very frank about what he was able to do and where he was and what his challenges were, but he was always positive about his circumstances. His circumstance was awful, as everybody knows. He fought this disease for years and gradually grew worse, and we were all worried about him.”