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Tributes Delivered in Congress

to

Strom Thurmond

To Commemorate His Service in the

United States Senate

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TRIBUTES TO HON. STROM THURMONDTRIBUTES TO HON. STROM THURMOND

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Strom Thurmond


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U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE

WASHINGTON : 2002

S. DOC. 107–12

Tributes Delivered in Congress

to

Strom Thurmond

To Commemorate His Service in the

United States Senate

One Hundred Seventh Congress

Second Session

UNUM

E PLURIBUS


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Compiled under the direction

of the

Joint Committee on Printing

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CONTENTS

Page

Biography .................................................................................................. v

Proceedings in the Senate:

Tributes by Senators:

Akaka, Daniel K., of Hawaii ..................................................... 38

Allard, Wayne, of Colorado ........................................................ 20

Allen, George, of Virginia .......................................................... 25

Biden, Joseph R., Jr., of Delaware ........................................... 73

Bingaman, Jeff, of New Mexico ................................................ 25

Bond, Christopher S., of Missouri ............................................. 16

Bunning, Jim, of Kentucky ....................................................... 36

Byrd, Robert C., of West Virginia ............................................. 10

Clinton, Hillary Rodham, of New York .................................... 39

Cochran, Thad, of Mississippi ................................................... 42

Conrad, Kent, of North Dakota ................................................. 45

Craig, Larry E., of Idaho ........................................................... 55

Daschle, Tom, of South Dakota ................................................. 3

Dodd, Christopher J., of Connecticut ....................................... 30

Domenici, Pete V., of New Mexico ............................................ 35

Frist, Bill, of Tennessee ............................................................. 42

Gramm, Phil, of Texas ............................................................... 66, 70

Grassley, Charles E., of Iowa .................................................... 33

Hagel, Chuck, of Nebraska ........................................................ 47

Hatch, Orrin G., of Utah ........................................................... 33

Helms, Jesse, of North Carolina ............................................... 78, 80

Hollings, Ernest F., of South Carolina ..................................... 8

Hutchison, Kay Bailey, of Texas ............................................... 17

Inouye, Daniel K., of Hawaii ..................................................... 65

Kennedy, Edward M., of Massachusetts .................................. 40

Kerry, John F., of Massachusetts ............................................. 54

Kyl, Jon, of Arizona ................................................................... 51

Leahy, Patrick J., of Vermont ................................................... 70

Levin, Carl, of Michigan ............................................................ 48

Lieberman, Joseph I., of Connecticut ....................................... 44

Lott, Trent, of Mississippi ......................................................... 4

Lugar, Richard G., of Indiana ................................................... 37

McConnell, Mitch, of Kentucky ................................................. 28

Murkowski, Frank H., of Arkansas .......................................... 67

Nickles, Don, of Oklahoma ........................................................ 32

Reid, Harry, of Nevada .............................................................. 3, 56

Sarbanes, Paul S., of Maryland ................................................ 50

Smith, Bob, of New Hampshire ................................................ 68

Snowe, Olympia J., of Maine .................................................... 52

Specter, Arlen, of Pennsylvania ................................................ 21

Stevens, Ted, of Alaska ............................................................. 14

Thompson, Fred, of Tennessee .................................................. 36

Response by Mr. Thurmond ............................................................. 57

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BIOGRAPHY

JAMES STROM THURMOND was born December 5, 1902, in

Edgefield, SC. After graduating from Clemson University in

1923, he became a high school teacher and athletic coach.

Soon thereafter he became the county superintendent of education and then State senator. At night he studied law under

his father, and was admitted to the South Carolina bar in

1930. He practiced law until 1938 when he became a circuit

judge.

At the age of 21 he joined the U.S. Army Reserve, becoming a second lieutenant. When World War II was declared,

he was 40 years old. Even though he was beyond draft age,

and, as a judge, held a draft-exempted status, he volunteered

for active duty the day war was declared against Germany.

He served with the Headquarters First Army in American,

European, and Pacific theaters.

On June 6, 1944, STROM THURMOND took part in the D-day

invasion with the 82d Airborne Division by piloting a glider

onto the beaches at Normandy. He was awarded 5 battle

stars and 18 decorations, medals, and awards, including the

Legion of Merit with oakleaf cluster, the Bronze Star Medal

for valor, the Purple Heart, the Belgian Order of the Crown,

and the French Croix de Guerre. After the war he became

a major general in the U.S. Army Reserve.

In 1947 he became Governor of South Carolina. In 1948

Governor STROM THURMOND ran for President as a States

Rights Democrat, carrying 4 States and winning 39 electoral

votes.

In 1954 STROM THURMOND was elected to the U.S. Senate

as a write-in candidate. This made him not only the first and

only person in U.S. history elected to the Senate in this manner, but the only person ever elected to any major office in

the United States in this manner.

Senator STROM THURMOND set a record for the longest individual speech ever delivered in the Senate—24 hours and

18 minutes, from August 28 to August 29, 1957.

In 1964 Senator THURMOND switched from the Democratic

Party to the Republican Party, a move that marked the beVerDate 19-JUN-2001 14:26 Oct 22, 2002 Jkt 079664 PO 00000 Frm 00009 Fmt 6688 Sfmt 6688 D:\DOCS\STROM\81870.TXT CRS1 PsN: CRS1
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ginning of the ‘‘southern strategy’’ that has reshaped the Republican Party.

In 1981, when Ronald Reagan became President, Senator

THURMOND was chosen as Senate President pro tempore,

placing him third in the line of succession to the Presidency.

On March 8, 1996, Senator THURMOND, at the age of 93,

became the oldest person ever to serve in the Senate.

On May 25, 1997, he became the longest-serving Senator

in the history of the Senate, surpassing the record of 41

years and 10 months held by Carl Hayden.

In 1998, Senator THURMOND became the second Senator

ever to cast 15,000 votes.

During his Senate career, he served as chairman and

ranking member of both the Armed Services Committee and

the Judiciary Committee. He was chairman emeritus of the

Veterans’ Affairs Committee and a member of the Labor and

Human Resources Committee.

Senator THURMOND has worked tirelessly for the State of

South Carolina and for the Nation in general. South Carolina has shown its gratitude by honoring the Senator in

many ways. The people of Edgefield County, SC, have built

and erected a life-sized statue of STROM THURMOND on the

Edgefield town square. Things that have been named in his

honor include the STROM THURMOND Lake, Dam and Highway in Clarks Hill; the STROM THURMOND Mall in Columbia;

and the STROM THURMOND National Guard Armory.

There is a STROM THURMOND High School, Auditorium,

Student Center, and Biomedical Research Center. There are

numerous STROM THURMOND chairs and scholarships.

There’s the STROM THURMOND Foundation, which assists in

educating 80 to 100 needy, worthy students annually. And

he has endowed 52 scholarships at 45 colleges and universities.

Some of the numerous awards that Senator THURMOND

has received in his 100 years on Earth are the Disabled

American Veterans Outstanding and Unselfish Service

Awards (1964 and 1981); the Medal of the Knesset, Israel

(1982); the Audie Murphy Patriotism Award (1982); the NY

Board of Trade ‘‘Textile Man of the Year’’ (1984); and the

Presidential Medal of Freedom by President George Bush,

1992.

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Tributes Delivered in Congress

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Strom Thurmond

To Commemorate His Service in the

United States Senate

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Proceedings in the Senate

TUESDAY, September 24, 2002

ORDER FOR PRINTING STATEMENTS OF TRIBUTE

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that

the Members have until Friday, October 4, at 12 noon to

submit statements of tribute to Senator STROM THURMOND

and that the tributes then be printed as a Senate document.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

TRIBUTE TO SENATOR STROM THURMOND

Mr. DASCHLE. Madam President, I join my colleagues

today in this special presentation to acknowledge the distinguished Senator from South Carolina for his decades of service in this Senate.

America has changed in many ways in the 48 years since

JAMES STROM THURMOND was first elected to the Senate.

But some things have not changed. Among them are Senator

THURMOND’s fierce determination to do what he regards as

the right thing for the people of his beloved South Carolina.

While Senator THURMOND and I often reach different conclusions and cast different votes, I admire his devotion to his

State, to our Nation, and to this Senate. In recent years, fulfilling that obligation has seemed at times to require an extraordinary exercise of will or love or both.

Someday another Senator will sit in Senator THURMOND’s

seat, but it is hard to imagine anyone ever filling his shoes.

He is, as I have said before, an institution within an institution.

He has been alive for almost half the history of the United

States. Theodore Roosevelt was President when he was born.

He was 17 years old when American women secured the

right to vote. He is one of only a few Americans alive who

received votes from Civil War veterans. He has lived through

the term of 18 of America’s 43 Presidents and served as a

Senator under 10 of them.

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His long and distinguished career is remarkable for its

many successes, both in and out of the Senate.

In 1996 Senator THURMOND became the oldest person ever

to serve in the Senate.

In 1997 he became the longest-serving Senator.

In 1998 he became one of only three Senators, in addition

to our colleague, Senator Robert Byrd, ever to cast 15,000

votes in this Senate.

In addition, Senator THURMOND has served as a senator in

the South Carolina State Legislature and as Governor of

that great State. He has been a senior member of both the

Democratic and Republican parties and a Presidential candidate of a third party. There is not another American, living

or dead, who can make that claim.

He has also served our country in uniform. Senator THURMOND entered the U.S. Army for the first time in 1924.

Twenty years later, he volunteered for service in World War

II, and on June 6, 1944, at the age of 43, he took part in the

first wave of the D-day invasion, the airdrop of American

troops on Normandy Beach.

I am told that Senator THURMOND wanted to parachute

into Normandy Beach, but another officer who clearly did

not know with whom he was dealing, decided Senator THURMOND was too old to jump out of an airplane. So Senator

THURMOND piloted a glider instead, landing, with the rest of

his company, behind enemy lines.

Senator THURMOND is today a retired major general in the

Army Reserve, the President pro tempore emeritus of the

Senate, a member of the South Carolina Hall of Fame, and

a recipient of more honors and awards than any of us can

name, including the prestigious Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Simply said, we will never see another like him.

I join my colleagues this morning in our heartfelt expression of gratitude to Senator THURMOND for his decades of

service. We wish him, his family, and staff our very best in

his future, whatever life may hold beyond the 107th Congress.

I yield the floor.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Mississippi.

Mr. LOTT. Madam President, today the Senate takes time

to celebrate the life and career of one of its most outstanding

Members who, though always a loyal son of South Carolina,

has become, indeed, a Nation’s treasure. It is not enough to

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say Senator STROM THURMOND has lived his life well. It has

been an extraordinary life.

Again and again today, we will hear points made about

various accomplishments in his life. Senator Daschle has already noted many of them, but there is so much that can be

said about this particular Senator that words are almost inadequate.

As I was thinking about him over the weekend, I thought

about his life and what he has done and what he has seen

and the little acts he does on a human personal basis.

First, when one thinks about it, his is a life that has included being an educator, a judge, a soldier, yes, a general,

Governor, a Presidential candidate. In fact, when I was 7

years old, Senator THURMOND was already running for President and carried my State as well as three others, I believe.

As a U.S. Senator, he has served admirably as chairman of

the Judiciary Committee, chairman of the Armed Services

Committee, and President pro tempore.

I remember in my first couple of years in the Senate, Senator THURMOND was managing a bill on the floor. I believe

it was a crime bill. I remember he got right out in the center

aisle and gave a fantastic speech, with energy, all the enthusiasm one would expect from a much younger man, but then

he was young in spirit, and he made us all feel good about

what we could do as the years went by.

He has been a philanthropist. He has practiced what he

has preached. The record is replete with scholarships and examples of generosity from this Senator, what he has done for

others on a financial basis but, more important, at times, on

a very personal basis, and I will talk about that in a moment.

Obviously, he has achieved the ultimate in life also as a

proud father. Watching him with his sons and daughters is

a marvelous experience for all of us.

He truly has achieved the rank of statesman. Some serve

their country as teachers, jurists, or as State or local officials, but Senator THURMOND has been all of those and so

much more: A counselor to Presidents, a warrior in the cause

of freedom, not to mention a humanitarian, a staunch patriot, and a faithful friend. I do not think we will ever see

a life in history such as that of Senator STROM THURMOND;

he has served his country in so many ways.

His public career spans the days of Franklin Roosevelt and

the present President, George W. Bush. Senator THURMOND

knew the veterans of the greatest war. He was there. He saw

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it in real time. He knows the soldiers of our current war on

terrorism, and today, as a member of the Armed Services

Committee, he works to make sure they have what they need

to do the job because he understands the importance of their

job in the defense of freedom.

When I was born 60 years ago, Senator THURMOND was already a judge and well on his way toward a governorship

and his candidacy for President. Yet here we are today as

colleagues in this great institution. I know I am not alone in

feeling humbled by his presence.

In the days to come, the newspapers will emphasize his extraordinary political career, but the epic that is STROM

THURMOND is far too grand to be summed up as an enduring

politician and to leave it at that. No, we know better. After

all, it is not many of us who have a room in this Capitol

named for us while we are still here to use it.

Another Senator from South Carolina, John C. Calhoun, in

his time was described this way:

As a Senator, he was the model of courtesy. He listened attentively to

each one who spoke, neither reading nor writing when in his seat.

At one time or another, I believe every Senator in this

Chamber has been touched by Senator THURMOND’s courtesy,

and we will honor him if we continue to follow his example

in that regard. Hardly a day goes by when Senator THURMOND is on the floor, that he does not call me over and offer

support and offer a piece of candy for my beautiful wife. He

reassures me what a beautiful lady she is and what a credit

she is to this Senator from Mississippi.

I wonder sometimes, too, if we all appreciate and even our

pages realize that a great man of history walks among us

every day, but he does it in such a humble way and such a

generous way. How many of us have taken the time to not

only acknowledge these pages who are seeing history in the

making and are working for us to make the institution look

better, but taken the time to bring them to the dining room

for a meal?

I always loved it when I was in the dining room and Senator THURMOND came with a whole string of pages right behind him treating them to lunch. It was like a hen with her

biddies behind her, a beautiful sight—a little thing, but typical of Senator THURMOND.

There are the calls he has made when friends have had

trouble in their family or illnesses or deaths. There are stories of Senator THURMOND calling people or even going to the

house of one of his former staff members after she had a

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baby. Knocking on the door, he came to congratulate her and

to get a look at this newborn baby. Over and over, that is

the kind of man he has been.

So while he has had these great achievements, he has kept

that common touch. In fact, I think the greatest story about

Senator THURMOND is not his list of achievements but the

fact he has never wavered in defending, protecting, and

working for the principles he believes in and the importance

of keeping that human touch, that personal touch.

Senator THURMOND is a different case in many ways. He

is, of course, of a different generation and he exemplifies its

strengths just as he has worked to leave behind its shortcomings. During his last Congress with us, it was sometimes

difficult to remember that at the start of World War II, a

mere youngster of 39, he actually resigned his office as a

judge in order to enlist. He was with the 82d Airborne Division and landed in the Normandy invasion on D-day.

Half a century ago, Gen. Douglas MacArthur addressed

the Congress and delivered his famous line about old soldiers: ‘‘They never die, they just fade away.’’

Well, Senator THURMOND decided to do neither. He resolved to keep working for his country, devoting all of his experience, all of his wisdom, all of his energy to that task. We

have been blessed and enriched by his determination. He has

been here every day, and I have not checked the Record, but

I think he has been here for every vote this year, which is

typical of the sheer iron will that has been the example of

his great life.

He has seen the defeat of nazism, the collapse of communism, and the bringing down of the Iron Curtain. He has

been an important part of making all of that possible. He

has worked with Presidents repeatedly to support their efforts to do what needed to be done for our country.

It has been 213 years since George Washington was inaugurated as President and the first Congress assembled to

write laws for the new Nation. Senator THURMOND has seen

more than 99 of those years. It re-emphasizes the fact we are

still a young country. This great Republic is still very young

in the annals of history, and this one man has seen almost

half of those years. He is an institution, a senior statesman,

but he is much more than that. He is a patriot. He loves this

country of ours in an old-fashioned way, a simple and deep

way that seemed to have gone out of style a few decades ago

but a way we have re-learned during this past year.

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Our centennial Senator’s life is a part of the rich rolling

tapestry that is America’s history. This soldier who fought at

Normandy, this cold war warrior who helped Presidents

overcome communism, has lived to witness a new enemy of

freedom strike at us and all that we hold dear. He saw the

tragedy last September that still tears at our hearts, but he

saw, too, the resurgence of what he cherished most: pride in

America, devotion, honor and sacrifice for America. I do not

know of any other Senator who will earn this title, but it

seems to be appropriate to refer to Senator THURMOND as

our centennial Senator. He could have very easily been an

inspiration perhaps for that great quote that is attributed to

Teddy Roosevelt back in 1910 that sums up, I believe, the

greatness of this Senator.

It is not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong

man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit

belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by

dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes up

short again and again, who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, and spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best, knows, in the

end, the triumph of high achievement and who, at the worst, if he fails, at

least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those

cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.

Senator THURMOND has been in the arena. He has been

dusty and sweaty and, yes, probably even bloody, but he still

stands, the rock from South Carolina, a great Senator, a

great man, a great friend. The Senate will not quite be the

same when we convene next year, but we will all be better

because of the Senator from South Carolina.

Senator THURMOND, you are the best. You are an institution, but more than that you are a great friend. We love you

and we wish you many more happy days in your next career.

Mr. THURMOND. Thank you very much.

Mr. LOTT. Madam President, I yield the floor.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from South

Carolina.

Mr. HOLLINGS. Madam President, the distinguished minority leader has noted STROM’s comment about the beauty

of his wife Patricia. STROM has also done that to my wife

Peatsy. I think the record ought to be made here that for

STROM THURMOND, all women are beautiful.

Madam President, as the longest-serving junior Senator in

the history of the Senate, it is my distinct honor and privilege to pay tribute to the longest-serving senior Senator and

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the longest-serving Senator in the history of the Senate. The

story is told about a Washington matron at one of these

evening receptions, how she rushed up to a Spanish Ambassador and allowed: ‘‘Mr. Ambassador, this bull fighting, the

No. 1 sport in your country, I think it is revolting.’’

After a pause, the Ambassador turned to the matron and

said: ‘‘Madam, you are mistaken. Bull fighting is our No. 2

sport; revolting is our No. 1.’’

That has been the record of J. STROM THURMOND in the

field of public service. He has definitely been a revolutionary

with respect to public service. At age 29, he served as the

youngest county superintendent of education in the history

of our State; thereupon, being elected as the youngest State

senator from his home county; thereafter, as the youngest

circuit judge presiding, being elevated there in the year

1938.

Just a few days after December 7, when Germany declared

war first on us before we declared war on Germany, STROM

THURMOND, as a presiding circuit judge, took off those robes

and volunteered for service in World War II. He was exempt

from service under our judiciary rules in the State of South

Carolina, but he didn’t hesitate. And as has been noted here,

made the invasion on D-day, June 6, 1944, in Europe and

served in five campaigns with valor and courage, coming

back to retire as a major general in the U.S. Army.

In 1948 he organized the only really successful third party

movement in this country as a States Rights Party, and as

a candidate for President he carried South Carolina, Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana—he carried four States.

Thereafter, in 1954 he was the first—and I take it the

only—Senator ever elected to the Senate as a write-in candidate. Then, in 1964, having been a Democrat, he changed

parties. He saw the future of the State of South Carolina and

the South in the Republican Party, and he has led the move

ever since.

There is no question in my mind that he has had the most

distinguished service up here, serving as the chairman of the

Judiciary Committee, chairman of the Armed Services Committee, chairman of the Veterans’ Affairs Committee, and

the President pro tempore of the Senate. But I think people

back home know STROM best of all for his constituent service. Whether it is the job found for a constituent, or helping

a family get a relative admitted to the hospital, or sending

a letter to the deceased’s family, or helping when the soldier

is brought back home, or whatever it is, you can count on

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STROM. I can tell that to you right now. He has made his

fame looking out for the people of his home State.

It has been noted that STROM was born when Teddy Roosevelt was President. Elihu Root, who was the Secretary of

State for Teddy Roosevelt, once remarked that: ‘‘Politics is

the practical art of self government and someone must attend to it if we are going to have self government.’’ And he

made the cogent observation: ‘‘The principal ground for reproach against any American citizen is that he is not a politician. In representative America, every citizen counts.’’

Heaven knows, STROM THURMOND of South Carolina has

counted at every particular turn, during illustrious service of

some 70 years. I think he is the living example that the best

politics is no politics. It is my privilege to pay tribute to him

now. I am sure I am going to have the opportunity many

times hereafter as we both move along. But it has been a

distinct pleasure to serve as his junior Senator.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from West Virginia.

Mr. BYRD. Madam President, I have listened attentively

to every word that has been spoken today about this colleague of ours. Those words have been true. I well remember

when I first came to the Senate, I remember STROM THURMOND’s late wife used to sit in the gallery up here and listen

to the debates. She was a beautiful woman. I remember very

well the day she passed away. I remember coming to the

Senate and seeking out STROM THURMOND, and here he was,

sitting in the back row. I walked up to his desk, and he

stood, and I said: ‘‘STROM, I’m so sorry to hear about your

great misfortune.’’ And he stood with that stoic way of his

and thanked me and sat down.

I also remember when Erma and I lost our grandson Michael. It was 20 years ago. I remember the funeral service,

and I remember who was there. I recall who came to share

in the greatest sorrow of my life.

Some of my colleagues were there. Howard Baker was

there, the majority leader. The then-Governor of my State of

West Virginia, Jay Rockefeller, was there. Who else? Who

else? No other Senator with the exception of one—STROM

THURMOND. He came.

I have seen him at funeral homes of others who were the

relatives of Senators and some who were not relatives of

Senators. I have seen STROM THURMOND there.

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I shall never forget when STROM met with tragedy in his

life not many years ago when he gave up the prized possession, a daughter. I went to South Carolina to be with STROM

and to share his sorrow.

Then, just a few days ago, a message came into my office.

STROM had called my wife. She had an operation—an appendectomy. Who called to express concern for her and to wish

her an early recovery? That man—STROM THURMOND.

’Tis the human touch in this world that counts,

The touch of your hand and mine.

Which means far more to the fainting heart

Than shelter and bread and wine.

For shelter is gone when the night is o’er

And bread lasts only a day,

But the touch of the hand and the sound of the voice

Sing on in the soul alway.

STROM THURMOND, in a few more weeks, will be the first

sitting U.S. Senator to become a centenarian.

What an amazing record. What an amazing man. In his

100 years on this Earth, he has been a teacher, a coach, an

attorney, a judge, a Governor, a soldier, a college professor,

an author, a lawmaker at both the State and Federal levels,

a delegate at six Democratic National Conventions and six

Republican National Conventions, and a U.S. Senator who

has served 47 years in this Chamber and cast more than

15,000 votes.

That is more votes than soldiers that Flaminius lost at the

Battle of Lake Trasimeno in the year 217 B.C.

Senator THURMOND was born into the Old South. His

hometown of Edgefield was the home of the cane swinging

Representative Preston Brooks, who gained a place in history for beating a northern Senator who had insulted his

family and his State. Senator THURMOND’s grandfather,

George Washington Thurmond, was with General Lee at Appomattox when Lee surrendered to Grant. His father, Judge

J. William Thurmond was a lieutenant of the legendary

South Carolina Senator ‘‘Pitchfork’’ Ben Tillman, whom I

used to read about before I came to the arena of politics. A

product of the Old South, Senator THURMOND emerged to become an important leader in the New South.

Senator THURMOND’s amazing life has spanned 20thcentury America. When he was born, the Wright brothers

had yet to make their historic, heavier-than-air manned

flight. He has lived to see man-made vehicles reaching the

outer limits of our universe. What a change in a single lifetime. Perhaps an even greater, more monumental change

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took place right here in the U.S. Senate. When STROM THURMOND was born, on December 5, 1902, U.S. Senators were

not elected by the people of their States, but selected by their

State legislatures. The Senate had no permanent office

buildings; Senators had no professional staffs. Boy, what a

change STROM THURMOND has lived to see here.

Even more amazing is how his life and career have mirrored so much of the history of 20th-century America.

In 1928, STROM THURMOND, a Democrat at the time, was

elected to his first political office, superintendent of schools,

Edgefield County, South Carolina—when Calvin Coolidge

was President. Those were the days of mechanically sliced

bread.

In 1932, he was elected to the State senate of South Carolina—that was the year Franklin Roosevelt was elected

President of the United States.

How well I remember the days when the coal miners of

West Virginia marched—over 100,000 strong. John L. Lewis,

the leader of that great United Mine Workers Organization,

had his picture in every miner’s home. STROM THURMOND

was there.

It was Roosevelt’s administration that marked the emergence of the Democratic Party as the majority party. I remind my colleagues that Senator THURMOND was a Democrat in those days.

In 1942, STROM THURMOND volunteered for service in

World War II—the war that marked the emergence of the

United States as a superpower. I might point out that Senator THURMOND could have stayed safely on the sidelines of

that conflict. He was beyond draft age and, as a judge, he

held a draft-exempted status. Yet he volunteered to put himself in harm’s way and heroically served his country.

On June 6, 1944, paratrooper STROM THURMOND took part

in the D-day invasion that began the Allied liberation of Europe from Nazi tyranny and the defeat of worldwide fascism.

In 1946, like so many other World War II veterans, including Richard Nixon and John F. Kennedy, STROM THURMOND

returned home to a career in public service. While Mr. Kennedy and Mr. Nixon were elected to Congress that year, Mr.

THURMOND was elected Governor of his beloved South Carolina.

In 1948, Governor STROM THURMOND ran for President as

a States Rights Democrat, carrying 4 States and winning 39

electoral votes. This means that President Harry Truman’s

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great upset victory over Thomas Dewey in the 1948 Presidential election included the defeat of STROM THURMOND.

In 1954, STROM THURMOND was elected to the Senate as

a write-in candidate. Imagine that. No other Senator was

ever elected as a write-in candidate to this body. This made

him the first and only person in U.S. history elected to the

Senate in this manner. He is the only person ever elected to

any major office in the United States in this manner.

In 1957, Senator STROM THURMOND set a record for the

longest individual speech ever delivered in the Senate—24

hours and 18 minutes, from August 28 to August 29, 1957.

In 1964, Senator THURMOND switched from the Democratic

Party to the Republican Party—our loss, your gain—a move

that marked the beginning of the ‘‘southern strategy’’ that

has reshaped the Republican Party.

In 1981, when Ronald Reagan became President, Senator

THURMOND was chosen as Senate President pro tempore,

placing him third in the line of succession to the Presidency.

And in the early days in the history of this country, it would

have been the Vice President and then STROM THURMOND,

because he would then have been second in line of succession

to the Presidency.

On March 8, 1996, Senator THURMOND, at the age of 93,

93 years and 94 days—oh, to be 93 years again—became the

oldest person ever to serve in the Senate.

On May 25, 1997, he became the longest-serving Senator

in the history of the Senate, surpassing the record of 41

years and 10 months held by Carl Hayden.

He is a man with whom I have never had a cross word in

this Senate—never.

On December 31, 1997, Senator THURMOND’s colleague,

Senator Ernest Hollings, became the longest-serving junior

Member of the Senate, 31 years and 53 days, surpassing the

‘‘junior’’ record of Senator John Stennis.

In 1998, Senator THURMOND became the second Senator

ever to cast 15,000 votes.

As I have said, what an amazing life. What an amazing career. There is none other like it.

But I am pleased and I am proud to point out that

throughout it all, Senator THURMOND has always remained

a man of his word. He is a devoted father, and a Senator

ready to defend his State, his country, and his values, a distinguished leader, who is revered in his home State of South

Carolina. The State has built statues in his honor, named

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buildings in his honor, named roads and dams and lakes in

his honor.

Foremost, Senator THURMOND has remained a southern

gentleman of the first order: charming, polite, optimistic,

friendly, courteous, and enduring.

May God bless you, Senator THURMOND. May God bless

you always.

This is a man. Whence cometh another?

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Alaska.

Mr. STEVENS. Madam President, I am humbled to be following my great friend from West Virginia and the statement he has just made.

When I came to the Senate 34 years ago, this true southern gentleman was among the first to make me welcome. I

came from a fairly new State. Senator THURMOND had already served for 14 years as a Senator when I joined the

Senate. He was generous with his time, helping this young

Westerner to become familiar with the traditions of the Senate, sharing his knowledge of procedures, and some of the

pitfalls, and emphasizing the importance of maintaining a

sense of dignity.

I soon learned that the gracious STROM THURMOND was extending to me friendship, which is part and parcel of this

man. His courtly manners and his helpfulness were legendary even then.

Today, all these years after he gave me that first crushing

handshake, he remains the dignified, gallant gentleman of

whom I became a friend in 1968. He continues to demonstrate the spirit that has given him the courage to beat

the odds, overcome obstacles, and deal with some of life’s

toughest challenges.

As he prepares to leave us, after almost a half century of

serving the people of South Carolina and our Nation, I just

want to take a few moments to look back on the personal relationship I have had with Senator THURMOND.

While we share a bond of serving in the military during

World War II, Senator THURMOND far surpassed any of my

experiences. He landed, as people have already said, on Dday in Normandy. He served in both the European and Pacific theaters. And he earned an astounding 18 decorations,

including the Legion of Merit and the Bronze Star for valor.

When my first wife Ann died in a plane crash that I survived, STROM’s helping hand was there, ready to assist always. The counsel and support he offered were born from the

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experience of his own tragedy 8 years earlier, when he lost

his wife Jean. While he understood the importance of dealing

with my grief, he lobbied me to find a new partner in life,

as he had done.

When Catherine and I were married, STROM made sure

she had a great welcome as the Senate’s newest spouse. And

when our Lily—now a senior at Stanford, who visited the

Senate from time to time when she was a toddler—returns

to these halls, she always makes sure to see Uncle STROM.

As a matter of fact, there is not a day goes by that STROM

does not ask me: How is Lily? And last night, Madam President, Lily sent me an e-mail. I would like to read from it.

I quote:

When I think about some of my earliest memories, I always come back

to images in my head of entering the big white Capitol to see you and your

friends. Because, of course, I didn’t know anything about the important

roles of the people I knew or the grandness of the Capitol. What I really

remember is going to see friends like ‘‘Uncle STROM’’ and running in circles

around the patterns of the tiles by the entrance to the floor. I can’t think

of how many times I saw STROM’s familiar face and ran to give him a big

hug, hearing his voice calling, ‘‘Lily, look how big you’ve grown,’’ or, ‘‘Miss

Lily, you’re such a pretty girl!’’ Seeing Uncle STROM was always a highlight

of my trips to the Capitol, and once I got to know Julie, being with her also

made some long nights of political gatherings much more fun! Julie, like her

father, is such a generous, caring, and warm person, and I feel lucky to have

gotten to know her, Nancy, and Uncle STROM.

Madam President, Lily had a great many birthday parties

here in the Senate. At that time, I was the whip, the assistant leader, and Uncle STROM was always at the top of her

guest list, which she prepared herself.

I think we can all testify to STROM’s sweet tooth. He never

saw a birthday cake or a scoop of ice cream he didn’t like.

I will leave it to others, who will also pay tribute to STROM

today, to tell of his many accomplishments. They will note he

has many titles in his 100 years: From teacher to coach to

superintendent of education; from second lieutenant to general; from attorney at law to judge; and from Governor to

Senator. Those titles were all earned through dedication and

hard work, and they are hallmarks of his distinguished career. I respect those titles. But there is one that is more important to me than all the others, and that is the title I used

first: friend. We are all the richer for having STROM THURMOND in our midst. To be able to count him as a friend is

the greatest privilege of all.

So I am here today, Senator THURMOND, to say thank you

for your dedication, your patriotism, your generosity of spirit,

but, most of all, on a very personal basis, for your friendship.

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Thank you, STROM.

Thank you, Madam President.

Mr. BOND. Madam President, there are some times even

in the Senate when enough words cannot be said. Senator

THURMOND has probably made more history than many of us

will ever see. He has experienced more history than most of

us will ever know. Every Member of the Senate would be

proud to tell our grandchildren that ‘‘I served with STROM

THURMOND.’’ Because the senior Senator from South Carolina has been such a force in politics for over 50 years, I

would like to tell my grandchildren that I served with STROM

THURMOND.

He always did his duty and he spent the better part of a

century shaping the greatest Nation on Earth.

There isn’t a history teacher alive who wouldn’t like to

bring their class to Senator THURMOND’s office to see a portrait of history laid out on his walls. One would think that

to live and perform at the ripe young age of 99, one would

be wise to pace oneself. Instead, Senator THURMOND has put

in a professional marathon, but at the pace of a 100-yard

dash. He is the Lance Armstrong and Cal Ripken of public

service with over 15,000 votes. Alternatively, I would rather

say that Cal Ripken is the iron man STROM THURMOND of

major league baseball.

In his book, ‘‘Great Political Wit,’’ our former colleague Bob

Dole described Senator THURMOND’s 90th birthday. At that

festive event,

Senator THURMOND noted that, ‘‘all evening, people had been coming up

to him to express the hope that they would be present for his 100th birthday. To which Senator THURMOND replied, ‘‘if you eat right and exercise regularly, I don’t see any reason why you shouldn’t be around to see it.’’

In terms of ethics and duty, he remains old fashioned. He

believes that the real ‘‘woman’s place’’ is sitting next to him

testing his charm, and his grip.

If there is a more extraordinary resume ́ in a Congress full

of honor and achievement, I cannot imagine. In his career,

he has responded to the titles of teacher, coach, lieutenant,

counselor, superintendent, judge, general, Governor, Senator

and President pro tempore.

When Ted Williams set down his bat to go defend his

country during World War II, Judge THURMOND set down his

gavel, at age 40, to join the 82d Airborne that landed on Normandy Beach. Before he returned to the bench he had battled his way across France, Belgium, Holland, Luxembourg,

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Czechoslovakia, and Germany, and finished in the Philippines.

Few in the history of this country have dedicated so much

energy on behalf of the country they loved. And through it

all, it seemed that the senior Senator had energy in reserve.

I had my staff dig up the Senator’s first floor statement

which occurred on January 28, 1955. He spoke directly after

Senators Long and Humphrey. He was speaking eloquently

but directly and succinctly on the need to meet the threat of

communism head on. This was in relation to an authorization of force to protect Formosa, requested by President Eisenhower. Let me read his final paragraph:

Our earnest prayer is for peace. If war should come, it would not be the

result of any aggressive act on the part of the United States. But war might

come as a result of any display of weakness, of disunity, or of hesitation.

I shall cast my vote on the side of firmness, for unity and for decision.

As near as I can tell, his approach to and commitment to

the security of free people has not deviated since that first

floor statement.

We are all grateful for the distinguished tenure of Senator

THURMOND; grateful to the people of his State for sending

him here, and grateful to his family for sharing him. His retirement is well-deserved and I hope he now has more surplus time to build up his pushups and pullups so he can return to fighting shape again.

Additionally, after 36 years in the Senate, some of us are

getting tired of calling Chairman Hollings ‘‘junior.’’

It is my high honor and privilege to humbly thank our still

young-of-heart STROM and wish him a busy retirement.

The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Corzine). The Senator

from Texas.

Mrs. HUTCHISON. Mr. President, after hearing the remarks of the Senator from Alaska, I have to say I am very

sorry that my children, Bailey and Houston, will not have

the chance to have birthday parties with STROM THURMOND

since he will be leaving this year. I know it was a rich part

of Lily Stevens’ heritage and probably why she is a student

at Stanford today. She had such an upbringing and she

learned a lot throughout her early life.

It is a privilege to be able to add to the accolades to Senator STROM THURMOND. So much has been said already

today, but it is fitting that the first retiring Senator in this

cycle who receives floor tributes is Senator STROM THURVerDate 19-JUN-2001 14:26 Oct 22, 2002 Jkt 079664 PO 00000 Frm 00027 Fmt 6688 Sfmt 6688 D:\DOCS\STROM\81870.TXT CRS1 PsN: CRS1
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MOND. There is no one like him. There never has been, and

there never will be.

On December 5, STROM THURMOND will celebrate his 100th

birthday. To give you some perspective, STROM THURMOND

was born the same year as Thomas Dewey, Charles Lindbergh, and the Nation of Cuba, which gained its independence from Spain. STROM was 14 when Lenin overthrew Czar

Nicholas in Russia. STROM was 15 when a young, left-handed

pitcher named Babe Ruth led the Red Sox to their last World

Series victory. STROM was 17 when women earned the right

to vote, and now he has served with 24 of the 31 women to

ever hold a seat in the Senate.

On November 3, 1954, STROM became the only Senator

ever to be elected as a write-in candidate. He is the oldest

sitting and the longest-serving Senator in U.S. history. I

doubt his record will be broken in the near future—maybe

never.

During my own tenure in the Senate, a mere 9 years by

comparison, I have been touched by STROM THURMOND’s

presence. South Carolina and Texas hold a rich heritage together. STROM often reminds me that William Barret Travis,

a Texas hero who commanded the forces at the Alamo,

hailed from STROM’s home county in South Carolina.

Another South Carolinian who made his way to the wild

west of Texas was Thomas Jefferson Rusk. Thomas Rusk

was the first Senator from Texas to hold my seat. He was

one of the heroes of the Battle of San Jacinto which liberated

the Republic of Texas. Senator Rusk’s family was living in a

rented home in South Carolina when he was born. The

home, which belonged to John C. Calhoun, would later become the site of STROM’s alma mater, Clemson University.

An even more important connection is our States’ contributions to the Nation’s Armed Forces. I have been proud to

stand side by side with STROM in supporting our men and

women in uniform and ensuring that they have every available resource to do the job we ask them to do.

In his almost 50 years in the Senate, STROM THURMOND

has accomplished a great deal. But his greatest legacy is his

enduring support for those who serve in uniform. I was privileged to work with STROM when he was chairman of the

Armed Services Committee. He focused on a host of important issues, such as military health care and quality of life

for service members and their families. In 1998, we named

the defense authorization bill the STROM THURMOND Defense

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Authorization Bill in recognition of his lifelong commitment

to the defense of our Nation.

When the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, STROM was a

40-year-old circuit judge who would have been forgiven most

certainly if he had decided to spend the duration of the war

guarding the home front. Not STROM. Even though he was

exempt from the draft, he volunteered for combat and went

on to become a highly decorated officer.

At the age of 42, LTC STROM THURMOND became the oldest

man to help take the beach of Normandy on D-day. His

unpowered glider was shot down behind enemy lines, and he

survived by taking shelter in an apple orchard.

Given the casualties on that dreadful day on Normandy’s

beach, STROM THURMOND probably considered a long and

fruitful life to be measured in days, not decades. Soldiers

who survived the horrific days at Normandy or Guadalcanal

or Iwo Jima often say that every day thereafter is a free day.

Fifty years later, in defiance of every insurance actuary

who ever used a calculator, or more aptly a slide rule, STROM

THURMOND skipped the 50th anniversary celebration of that

brief but memorable flight. I remember because I was here

at the 50th anniversary of Normandy. There was a huge

celebration of the Members of Congress who had participated

in that particular part of our war effort. But there was one

Senator missing from that 50th anniversary at Normandy. It

was STROM THURMOND. STROM THURMOND, who was 92 at

the time, missed the 50th anniversary because that was the

weekend of his son’s graduation from high school. Think

about it.

STROM has always known what matters. He has always focused on what is important. He continues to do that today.

He continued to serve after the war in the Reserves, rising

to the rank of major general. His whole life has been a tradition of service. From World War II to the Governor’s mansion and ultimately to the halls of the Senate, he has always

made public service his top priority.

In the final scene of the movie ‘‘Saving Private Ryan,’’ the

movie’s namesake returns 50 years after that battle to the

grave at Normandy of the captain who gave his life to save

Private Ryan. In one of the movie’s most touching scenes,

Ryan tells the long-dead captain that he has tried to honor

his sacrifice by living a good life. That scene captures the essence of what we as a Nation owe to those who have fought

for our country and our freedom: to honor their sacrifice by

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trying to lead a good life and by doing everything we can to

keep our country free and at peace.

STROM has truly honored his comrades who fell that dreadful day and all those who have worn the uniform since. He

has been good, as he has also been great. He has led the

Senate to keep our military strong through the generations.

For those of us who have served with STROM in the Senate, he has been the senior Senator from South Carolina during our entire careers, including of course, Fritz Hollings.

Fritz must be the oldest, longest-serving junior Senator in

the history of the Senate. That will surely change.

And that change is going to take some getting used to.

Having STROM THURMOND gone will make this a different

place for all of us, particularly the Senate pages. STROM

THURMOND has always been particularly attentive and sweet

to the Senate pages, probably throughout his career. I have

seen it time and time again where he has taken the pages

for lunch or for ice cream to talk to them so that they can

ask him questions. I truly believe if you ever took a poll of

the Senate pages, their favorite Senator would always be

STROM THURMOND.

He is a legend. He is an institution. More important,

STROM THURMOND is the heart and soul of the Senate. We

honor him today.

Mr. ALLARD. Mr. President, I rise today to honor my good

friend and colleague, STROM THURMOND. I am proud to be

his colleague and friend. What a great American. After my

election to the Senate, he was there to greet me.

When we think about institutions, we think about established organizations that are dedicated to public service and

advancement of science or culture. Institutions are created

not by single people, but rather by the collective group that

shares ideals and values which are inherent to their cause.

But while institutions are defined by the ideas that created

them in the first place, it is individuals that truly identify

the institution.

Just as John Glenn personifies the achievements of NASA,

just as Martin Luther King, Jr., embodies the civil rights

movement, just as Albert Einstein represents the science of

physics, the U.S. Senate is symbolized by Senator STROM

THURMOND. Today we honor the gentleman who has spent

nearly half his life in the Senate, a man who people cannot

help but mention whenever the Senate is brought up in conversation.

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While his accomplishments in this body merit enough attention, what took place before his foray into national politics is just as noteworthy. From graduation at Clemson University, to becoming a State senator in South Carolina followed by confirmation as circuit judge, Senator THURMOND

dedicated his life to public service. After signing an age

waiver so that he could parachute onto the beaches of Normandy, STROM continued service in the U.S. Army as a reservist to eventually gain the rank of major general after 36

years in the military. Somehow he even found time to run

for Governor of South Carolina and serve for 6 years.

We have ceremonies for men who were veterans in World

War II and were involved in the D-day invasion in France.

We have ceremonies for former Governors who are elected

and serve their States with distinction. We even hold ceremonies for those fortunate enough to serve in the armed

services for 36 years. And today we hold a day of celebration

for a man who accomplished not one but all of these feats,

and then was elected as a write-in candidate on his way to

serving in the U.S. Congress longer than any other human

being. Yet many of his past accomplishments are overlooked

because of his remarkable service in his nearly 50 years in

the Senate. It is a testimony to his nature and the impact

he has had on American politics that we sometimes fail to

mention the first part of his life.

As we honor STROM THURMOND today, I would like to

thank him personally for not only his dedication to serving

the people of South Carolina, but also for his leadership in

the Senate and for being a friend. It has been a privilege to

serve on the Armed Services Committee with Mr. THURMOND, and we all know about his hard work and commitment to our military that he has displayed over the years.

Thank you also, Senator THURMOND, for your dedication to

this institution that we serve in today, an institution that

will bear your mark for years. But more important, thank

you for your service to the United States; you certainly are

a centenarian for the ages.

Mr. SPECTER. Mr. President, I have sought recognition to

join in paying tribute to Senator STROM THURMOND. Senator

THURMOND will celebrate his 100th birthday on December 5

and has the most remarkable record of longevity in the Senate of any Senator in history.

I was disappointed when STROM decided not to run for reelection last year, but I can understand his views on the subject. He really has been a paragon of agility and sturdiness,

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taking steps two at a time coming up to the Senate Chamber—until very recently. STROM continues to have a very

firm handshake and he continues to have an agile mind and

he continues to make all the votes. So that is one of the reasons why I questioned his decision not to run for re-election.

I had watched Senator THURMOND over the years, and when

I was elected to the Senate in 1980, I looked forward to

meeting him. But I did not have to await my arrival in the

Senate to have my first contact with Senator THURMOND because one day late in November, I was sitting in my den and

the phone rang. There was a deep southern voice: ‘‘I would

like to speak to Senator Specter.’’

I said, ‘‘This is he.’’

He said, ‘‘This is Senator THURMOND.’’

I said, ‘‘What a great pleasure to hear from you, Senator

THURMOND.’’

He said, ‘‘I called to ask if you would be willing to support

me for President pro tempore.’’

I said, ‘‘Senator, I thought the position of President pro

tempore was automatically the senior member of the party

in power, and I know that is you, sir.’’

He said: ‘‘That is true, but I do not like to take anything

for granted.’’

I said, ‘‘Senator THURMOND, you may be assured I will

support you for President pro tempore.’’ And I did.

I would like another chance to do that. Maybe we will have

a chance to support him for President pro tempore after the

November elections.

When I joined the Senate, I selected the Judiciary Committee, which is right in line with my own training and interests. Senator THURMOND, of course, was the chairman of

the Judiciary Committee. Regrettably, when there were efforts to form a quorum, members were usually very late. I

made it a point to arrive on time. When I did that the third

time in a row—the chairman has to arrive on time—Senator

THURMOND asked what I was doing there on time. Then he

thanked me, congratulated me, and said I might even start

a precedent.

In 1982 when there were two Pennsylvanians up for confirmation, Judge Mansman and Judge Caldwell, I was there

to present them to the committee. Senator THURMOND was

presiding as chairman. He asked them a question. He said

to them, ‘‘If confirmed, do you promise to be courteous?’’ I

thought to myself: Why would he ask the question, If you are

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confirmed, do you promise to be courteous? Not surprisingly,

both nominees said yes.

Then Senator THURMOND said, ‘‘Because the more power a

person has, the more courteous a person should be.’’ I have

not heard a more profound statement in my 22 years in the

Senate. Not that there is a whole lot of competition for profound statements around here.

When Senator THURMOND does not appear at Judiciary

Committee hearings, I ask the question. I have had many

nominees comment to me after a number of years how they

thought that was a very significant question. If any judge is

listening now, that is the hallmark of a judge. Judges have

a lot of reasons to be out of sorts with lawyers who are not

prepared, or witnesses who are unresponsive, but there is

enormous power in that black robe with a lifetime appointment, and Senator THURMOND had his finger right on it.

There are a lot of vignettes I could tell, but Senator Allen

has come to the floor, so I will limit myself to a couple more.

When Senator Howard Baker was the majority leader, we

used to have all-night sessions, a very stark contrast from

now when we hardly have day sessions. One evening we had

a finance bill before us. It was 1982. It was 11:45 p.m. The

floor was crowded with Senators. Nobody had any appointments left at 11:45 p.m. Senator Baker stood behind that podium and said: Amendments, like mushrooms, grow overnight, so we are going to stay and finish the bill. I have consulted with the chairman—Senator Dole of the Finance Committee—and we worked through the night. There were

maybe three, four roll call votes, a lot of amendments taken,

a lot of amendments dropped. We walked out at 6:30 in the

morning into the sunshine with a complete complex finance

bill.

If we did that tonight, we would finish homeland security

by morning. In any event, that is one of the occasions I went

down to the restaurant, which was kept open. I made it a

point to find Senator THURMOND’s table and have a bowl of

soup and to hear great stories about Senator THURMOND’s

career in Washington, DC. He talked about Lyndon Johnson

as a Senator, and that young fellow, John Kennedy, who

came to the Senate, about the heroes and the legends of the

Senate, because he has seen them all.

One story he told, which I thought was especially interesting, was about the inaugural parade on January 20, 1949.

Senator THURMOND had run for President and had carried

four States and almost threw the election into the House of

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Representatives. In the parade, after President Truman was

elected and Vice President Alben Barkley was elected,

STROM came down with his wife riding in an open-top car,

probably dressed in a cutaway. I am not sure about that.

Maybe I will ask STROM to yield for a question here. When

he passed the reviewing stand, he stood up and tipped his

hat. Vice President Alben Barkley started to raise his hand

and, as STROM told the story, Truman grabbed his hand and

pulled it down and said, ‘‘Don’t you wave to that S.O.B.’’ I

might be more explicit but somebody might want to have it

stricken from the Record as being an inappropriate statement.

One more short story. In a Judiciary Committee hearing

on one occasion, STROM did not want to see a quorum

reached because he did not want legislation to be passed out

of the committee. So he stood right outside the Judiciary

Committee door over in 226. He wanted to be right there

poised to go into the room in the event there was a quorum

so he could obstruct whatever it was he did not want to happen.

Ralph Yarborough, a Senator from Texas, came up and

grabbed hold of STROM and tried to pull him into the hearing

room. STROM—I do not know exactly what the wrestling maneuver was, but Yarborough ended up on the floor in a

STROM THURMOND scissor. STROM did finally agree to release

Senator Yarborough with Yarborough’s promise he would not

go into the hearing room.

As the story goes, Yarborough went into the hearing room.

STROM should never have released him. He probably would

still be there if STROM had not been so generous.

Senator THURMOND has been an example in many ways as

his political philosophy has advanced. He is a great advocate

for African-Americans, constituents—the wall of his office

ought to be memorialized and left intact. He has so many

plaques and commemorative memorabilia.

It has enabled me to tell a story on the stump which has

been somewhat useful both from a political and humorous

point of view, and that is, when running for re-election, I

say: If I am re-elected in 2004 when I am next up and decide

to run again 6 years later in 2010, and decide to try again

6 years after that in 2016, and run again in 2022, and then

run again in 2028, at that point, I will be younger than Senator STROM THURMOND is today.

People are always amazed at the thought of running in

2028. So they think it is not too bad to run in the year 2004

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for a fifth term. They are always very much impressed by

Senator STROM THURMOND.

So, STROM, I join my colleagues in saluting you for a fabulous career and wish you 100 more years of continued good

health.

I yield the floor.

Mr. BINGAMAN. Mr. President, 3 score and 10 years ago

our colleague, STROM THURMOND, first won elective office

when he was chosen to serve in the South Carolina House

of Representatives. He has been a figure of influence in—and

on behalf of—his home State ever since.

The longest-serving Senator in the history of this body, he

will be retiring at the end of this Congress, and today we

have the opportunity to recount our own experiences with

this American legend.

Senator THURMOND had been in the Senate 26 years when

I arrived in 1983, a brand-new member of the Armed Services Committee. He never treated me as the neophyte, justlearning-the-ropes newcomer that I was. From the start, I

was his colleague, and he was mine. His long history of work

on national defense is based on his love of this country and

his own experiences on the battlefield. Somebody thought he

was too old to be a paratrooper for the Normandy landing.

It is part of his extraordinary resume ́ that he got an age exemption, and took part in the D-day invasion.

There is no one quite like him. I have appreciated his

friendship from my first day here, and, with my colleagues,

will feel a great pang of loss when the new Congress opens

in January and he will not take his seat as a Senator from

South Carolina.

I think all of us recall those lines from ‘‘Hamlet’’ when we

think about our friend and his remarkable life. ‘‘He was a

man, take him for all in all/I ensure shall not look upon his

like again.’’

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Virginia.

Mr. ALLEN. Mr. President, I join my colleagues in saluting the senior Senator from South Carolina, Mr. THURMOND,

as he prepares to celebrate his 100th birthday. JAMES STROM

THURMOND is not just a man who is loved by the people of

South Carolina, who elected him to a remarkable eight terms

to the Senate, but he is a man who is respected and admired

by this body and institution in which he serves.

Others who have spoken, who are much more senior to me,

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tions, the changes in our country over the years, and also the

positive changes in Senator THURMOND as he has moved forward with America and the times, in making sure that all

Americans have opportunities in education in order to compete and succeed in life.

I find it interesting that he was the first person in 1954

to ever be elected to a national office by a write-in vote. The

people of South Carolina elected STROM THURMOND to the

Senate by a write-in vote. At that time, I was not paying too

much attention to politics since I was only 2 years old when

he won that election.

There are a lot of stories to tell and a lot of impressions

have been made in the short time I have been in the Senate.

I knew I had come to a very special place when the first

meeting of the Republican Senate caucus was singing

‘‘Happy Birthday’’ for Senator THURMOND’s 98th birthday,

and I was thinking of all the stories of STROM THURMOND,

this living legend. That day we also had a very rancorous debate on different positions, the policy chairman, the Senate

Republican chair. There were people giving nominating

speeches and seconding speeches, and it was tough to choose

among friends, but we finally decided who the policy chair

was and the Republican Senate chair. There were all of these

contests and seconding speeches.

At the end, Leader Lott said: We also have to elect the

Senate President pro tempore and, of course, that is going to

be STROM THURMOND. There were no nominating speeches

and no seconding speeches. Everyone rose and said ‘‘aye.’’

STROM then stood up, and this was the extent of STROM’s

speech: Thank you all. You are darn smart people. And that

is how STROM was easily elected.

There are so many memories of STROM THURMOND in the

Allen family. I remember my mother always talking about

dancing with STROM THURMOND. Whenever we bring up the

Senate, she says, ‘I danced with STROM THURMOND.’’ She

says it every time I bring up the Senate, and this was back

in the 1970s. I know there are a lot of ladies’ hearts that

have fluttered over the years with the wonderful privilege of

dancing with STROM THURMOND.

My wife’s family, the Brown family, is from South Carolina. Of course, he is revered as a hero in South Carolina,

as he is all across the country but especially in South Carolina. Any time any of that family in South Carolina had a

wedding, a birthday or a birth, STROM THURMOND was there

congratulating them on that wonderful event.

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I also have the privilege of being assigned to an office in

the Russell building that is in the same hallway as STROM

THURMOND. I see STROM as he makes it to every vote. I see

him on the elevator as we go to the trolley to get to the

Chamber. He is always smiling. He is always cheerful. He is

always in a good mood.

This year we all were blessed with those good South Carolina peaches to make sure we are all getting a good healthy

diet. I was commenting about the great peaches and I said,

‘‘Most of my staff took those peaches,’’ and STROM said,

‘‘Well, get that boy another bag of those South Carolina

peaches.’’ So our family was able to enjoy those wonderful

peaches.

Last year, we had the national D-day memorial in Bedford

County, VA, which had the highest per capita loss of life in

the D-day invasion. It was a wonderful event. The President

was there. The Ambassador from France was there. It was

a wonderful ceremony. STROM THURMOND was there. STROM

THURMOND was one of those brave soldiers who obviously

stormed those beaches and fortunately survived the Normandy invasion on D-day. I will say the President received

a slightly bigger cheer, but every single person who was

there, those thousands and thousands of people loved seeing

STROM THURMOND, a true American hero, in Bedford for that

celebration and dedication of the national D-day memorial.

The point is, STROM THURMOND is an inspiration to many

of us for many different reasons. While we all aspire to

achieve such longevity, we admire STROM THURMOND for a

life lived fully and in the advancement of public service. As

Senator THURMOND reaches his centenarian status later this

year, on behalf of all the good people of Virginia, I offer my

best wishes to him, his family, and his constituents.

There will never be another STROM THURMOND. Nevertheless, I hope and pray God will continue to bless America with

people who have STROM THURMOND’s cheerfulness and devotion, and I surely hope we are blessed with people of his

character.

It is great to be a Senator from Virginia, but it is truly an

honor to serve with Senator THURMOND. I shall always and

forever cherish the memories of your smiling, twinkling eyes

which reveal your happy heart. You have been a great soldier, a great Senator, and a great leader. I thank God for

blessing us with people of your character.

I yield the floor.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Kentucky.

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Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, what is perhaps more

amazing than STROM THURMOND’s record length of service in

the Senate is how he made it here in the first place.

STROM THURMOND was the first and only American ever

elected to the Senate as a write-in candidate. The dizzying

prospect of waging a write-in campaign strikes fear into any

aspiring or incumbent politician. After all, getting voters to

the polls is one thing. Getting voters to go the extra mile and

write in a name not listed on the ballot is a wholly different

beast.

So once one knows that in 1954 STROM was able to inspire

a majority of South Carolina voters to write him into the

Senate, and into the history books, it makes perfect sense

why he also ended up as our Nation’s longest-serving Senator.

Today, of course, it is STROM’s record-setting tenure that

has captivated American political and popular culture. Turn

the page of any magazine or the dial of any radio and, eventually, you will find Americans holding up STROM as the

benchmark to near immortality.

For years, Senator THURMOND has attributed his agedefying achievements to ‘‘diet, exercise, and an optimistic attitude.’’ Well, I dug a little deeper reading old clips on the

advice he has given to friends and colleagues so I could try

and piece together a more specific and exhaustive answer.

After sleuthing around a bit, here is the ‘‘simple’’ formula

I can pass along: Begin your mornings with 20 minutes of

calisthenics, 50 pushups, 10 minutes of weightlifting, and 20

minutes on an exercise bike. Oh, and swim a half mile twice

a week; eat half of a banana, four prunes, a handful of

grapes, blueberries, peaches, egg whites, a glass of orange

juice, and a glass of prune juice. Inherit good genes. Abstain

from fried or fatty foods. But eat lots of chicken, fish, and all

kinds of seafood. Abstain from caffeine; abstain from sugars;

abstain from smoking.

But beneath all the rubble surrounding ‘‘STROM’s secrets,’’

one ingredient stands out above all others. In an editorial

celebrating the Senator’s 99th birthday, the Rock Hill Herald

revealed STROM’s secret to longevity as ‘‘his determination to

serve South Carolina as long as he’s able.’’

I believe that this sentiment more than the prune juice or

the pushups best explains STROM’s record-setting service to

South Carolina, from a small-town school superintendent

among the peach groves of tiny Edgefield, SC, to almost a

half a century in the Senate.

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[ 29 ]

Mr. President, as I said, the year Senator THURMOND came

to this body on a write-in—a most astonishing thing because

no other Senator in American history has ever been elected

to the Senate by a write-in—I was playing little league baseball in Augusta, GA, across the Savannah River from Senator THURMOND’s hometown of Aiken. I confess I was not following politics all that carefully at age 12, but I do remember my parents talking about Senator THURMOND’s astonishing accomplishment right across the river in South Carolina,

having been elected to the Senate on a write-in ballot.

As I grew older and began to pay attention to government

and politics in America, I began to realize STROM THURMOND

was something quite special. When I came to the Senate in

1984, 40 years after my parents told me about Senator

THURMOND winning on a write-in, I knew instantly I was in

the presence of a legend, as we all have been who have had

the privilege of being a Member of this body at the same

time as the senior Senator from South Carolina.

There will literally never be another American like Senator THURMOND. We all know he was too old for World War

II, he did not have to go, but at age 42, as Senator Allen just

made reference to, Senator THURMOND was there on D-day.

In fact, he was in one of those gliders the night of D-day.

Last year, we had an opportunity to see ‘‘Band of Brothers’’

on HBO about the 101st and its experience from D-day

through the end of war. I watched every segment of that. In

addition to what I was viewing on the television screen, I

thought mostly about our colleague and his harrowing experience of going in the night of D-day on a glider. He did

crack up, and as we all know, he was able to walk away and

survive the crackup and survive the war and become an

American hero.

Not many of us are ever going to be legends, and almost

none of us are going to be legends in our own time. The Senator from South Carolina has lived long enough to observe

his own legendary status, which is a truly remarkable thing.

We will never, ever, see another STROM THURMOND. He is

unique in the annals of American history.

I want to say to you, Senator THURMOND, as a son of the

South myself, somebody who was born in Alabama and then

migrated north to Kentucky—most people think of Kentucky

as south, but for us it was north—and having lived in Georgia when you were first elected on a write-in, I want to say

to you that you have been an inspiration to me and an inspiration to many of us in the deep South who have been so

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[ 30 ]

proud of you and your enormous accomplishments over the

years.

I extend my congratulations to Senator THURMOND on his

pending birthday, reaching 100 years of age. In fact, I had

the ‘‘Today’’ show on this morning and Willard mentioned

you, Senator THURMOND. He is working up to celebrating

your 100th birthday in December and, of course, finishing up

your term. You have had a truly remarkable career that will

never be equaled in this body. My congratulations to you and

our best wishes for the future.

So, Senator, today I raise my voice—joining the chorus of

so many other voices—to pay my fondest farewell to your

tireless and timeless dedication to serving the families of the

great Palmetto State.

TRIBUTE TO SENATOR STROM THURMOND

Mr. DODD. Mr. President, I apologize. I was not able to

be here this morning when the Senators expressed their

words and thoughts about our wonderful colleague, STROM

THURMOND, who is retiring from the Senate this year. I

wanted to join in the particular tribute in saying to him and

the people of South Carolina and the rest of our colleagues

something we all feel. Regardless of the disagreements we

may have had on substantive policy matters, STROM THURMOND is truly an American institution in many ways.

I cannot even begin to imagine the U.S. Senate without

this remarkable individual in our presence. For nearly 50

years—almost a quarter of the life of this country—through

10 Presidential administrations, STROM THURMOND has been

an institution in the Chamber of the Senate. Eight Senators

serving today were not yet born when STROM THURMOND

was first elected to the Senate in 1954.

It is not the fact that Senator THURMOND has served in the

Senate longer than any other Senator in our Nation’s history

that makes him unique. It has been, in my view, STROM

THURMOND’s fascinating journey through life that makes him

unique. His story is truly a unique American story.

In the course of his nearly 100 years, STROM THURMOND

has been a teacher, judge, combat hero, Governor, winner of

the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and, of course, a Senator.

In more than 20 years of our serving together, I have not always agreed with Senator THURMOND, as I know many of my

colleagues have not over the years, but he has always been

a true embodiment of the ‘‘way of the Senate,’’—always

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[ 31 ]

thoughtful, always respectful, and always deliberative. In

short, he has been a great Senate colleague.

My father, Senator Thomas Dodd, served with Senator

THURMOND for 12 years. I have served with him for 20. That

is 32 of his almost 50 years. They, too, had their differences,

but they had tremendous respect for one another and were

very good friends. My family will always think of STROM

THURMOND not simply as a friend but as a loyal friend to the

Dodd family.

I believe that no matter what your ideology or political

persuasion, one cannot look upon the life of STROM THURMOND without concluding that it is in so many ways so remarkable.

What else can you say about a man who, at the age of 42,

took a leave of absence as a circuit judge in South Carolina

to volunteer to parachute behind enemy lines with the 82d

Airborne Division during the Normandy D-day invasion, for

which he was awarded 5 battle stars for bravery in combat?

What else can you say about a man who has dedicated his

entire life to public service, to the service of his country?

While never neglecting to be a stalwart in support of the

State and people of his beloved South Carolina, there are literally dozens upon dozens of schools, buildings, parks, and

streets in South Carolina named after their senior Senator.

Senator STROM THURMOND has never failed to put America

first.

He has always treated public service to America as a sacred responsibility. In this respect, STROM THURMOND is a

very rare breed.

Senator THURMOND was born at the dawn of the 20th century; born to a very different time; to a very different America.

Over the past century, America has grown as a Nation.

Over the past century, America has become a more free, a

more fair, and a more compassionate Nation.

And, over the past century, Senator THURMOND has also

grown.

Senator THURMOND once said, ‘‘People evolve. They reach

a higher truth in life.’’

STROM THURMOND lived through the entire 20th century,

a century which began with two world wars and ended with

a triumph of democracy.

It was a century of enormous political and social upheaval,

but it was also a century of enormous progress and enlightenment.

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STROM THURMOND was not just witness to the entire 20th

century, he was a full participant.

His journey mirrored America’s journey.

And now, at the dawn of a new century, STROM THURMOND

is still a participant in America’s journey.

In closing I would just like to tell STROM THURMOND that

his lifetime of service to his country and his nearly 50 years

in the U.S. Senate is greatly appreciated and will be sorely

missed.

STROM, it is an honor and a privilege working with you,

and I will miss you very, very much.

Mr. NICKLES. Madam President, several of our colleagues

made some remarks concerning our esteemed friend and colleague, Senator STROM THURMOND. I wish to join them in

that effort.

STROM THURMOND, by the end of this year, will complete

48 years in the Senate—eight terms in the Senate. I will be

completing four terms, and it is mind-boggling to think

someone would complete eight, 48 years in the Senate. He

was elected to the Senate in 1954 and has served this body

with great distinction and honor during that time.

Prior to that time, he was also Governor of South Carolina.

Even before that, he was one of the heroes, in my opinion,

who actually helped liberate Europe going into Normandy.

He actually parachuted into Normandy behind enemy lines.

He earned 18 decorations for his service, including the Purple Heart.

He is an outstanding hero, American, Governor, Senator,

serving 48 years in the Senate. He has had a wealth of experience.

I remember my first contact with Senator THURMOND was

when he called to congratulate me upon my election in 1980

and urged me to serve on the Judiciary Committee, which I

respectfully declined, but I found it was hard to turn down

STROM THURMOND. He has been a very close confidant and

friend.

My daughter had the privilege of working for him for a

short period, and she considers that a highlight in her career.

He served both as chairman of the Armed Services Committee and also the Judiciary Committee. He served with

distinction and honor. He has brought great pride to the

Senate. He is the Senator’s Senator, and I join my colleagues

in saying that we have the greatest esteem and respect for

Senator STROM THURMOND.

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[ 33 ]

Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, Senator STROM THURMOND achieved more before middle age than many of us

achieve in a lifetime. Born in 1902, Senator THURMOND in

1933 was already a State senator in South Carolina. In 1938,

he was a State court judge. From 1942 to 1946, he served in

World War II, landing on the beach in Normandy on D-day

with the 82d Airborne Division and earning numerous decorations, medals and awards. In 1947, the year he turned 45,

he was the Governor of South Carolina. In 1954, when he

was elected to the Senate, he already had a full history of

serving the public, especially the people of his beloved home

State of South Carolina. In the Senate, Senator THURMOND

has demonstrated a keen political instinct and achieved a

legendary reputation for constituent service. The people of

South Carolina know Senator THURMOND will treat them

royally—a standard I try to emulate for my own constituents. Senator THURMOND’s imprint on the Senate is with this

institution forever.

Senator THURMOND is responsible for one of the highlights

of my Senate service. In 1980, soon after I was first elected

to the Senate, Senator THURMOND was becoming chairman of

the Judiciary Committee. He asked me to join the committee.

I explained I wasn’t a lawyer, but he explained I didn’t need

to be. Senator THURMOND promised to get me good staff to

help me with the technical points of Judiciary Committee

work. He delivered on that promise, and I thoroughly enjoy

serving on the Judiciary Committee. I hope to continue serving on that committee as long as I’m a Member of the Senate, although of course I won’t serve as long as Senator

THURMOND. I appreciate Senator THURMOND’s support of me

as a freshman Senator by giving me the opportunity to join

his committee. I hope I haven’t disappointed him.

As a farm State Senator, I seek like-minded Senators to

support the survival of family farmers. Senator THURMOND

has always supported any efforts to advance this cause. He

comes from a largely agricultural State, and he understands

how family farmers not only feed the world, but also make

up an important part of the fabric of American life. I’m

grateful to have served with Senator THURMOND over the

years and to continue serving with him.

Mr. HATCH. Mr. President, I rise to speak in honor of my

good friend—and legend—the distinguished Senator from

South Carolina, STROM THURMOND.

From the moment STROM THURMOND set foot in this

Chamber in 1954, he has been setting records. He was the

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[ 34 ]

only person ever elected to the Senate on a write-in vote. He

set the record for the longest speech on the Senate floor,

clocked at an astounding 24 hours and 18 minutes. He is the

longest-serving Senator in the history of the Senate. As he

approaches his 100th birthday, he is also the oldest serving

Senator. Many of my colleagues will recall the momentous

occasion in September 1998 when he cast his 15,000th vote

in the Senate. With these and so many other accomplishments over the years, he has appropriately been referred to

as ‘‘an institution within an institution.’’

In 1902, the year STROM THURMOND was born, life expectancy was 51 years—and today it is 77 years. STROM continues to prove that, by any measure, he is anything but average.

He has seen so much in his life. To provide some context,

let me point out that, since his birth, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Arizona, Alaska and Hawaii gained statehood, and 11

amendments were added to the Constitution. The technological advancements he has witnessed, from the automobile

to the airplane to the Internet, literally span a century of

progress. Conveniences we have come to take for granted

today were not always part of STROM THURMOND’s world.

Perhaps this explains why, during Judiciary Committee

hearings, he has been heard asking witnesses who were too

far away from the microphone to ‘‘please speak into the machine.’’

The story of his remarkable political career truly could fill

several volumes. It began with a win in 1928 for the

Edgefield County Superintendent of Schools. Eighteen years

later, he was Governor of South Carolina. STROM was even

a Presidential candidate in 1948, running on the ‘‘Dixiecrat’’

ticket against Democrat Harry Truman.

I must admit, Mr. President, that he has come a long way

in his political career, given that he originally came to the

Senate as a Democrat. I am happy to say that wisdom came

within a few short years when STROM saw the light and

joined the Republican Party.

When I first arrived in the Senate in January 1977, he

was my mentor. As my senior on the Judiciary Committee,

it was STROM THURMOND who helped me find my way and

learn how the committee functioned. He has not only been

a respected colleague, but a personal friend, ever since.

During his tenure as chairman of the Judiciary Committee, STROM THURMOND left an indelible mark on the committee and the laws that came through it. He became known

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[ 35 ]

and respected for many fine qualities and positions—his devotion to the Constitution, his toughness on crime, his sense

of fairness.

He is also famous for his incredible grip. Many of us in

this Chamber have experienced STROM THURMOND holding

our arm tightly as he explained a viewpoint and asked for

our support. I might add that this can be a very effective approach.

STROM is also known to have a kind word or greeting for

everyone who comes his way, and for being extremely good

to his staff. Despite his power and influence, he has never

forgotten the importance of small acts of kindness. For example, whenever he eats in the Senate dining room, he grabs

two fistfuls of candy. When he returns to the floor of the

Senate, he hands the candy out to the Senate pages. Unfortunately, it is usually melted into a kaleidoscope of sugar by

then. I have a feeling that the pages prefer it when STROM

takes them out for ice cream.

STROM THURMOND is truly a legend—someone to whom the

people of South Carolina owe an enormous debt of gratitude

for all his years of service. Clearly, the people of South Carolina recognize the sacrifices he has made and are grateful for

all he has done for them. In fact, you cannot mention the

name STROM THURMOND in South Carolina without the audience bursting into spontaneous applause. He truly is an

American political icon.

Abraham Lincoln once said that, ‘‘The better part of one’s

life consists of friendships.’’ With a friend like STROM THURMOND, this sentiment couldn’t be more true. I am a great admirer of STROM THURMOND, and I am proud to call him my

friend.

Mr. President, one final note about STROM THURMOND: he

is a great patriot. I am grateful for his work with me over

the years in support of a constitutional flag amendment. A

decorated veteran of World War II who fought at Normandy

on D-day, STROM THURMOND loves this country. Let me close

by saying that this country loves him, too.

Mr. DOMENICI. Mr. President, I rise today to congratulate my dear friend and colleague Senator STROM THURMOND

of South Carolina for his 48 years of service to this country.

Senator THURMOND was first elected to the U.S. Senate in

1954, as the first person in U.S. history to be elected to a

major office by a write-in ballot. As the longest-serving Senator in the Senate, STROM has been a part of a lot of firsts

in our Nation’s history and he has contributed to every major

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[ 36 ]

policy issue facing this country for the last half century. He

is a true legend.

STROM has been a respected authority on military issues.

He served in World War II, fighting in 5 battles, including

the Normandy invasion, and received 18 decorations, medals,

and awards, including the Purple Heart, the Bronze Star

Medal for valor, and the Legion of Merit with oakleaf cluster.

In 1959, STROM attained the rank of major general. He has

been a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee

since 1959. His expertise in military issues has been a great

benefit to our men and women in uniform.

His love for the State of South Carolina has been a guiding

force in his life. He has been a coach, an educator, an attorney, a State senator, a judge, a Governor, and, most important, an impeccable leader for the people of South Carolina.

STROM has not only been a remarkable Senator, but an

even better American. I know I speak for all my colleagues

here in the Senate when I say that he will be missed.

Mr. BUNNING. Mr. President, it is with great pride and

honor that I rise today amongst my fellow colleagues to

honor one of America’s finest citizens, Senator STROM THURMOND of South Carolina.

When I look at STROM’s career and all that he has accomplished throughout his life, I often find myself wondering

how one man could possibly do so much in just one lifetime.

STROM THURMOND truly deserves the title of Renaissance

man. He has been a farmer, a teacher, a lawyer, a judge, an

author, a Governor, a war veteran, a major general in the

U.S. Army Reserve, a State senator, a U.S. Senator, a Democrat, a Dixiecrat, a Republican, a husband and a father.

Since 1954, when he ran and won a seat in the Senate as

a write-in candidate, STROM THURMOND has worked tirelessly and selflessly for the people of South Carolina and the

citizens of this great Nation, casting more than 15,000 votes

in his time in the Senate.

I now ask that my fellow Members of the Senate join me

in thanking and honoring our good friend and colleague for

all that he has done throughout his life and throughout his

tenure in the Senate. His brilliance, leadership and unmatched wit will be sorely missed by this legislative body

and by the entire Nation. But we will always hold on to the

many memories and stories he left behind.

Mr. THOMPSON. Mr. President, I rise to pay tribute to

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MOND. Not only is Senator THURMOND the oldest Member

ever to serve in the Senate, and the longest-serving Member,

his entire life has been dedicated to service to his country.

At the age of 21, in 1924, Senator THURMOND was commissioned a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army Reserve. At the

age of 26, he was serving as the Superintendent of Education

in Edgefield County, SC. From there he went on to serve as

a State senator, and then as circuit judge of South Carolina,

a position he left to serve his country during World War II.

For his military service, he earned a total of 18 different

medals, decorations, and awards. He served as the Governor

of South Carolina, and while serving, he ran for President as

the head of the third party, States Rights Democrats. He received 39 electoral votes, the third largest ever for an independent party candidate. Then in 1954 he was elected to the

Senate as a write-in candidate, the first person ever to be

elected to the Senate as a write-in candidate.

Senator THURMOND’s career as a Member of the Senate

has been not only long but distinguished. He served as either

chairman or ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee for 12 years and he served as either chairman or

ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee

for 6 years. In fact, he has served on the Armed Services

Committee for the last 43 years, where he has been a leader

in promoting a strong national defense.

So while we do well to recognize his extraordinary years

of service to the Senate, it is worth remembering that Senator THURMOND is the perfect example of a true statesman,

a man who has dedicated his life to serving his country in

any way possible, in all branches of government, in times of

war and in times of peace. Senator THURMOND has set an example not only as a great Senator, but as a great citizen of

this country, and it is for that reason that we are here to pay

tribute, to demonstrate our respect, and to offer our thanks.

Mr. LUGAR. Mr. President, I am pleased to take this opportunity to pay tribute to the remarkable life of Senator

STROM THURMOND of South Carolina.

On December 5, 2002, Senator THURMOND will turn 100

years old, another amazing milestone for an indefatigable

public servant. Throughout his historic years of service in

the Senate, he has distinguished himself through his energy,

his spirited patriotism, and his dedication to excellence.

Every Member of this body counts him as a friend and as an

inspiration.

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Beginning his public service career in 1923 as a teacher

and athletic coach, he became the superintendent of education in Edgefield County, SC. He was elected to the State

senate at the young age of 31 and later served as a circuit

judge of South Carolina.

He left the judicial bench in 1942 to fight in World War

II where he parachuted into Normandy on D-day with the

82d Airborne Division. He served in the Civil Affairs section

of the First Army headquarters where he was awarded five

battle stars, the Legion of Merit with oakleaf cluster, the

Bronze Star Medal for valor, the Purple Heart, the Belgian

Order of the Crown, and the French Croix de Guerre. Upon

his return to South Carolina, he served as Governor before

he was elected to the Senate in 1954.

STROM THURMOND’s career as a Senator has been distinguished by love of his country and all the possibilities he has

envisioned for it. His longevity and strength are a result of

his determination to further his ideals, his commitment to

personal fitness, and his devotion to serve the people of

South Carolina.

Senator THURMOND’s influence has been felt throughout

the Senate, but it has been particularly noteworthy in his

leadership on the Armed Services, Judiciary, and Veterans’

Affairs Committees. In recent years, as President pro tempore, he set an example for us all with his thoughtful wit,

his constancy, and his obvious love for the Senate as an institution.

Senator THURMOND is a statesman whose retirement from

this Chamber will leave the Senate a diminished place. I am

pleased to join with my Senate colleagues in acclaiming his

lifetime of service to America.

Mr. AKAKA. Mr. President, I join my colleagues in congratulating the senior Senator from South Carolina, our esteemed colleague and a legendary public servant, as we

honor his service to America and his beloved constituents in

South Carolina.

When the 107th Congress adjourns sine die later this year,

it will end another chapter in the life and legendary public

service of Senator THURMOND. For almost 48 years, STROM

THURMOND has been an important person in the life of the

Senate. Indeed, December 24, 2002, will mark the 48th anniversary of Senator THURMOND’s arrival in the Senate after

his election as a write-in candidate, a feat that itself is historic and unprecedented. December 5, 2002, also marks another marvelous milestone, Senator THURMOND’s 100th

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birthday. In considering these truly remarkable events, it is

humbling to recall that Senator THURMOND’s service in the

Senate is longer than the period of time that Hawaii has

been a State.

It is even more remarkable to consider Senator THURMOND’s accomplishments outside the Senate: attorney, State

legislator, judge, decorated World War II hero and participant in the D-day landing, Governor of South Carolina, husband, and father.

I have had the privilege of serving with Senator THURMOND during the 12 years I have been in the Senate, the last

quarter of his remarkable tenure, and we serve together on

the Armed Services and Veterans’ Affairs Committees. As

chairman emeritus of both committees, Senator THURMOND

has earned a well-deserved reputation as a determined and

powerful advocate for our Nation’s men and women in uniform and our veterans. His commitment to improve services,

benefits, and quality of life for service members and veterans

and their families is unwavering.

On a personal note, our former colleague, Senator Bob

Dole, Majority Leader Daschle, and others have spoken

about emulating Senator THURMOND’s diet and exercise regimen as a way of enjoying similar longevity. I would like to

share with my colleagues one of Senator THURMOND’s dietary

secrets: he has a fondness for Hawaiian macadamia nuts. I

can think of no better testimonial for the health benefits of

macadamia nuts than the gentleman from South Carolina!

I thank our leaders for scheduling this time for the Senate

to honor the remarkable life and times of a great American

patriot and a gentleman of the Senate, Senator STROM THURMOND.

Mrs. CLINTON. Mr. President, I rise today to honor my

colleague from South Carolina and to wish him a happy

100th birthday.

For the better part of the 20th century, STROM THURMOND

devoted his life to public service—service to the people of

South Carolina, service to his country in World War II, and

service in the Senate.

He began his career as a teacher and coach. He became superintendent of education in Edgefield County. He landed at

Normandy on D-day with the 82d Airborne Division, and returned home to become Governor of South Carolina.

In 1954, STROM THURMOND became the first Member of

the Senate to win election as a write-in candidate. He has

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spent most of his life giving back to the people and the

places that have given him so much in life.

As a U.S. Senator, no one has had a more distinguished

career than STROM THURMOND. For more than 48 years, he

has been a champion for our veterans. Time and time again,

he has fought to strengthen their education and rehabilitation benefits and provide them with the best health care and

housing.

In the last year, he continued to do more for our military.

He filed legislation to ensure that disabled veterans have access to service dogs so that they can lead a more independent life. He has reached across the aisle to end the limit on

Junior ROTC programs with our colleague Senator Graham

from Florida.

He secured education benefits for our brave men and

women serving in Afghanistan in Operation Enduring Freedom. Each effort has brought more honor and dignity to the

courageous men and women who give so much of themselves

so that we can live in freedom.

Just as he began his career as a teacher in 1923, I know

that he was so very proud to support last year’s ‘‘No Child

Left Behind Act.’’ He understands that the best place to open

a child’s mind and heart to the opportunities that surround

him or her is through education.

I want to take this moment to thank Senator THURMOND

for supporting New York during this difficult year. In the

wake of massive terrorist attacks, Senator THURMOND stood

by the people of New York, and the people of New York are

grateful for his assistance as the city rebuilds.

Today, it gives me great pleasure to honor STROM THURMOND and to express my sincere gratitude and appreciation

for all that he has done to improve the lives of the people

he represents in South Carolina and every American.

We are honored for his years of service and wish him a

very happy birthday.

Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. President, I am honored to join my

colleagues in this tribute to Senator THURMOND and his extraordinary record of service to the people of South Carolina

and the Nation.

As the longest-serving Member of the U.S. Senate in history, the Senator from South Carolina cast his first vote in

January 1955—when seven of his current colleagues were

not even born. His election in 1954 was an American first.

Senator THURMOND was the first person ever elected to a

major office as a write-in candidate.

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Senator THURMOND came to this body half a century ago

as a man of humble origins with a teacher’s background and

a legal education given to him by his father, and he has

never stopped teaching and learning.

In the years since he first came to the Senate, he has cast

over 15,000 votes, and he has always stood up for his beliefs

with a passionate conviction. Over the years, many of us

have often disagreed with him on specific issues, but we

have always had great respect for his ability and dedication.

Senator THURMOND has served our country with great

dedication in the Armed Forces as well, from his early days

as a second lieutenant in the Army Reserve in 1924 to his

outstanding service in the 82d Airborne during World War

II. He volunteered for service immediately after the attack

on Pearl Harbor in 1941, and piloted a glider onto the beaches at Normandy in 1944, earning five battle stars and numerous other medals for his courage in combat.

I have had the honor to serve for many years with Senator

THURMOND on both the Armed Services Committee and the

Judiciary Committee in the Senate, and we often worked together to meet the important challenges facing our Nation.

Two decades ago, as members of the Judiciary Committee,

we worked together for a period of several years to reform

and improve the Federal sentencing system. Our proposal

was eventually enacted as the Sentencing Reform Act of

1984.

Prior to the 1984 act, Federal sentencing was famously

characterized by Judge Marvin Frankel as a system of ‘‘law

without order.’’ Judges had unreviewable discretion to sentence defendants to lengthy periods of incarceration—or no

incarceration at all. Gross disparities in sentencing were

common, even within the same Federal courthouse. Too

often, those disparities were related to the race or the economic resources of the defendant.

Some thought the answer to that problem was mandatory

sentencing laws. But Senator THURMOND and I developed the

fairer and more effective approach of sentencing guidelines

that is used today.

Senator THURMOND and I came to the issue from different

perspectives, but we agreed on the goal of fair sentencing

laws. It took several years of debates, but Senator THURMOND and I stood together. Our ideas prevailed, and I am

proud to have worked with him on this important reform of

the Nation’s criminal justice system.

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We have worked together on the Armed Services Committee as well. Senator THURMOND has never forgotten the responsibility of the 82d Airborne to be America’s guard, and

to go ‘‘all the way’’ in protecting the rights of our men and

women in uniform and our Nation’s veterans.

From the STROM THURMOND Institute at his alma mater,

Clemson University, to STROM THURMOND High School, to

Interstate Highway 20, also known as STROM THURMOND

Highway, the Senator from South Carolina has been honored

by communities in his State and by the American people as

well. I know that all of us in the Senate commend him, as

he retires this year, for his long and distinguished service to

the Senate and the Nation.

Mr. COCHRAN. Mr. President, it has been heartwarming

to hear the eloquent remarks about the accomplishments

and career of our distinguished colleague from South Carolina.

He has been my friend and colleague in the Senate for 24

years. It has been a high privilege and honor to work with

him and to learn from his example of dedicated service to the

citizens of his State.

As this session of the Senate nears an end, it is hard to

imagine that it will be Senator THURMOND’s last term as a

U.S. Senator.

Since 1964, he has worked hard to strengthen and protect

our country and defend the principles on which it was founded. He can be assured that his has been a successful and remarkable career.

I’m proud to join others today in thanking and commending him for his truly outstanding record of public service.

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, born nearly a century ago,

when Mark Twain was alive and Teddy Roosevelt was still

President, STROM THURMOND has led a life of public service

unmatched in the modern history of America. He has been

a friend to all of the more than 400 Senators with whom he

has served. And he will forever be a symbol of what one person can accomplish when they live life to the fullest.

STROM THURMOND has served in the Senate for all but 4

of my 50 years of age. Though that is a remarkable accomplishment in itself, we should not forget what STROM accomplished before coming to the Senate.

He was a teacher, an athletic coach, and a Superintendent

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liam Thurmond and became a city attorney, county attorney,

State senator, and eventually, a circuit court judge.

Though exempt from serving in the military, STROM, who

had already been an army reservist and a commissioned second lieutenant by the age of 21, volunteered for active duty

on the day we entered World War II. As a member of the 82d

Airborne, he parachuted behind enemy lines on D-day and

helped secure the foothold for the Allies to liberate the European continent.

For his distinguished service, STROM was awarded 5 battle

stars and 18 other decorations, including the Legion of Merit

with oakleaf cluster, the Purple Heart, the Bronze Star

Medal for valor, the Belgian Order of the Crown and the

French Cross of War.

After the war, STROM returned home to South Carolina.

He was elected Governor in 1946 and then ran for President

of the United States as the States Rights Democratic candidate. Although Harry Truman prevailed, STROM won 4

States and 39 electoral votes. That tally still stands as the

third largest independent electoral vote in U.S. history.

Despite not winning the Presidency, STROM was determined to serve in Washington. He ran for the Senate in 1954

and became the only candidate elected to Congress by a

write-in vote in American history. STROM has been re-elected

eight times since. Clearly the people of South Carolina value

principle, character and courage in their leaders.

Though it has been more difficult in recent years for

STROM to make it home to South Carolina, that has not

stopped South Carolina from coming to him. And it

shouldn’t. For decades STROM attended every county fair,

handled every constituent request, and sent a congratulatory

note to every high school graduate, many of whom came to

intern in his office.

It has been said that almost 70 percent of South Carolinians have met STROM THURMOND face to face.

Over the course of his long and distinguished career,

STROM THURMOND has been a witness to history. As a young

man, he knew people who had seen Andrew Jackson, and he

campaigned for the votes of men who fought in the Civil

War. He and Herbert Hoover won their first elective office in

the same year, 1928.

But STROM has more than seen history; he has written it.

Not only is he the oldest and longest-serving Senator, he has

served with about one-fifth of the nearly 2,000 people who

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have been Members of the Senate since 1789. And he is

nearly one half the age of the U.S. Constitution itself.

Like the great experiment that is American democracy,

STROM THURMOND has certainly faced his trials, both politically and personally. Yet, through it all, he has always held

tight to his principles, always upheld his beliefs, and always

defended American values at home and abroad.

Today we say thanks to this giant of a man not only for

the history he has witnessed and written, but for the service

his life will inspire for generations to come. God bless our

friend, our colleague, and the Senate’s icon of time, the senior Senator from South Carolina, STROM THURMOND.

Mr. LIEBERMAN. Mr. President, I am proud to join my

colleagues today in paying tribute to our friend from South

Carolina, Senator STROM THURMOND, who through his 48

years of distinguished service in this body has given special

meaning to the term senior Senator and left an indelible

mark on the history of this great Nation.

Well before Senator STROM THURMOND celebrates his

100th birthday this year, he had become an institution within this institution. To many Americans, that is primarily because of his much-celebrated durability. But to those of us

who have the privilege to work with him here in the Capitol,

it is as much a measure of his inexhaustible amiability, the

graciousness and decency that have come to define STROM’s

way, and his extraordinary dedication to the people and the

country he serves.

Senator THURMOND has been such a fixture here in the

Senate, it is easy to forget that he led a remarkable public

life long before he came to Washington. He began his career

as a farmer, teacher, and athletic coach. He was superintendent of education in his home county. He was town and

county attorney. He was State senator in his great State of

South Carolina. He was a judge. He served in the Second

World War, and was part of the Normandy invasion with the

82d Airborne. He was Governor of South Carolina. And from

that position of leadership he went on to run for President

in 1948, before getting elected to the Senate for the first time

in 1954.

Since then, Senator THURMOND has had the unique distinction of having been a delegate to six Democratic National

Conventions and six Republican National Conventions. And

he has found the time to be re-elected to the Senate an astounding eight times, serving as an esteemed member of the

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dent pro tempore of the Senate from 1981 to 1986 and 1995

to 2001.

I have had the honor of serving with Senator THURMOND

on the Armed Services Committee for more than a dozen of

those years, and it is readily apparent why the people of

South Carolina—not to mention his colleagues on both sides

of the aisle—hold him in such high regard. Quite simply,

every day he is happy to be helping and protecting the security of our country. Here in Washington, he has been a fierce

protector of his State’s interests. And at home he has been

a gentle and caring friend to his constituents, always ready

to listen and willing to act on their behalf. It is a testament

to that friendship and admiration that at least 20 buildings,

centers, rooms, and statues in South Carolina have been

named after him. And that’s not counting all the streets and

roads that carry the THURMOND name.

The long list of these accomplishments would take most

Americans 300 years to accumulate. Senator THURMOND has

gotten them all under his belt in a mere 100. And through

it all, Senator THURMOND has grown not only as a public

servant and leader, but as a human being. After running for

President as a States Rights candidate, he later supported

the renewal of the Voting Rights Act and observance of the

Martin Luther King, Jr., holiday on behalf of his State. And

today, in recognition of all his hard work for all the people

of South Carolina, he is beloved throughout his State by constituents of all colors. That transformation sends a powerful

message that all of us could become better Americans and

better individuals—and that the United States of America,

for all its blessings, can always become a better Nation.

For all this, we honor Senator THURMOND as a man of iron

with a heart of gold, who has a love for his country and all

that makes it exceptional, and has given not just the best

years of his life but just about every year of life to make his

community and his country a better place. The Senate will

just not be the same without him. But today we can and

should celebrate the tremendous difference he has made. So

we thank him for all your service and sacrifice, and wish you

a long and healthy retirement. God knows you have earned

it.

Mr. CONRAD. Mr. President, at the close of the 107th

Congress, the Senate will lose a legend, a colleague who has

served more than 40 years in the U.S. Senate, cast more

than 15,000 votes and achieved the record as the longestserving Member in this body.

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[ 46 ]

Perhaps most notably, our colleague, on his retirement,

will have completed the lengthiest record of public service on

behalf of our country. Senator THURMOND has served his

community as an educator; the State as State senator, judge,

and Governor; and our Nation in World War II in both the

European and Pacific theaters, an Army Reservist for 36

years, a candidate for President and a U.S. Senator. This

record of service spans a period of more than 80 years.

Remarks by Senator THURMOND at the time of his swearing-in ceremony for his seventh term in 1997 express succinctly his views and commitment to public service. At the

time he said, ‘‘there is no more rewarding endeavor than

public service, and without question, the more than 40 years

I have spent in the U.S. Senate have been among the

happiest of my life.’’

As I review Senator THURMOND’s record of service, and reflect on his service in the Senate and to our country, few

Americans have had the opportunity to witness and shape

history as he has. Senator THURMOND’s achievements in the

military and on defense matters serve to underscore this

point.

Senator THURMOND is a veteran who served in World War

II during some of the most difficult combat of the war. He

parachuted into Normandy on D-day with the 82d Airborne

Division, earning 5 battle stars and 18 decorations, including

the Purple Heart, the Legion of Merit, the Belgian Order of

the Crown and the French Croix de Guerre during his service. Following World War II, Senator THURMOND continued

his military career by serving in the Army Reserve for many

years. During this period, he attained the rank of major general.

Knowing the face of battle, Senator THURMOND never forgot the importance of maintaining a strong defense and especially of taking care of our military personnel. As a member

of the Senate Armed Services Committee since 1959, and

chairman of the committee for a number of years during the

1990s, Senator THURMOND made certain that the needs of

our military were met. He had a special concern for junior

enlisted personnel and non-commissioned officers along with

the welfare of their families.

This concern was clearly demonstrated by his efforts during the Senate consideration of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1999. In this act, a number of provisions were incorporated that significantly improved benefits for military personnel. Were it not for Senator THURVerDate 19-JUN-2001 14:26 Oct 22, 2002 Jkt 079664 PO 00000 Frm 00056 Fmt 6688 Sfmt 6688 D:\DOCS\STROM\81870.TXT CRS1 PsN: CRS1
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MOND’s leadership on military personnel issues, our Armed

Forces would unquestionably not be receiving the benefits

that they should and are entitled to receive. I am pleased

that the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year

1999 bears his name. It is a fitting tribute to an individual

who cared so much for our military personnel.

There is so much that can be said about Senator THURMOND and his many contributions to our country. He was an

82d Airborne paratrooper with a remarkable service record

in World War II, a disabled veteran, an educator, and a distinguished public servant at all levels of government. Unquestionably, Senator THURMOND deserves our respect. It is

my hope that younger Americans will have opportunities to

learn about Senator THURMOND’s career and accomplishments. I have been privileged to serve with Senator THURMOND and thank him for his service.

Mr. HAGEL. Mr. President, I rise to honor South Carolina’s senior Senator, STROM THURMOND. Senator THURMOND

will turn 100 on December 5. Only 126 years before Senator

THURMOND’s birth, the United States of America gained its

independence; 37 years before Senator THURMOND was born,

the Civil War ended; and when he was a year old, the

Wright brothers engineered the first flight from Kitty Hawk.

Senator THURMOND made a commitment at an early age to

serve the interests and needs of our Nation. His life is full

of our country’s history, and he has made our country his

life.

Since his days as a school teacher and athletic coach in the

early 1920s Senator THURMOND has continued to be a leader

and serve the interests of our country well above his own.

Senator THURMOND served on active duty with the U.S.

Army in World War II. He was a judge at that time, so he

was exempt from military service. But Senator THURMOND

volunteered, and as a 41-year-old lieutenant colonel, dropped

behind enemy lines on D-day in Normandy with the 82d Airborne Division. During his 36 years of distinguished military

service in the Active and Reserve Army, he was awarded 5

battle stars and 18 decorations, medals and other awards.

Senator THURMOND carried his military experience to the

Senate and quickly became a respected leader advocating a

strong national defense for America. As a major general in

the U.S. Army Reserve and a World War II combat vet, his

contributions to the Armed Services Committee since 1959

have provided a strong voice on the needs of our service men

and women and a first-hand perspective on the realities of

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[ 48 ]

war. Senator THURMOND has also used his experience in law

and in the military through his long-standing leadership on

the Veterans’ Affairs and Judiciary Committees.

Senator THURMOND will be missed in the Senate as a

friend, a leader, and a colleague. He will be missed for his

tremendous contributions to our Nation. He is history in motion. Senator THURMOND was born during the Presidency of

another fearless leader, Theodore Roosevelt. President Theodore Roosevelt once said, ‘‘We have got but one life here. It

pays, no matter what comes after it, to try and do things, to

accomplish things in this life and not merely to have a soft

and pleasant time.’’ Senator THURMOND’s life is an accomplishment of great leadership and selflessness. We are all

grateful for his service to our country and I am proud to

have served with him.

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, I am pleased to join my colleagues in paying tribute to Senator STROM THURMOND and

honoring him for his unparalleled record of public service to

this Nation.

No Senator serving today can appreciate what this body

will be like when STROM THURMOND leaves at the end of this

year because Senator THURMOND has served longer in this

body than any other Senator in history. His 48 years in the

U.S. Senate have spanned the terms of 10 Presidents of the

United States, and he keeps pictures of all 10 of those Presidents on the wall in his office.

Senator THURMOND’s extraordinary private and public

lives span the 20th century. He began his political career in

1929 as the Superintendent of Education in Edgefield, SC. In

1933, he became a State senator. In 1946, he was elected

Governor of South Carolina. In 1948, while he was still Governor, he ran for President as a State’s Right Democrat and

received 39 electoral votes, the third best showing by an

independent candidate in U.S. history.

Senator THURMOND was elected to the Senate in 1954 as

a write-in candidate, the first person ever elected to major

office by this method. But true to a campaign pledge he

made, he resigned in 1956 to eschew the advantages of incumbency before running successfully for re-election. In

1964, he left the Democratic Party and became a Goldwater

Republican, presaging, or perhaps, ushering in, GOP gains

in the South. He has served as a delegate to six Democratic

and nine Republican National Conventions, a distinction I

doubt anyone else shares.

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When I joined the Armed Services Committee in 1979,

Senator THURMOND had already served on the committee for

20 years. His love for and dedication to the U.S. military

goes back even further, though, to his commission as an

Army Reserve second lieutenant of infantry in 1924 at the

age of 21. He served with distinction in both the European

and Pacific theaters in the Second World War, receiving numerous decorations that include the Legion of Merit, the

Bronze Star Medal with ‘‘V’’ device, the Army Commendation

Medal, the Belgian Order of the Crown, and the French

Croix de Guerre. He landed in a glider on Normandy with

the 82d Airborne Division on D-day, and went on to win five

battle stars. In 1959, the year that he joined the Senate

Armed Services Committee, Senator THURMOND was promoted to major general in the U.S. Army Reserve.

During Senator THURMOND’s tenure on the Armed Services

Committee, our Armed Forces have faced challenge after

challenge in Western Europe, Vietnam, the Middle East, the

Caribbean basin, the Persian Gulf, the Balkans, and Afghanistan. Through it all, Senator THURMOND has persevered in

his unwavering support for our men and women in uniform.

His steadfast commitment to our national defense has been

a rock upon which we could all rely and has helped ensure

that our military has always been ready to answer the call

whenever and wherever needed.

Senator THURMOND served as chairman of the Senate

Armed Services Committee in the 104th and 105th Congresses. I had the honor and pleasure to serve as his ranking

member in 1997 and 1998. I know from personal experience

how seriously Senator THURMOND treated his duties as

chairman and how hard he worked to be fair and evenhanded with every member of the committee. I am sure that

I speak for all of our colleagues in saying just how much we

appreciate not only the commitment that Senator THURMOND

brought to his duties as chairman, but also his lifelong dedication to the defense of our Nation and to the welfare of the

men and women in uniform.

As the ranking member of the Armed Services Committee

in 1997 and 1998, it was a great personal pleasure for me

to work with Senator THURMOND in producing the National

Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1998 and the

STROM THURMOND National Defense Authorization Act for

Fiscal Year 1999. When Senator THURMOND leaves our committee and the Senate at the end of this Congress, we will

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miss his warmth, his sense of humor, and his tremendous

dedication to our national security.

In my 24 years of service with STROM THURMOND, I have

never known him to be anything other than unfailingly optimistic, always courteous, and ever-thoughtful of his Senate

colleagues and their families. It is a pleasure to join all of

my colleagues today in honoring and thanking this remarkable man, my friend, for his lifetime of service to his country.

Mr. SARBANES. Mr. President, I rise today to join my esteemed colleagues in honoring Senator STROM THURMOND

and his lifetime of service to South Carolina and our Nation.

A career like that of the senior Senator from South Carolina will almost certainly never be duplicated. Although I am

the senior Senator from Maryland, my colleague, Senator

THURMOND, was a practicing attorney in Edgefield, SC, when

I was born in 1933. And by that time, Senator THURMOND

had already begun his distinctive career in the public interest.

Born in 1902, Senator THURMOND received his bachelor’s

degree from Clemson University in 1923 and was a teacher

and athletic coach for 6 years while serving in the U.S. Army

Reserve. In 1929, he became the Superintendent of Education in Edgefield County, SC, and soon thereafter was admitted to the State bar, studying law under his father, Judge

J. William Thurmond. While practicing law, STROM began

his political career as a South Carolina State senator and

circuit judge. Senator THURMOND took a 4-year leave of absence from his judicial duties from 1942 to 1946 in order to

serve with the 82d Airborne Division in World War II. During the war, Senator THURMOND served in the American, European and Pacific theaters; landed in Normandy on D-day;

and earned 18 decorations, medals and awards including the

Legion of Merit with oakleaf cluster, the Bronze Star Medal

for valor, the Purple Heart, the Belgian Order of the Crown,

and the French Croix de Guerre, during his military service.

If STROM’s service to our Nation ended in 1946 with his

military career, it would have been a remarkable record of

achievement. But his contributions to education, the legal

profession, and the military make up just the beginning of

Senator THURMOND’s legacy. From 1947 to 1951, STROM was

known as Governor THURMOND, as he led his beloved State

of South Carolina. After his 1948 bid for the Presidency,

STROM returned to the practice of law and, in 1954, launched

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paign, STROM resigned from the Senate in April 1956 to run

in the Democratic primary election. STROM was re-elected to

the Senate in November 1956, resumed his duties, and has

been elected to the Senate seven more times by the people

of South Carolina.

Reaching the age of 100, as Senator THURMOND will do

this December 5, is, alone, a remarkable achievement. The

2000 Census counted just 50,500 Americans 100 or older.

And STROM is a clear example for those older Americans,

and citizens of all ages, of the remarkable impact one person

can have on our Nation. For most of the past 48 years, Senator THURMOND has been a fixture and a legend in the U.S.

Senate. He has held positions of power, including President

pro tempore, and committee chairmanships. In the Senate,

he has worked with 10 Presidents: Eisenhower, Kennedy,

Johnson, Nixon, Ford, Carter, Reagan, George H.W. Bush,

Clinton, and George W. Bush. He is the longest-serving

Member of the Senate, and cast his 15,000th vote in September 1998.

It goes without saying that throughout his time in this distinguished body, and over the course of his lifetime, STROM

has seen our Nation change in remarkable ways. His service

in this great deliberative body has given the Senate a perspective and continuity unparalleled in our history. I am

pleased to have had the opportunity to serve with him over

these many years, and to join my colleagues today in paying

tribute to a true public servant, Senator STROM THURMOND.

Mr. KYL. Mr. President, our colleague STROM THURMOND

is retiring soon, and I just wanted to say a few words on this

special day of appreciation, about the gentleman from South

Carolina. For that is what he is: the consummate gentleman.

There is the public STROM that everyone knows—the legend—then there is the private STROM, a colleague and collaborator I have always found to be eager to help a fellow

Senator and accommodate his concerns. I have felt honored

to work with him on issues of national defense, foreign policy, and many other matters important to the people of the

United States. The people of South Carolina, in particular,

can be very proud of this war hero, who landed in Normandy

as a member of the 82d Airborne Division in 1942, who was

Governor of South Carolina, and who, in the Senate, distinguished himself as chairman of the Judiciary Committee and

the Armed Services Committee.

There are great STROM THURMOND stories—many told by

STROM himself, of course. For my part, I like to tell the one

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about his 90th birthday celebration, held here in Washington. One reporter asked if he could expect to see STROM on

his 100th birthday. And Senator THURMOND looked him up

and down and said: ‘‘Well, you look fit enough to me. If you

eat right and drink right, you ought to be around to see me

then.’’

He is an inspiration. As everyone knows, he represents

continuity in the U.S. Senate, being, since 1996, its oldest

serving Member, and, since 1997, its longest-serving Member. Those are for the record books. But on a personal level,

I can say that the Senate will not be the same without his

buoyant spirit. I thank him for helping me in so many ways,

and for his invaluable service to our country.

Ms. SNOWE. I rise to join with my colleagues today in

honoring a man the ‘‘Almanac of American Politics’’ rightly

calls ‘‘the most enduring figure in American politics today,’’

the senior Senator from South Carolina, the senior Member

of the Senate, and the longest-serving Senator in U.S. history, our colleague, Senator STROM THURMOND.

I think that any of us who have had the honor of serving

in this body have to be in awe of Senator THURMOND’s remarkable 48-year tenure. The responsibilities of this job, the

demands on one’s time and energy, are incredible. That Senator THURMOND has continued to engender the trust, respect,

and support of the people of South Carolina through nearly

5 decades in the Senate and nearly 70 years in elective office

is a testament not only to his storied dedication to his constituents, but to his seemingly inexhaustible passion for

service.

Senator THURMOND is quite literally an institution within

an institution. If this were baseball, he would be Babe Ruth

larger than life, shattering records, and giving 100 percent

effort every time at bat.

Even today, I continue to marvel that I am serving alongside this legislative legend. This is a man who was on the

floor of this Chamber when I was 7 years old, a man who

was nominated for President when I was 1 year old, a man

who was elected Governor of South Carolina before I was

born. Alive even before the Wright brothers took flight, he

has seen first-hand the greatest single period of societal and

technological change in the history of the world. He would

have even been old enough at age 15 to read first-hand news

accounts of the last time the Boston Red Sox won the World

Series. Now that is truly amazing!

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When you think about it, Senator STROM THURMOND’s political life spanned the great majority of the 20th century,

while he has witnessed—during his more than 36,400 days

on Earth—nearly half of the history of the United States. It

is possible he received votes from Confederate war veterans

in his bid for the South Carolina Legislature in 1933. This

is an extraordinary figure on the landscape of our land—a

living history class and inseparable from any discussion or

dissection of the U.S. Senate.

Indeed, Senator THURMOND’s tenure has charted many

changes in our country, the world, and American society. In

an inspiration to all of us, Senator THURMOND has never

stopped learning, never stopped drawing lessons from experience and from others. He bears the mark that defines great

men and women—the integrity and honesty of an open mind.

And there should be no mistake—as if the time Senator

THURMOND has devoted to public office is not enough for several lifetimes, he has also served his country in the crucible

of war, gaining an exemption from being ‘‘over age’’ so he

could don a uniform and ultimately participate in the invasion at Normandy on D-day.

Fittingly, years later, Senator THURMOND would call upon

his ‘‘trial by fire’’ experience as chairman of the Armed Services Committee—and I was proud to call him ‘‘Chairman’’ for

much of my time on the committee. He has always been a

champion not only of a strong national defense, but also for

the men and women who provide that defense, and we owe

him a debt of gratitude that simple words fail to repay.

In short, some people live long, but not fully. Senator

THURMOND’s life, however, is remarkable not only for its apparent disregard for such trivialities as ‘‘time,’’ but also—and

more important—for its richness.

The great American writer Henry David Thoreau aspired

to, in his plain-spoken but powerful words, ‘‘live deep and

suck all the marrow out of life . . .’’ Well, Senator STROM

THURMOND personifies that dream—making Thoreau’s declaration his personal credo, and leaving the rest of us to

watch in admiration and wonder.

So today, as we celebrate Senator THURMOND’s century of

contributions, let us also celebrate the remarkable story of

America’s journey, for in many ways they are one and the

same. STROM, your colleagues wish you all the best—and we

thank you for exemplifying what it means to serve in the

greatest democracy the world has ever known.

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Mr. KERRY. Mr. President, I rise today to pay respect to

a man who has served his country for the past 78 years. In

the year 1924, at the age of 21, STROM THURMOND was commissioned a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army Reserve.

Twenty years later, STROM fought valiantly during World

War II and amazingly, at the age of 43, he was part of the

first wave of American soldiers who landed in Normandy

during D-day, parachuting behind enemy lines with the 82d

Airborne Division.

For his bravery and outstanding service in combat, STROM

THURMOND was awarded 18 service decorations, awards and

medals. In addition to his Bronze Star Medal for valor, he

received the Legion of Merit with oakleaf cluster and the

Purple Heart. For his merit and heroism during the D-day

invasion and subsequent freeing of Belgium and France, he

was awarded both the Belgian Order of the Crown and the

French Croix de Guerre from the Belgian and French Governments, respectively.

After returning from the war, STROM THURMOND began an

unprecedented career in the Senate which has been marked

by a dedication to upholding the honor and dignity of the

U.S. military and America’s heroic veterans. He has helped

to ensure that every veteran has a voice in the Halls of Congress and the opportunity and protection commensurate with

the dignity and honor with which they served.

In 1959, 36 years after he had been commissioned, STROM

THURMOND retired from the U.S. Army Reserve a major general of the U.S. Reserves, ending an amazing career that

spanned two wars and countless acts of personal bravery and

leadership. In the Senate he has brought his many years of

experience to many debates and, for the last 30 years, to the

Veterans’ Affairs Committee where his personal commitment

to veterans issues has been heralded by all.

As a veteran, I have great respect for Senator THURMOND’s

active role on the Veterans’ Affairs Committee and his contributions to make certain in words and deeds that our veterans and their families receive the best possible care and

that the U.S. Government honors the promise it makes to

each soldier who wears the uniform of our country.

When STROM THURMOND retires after this year, the Senate

will lose a man who has seen the arc of the 20th century

with his very eyes. From fighting in some of the greatest battles in world history to bearing witness to the Great Depression and the Great Society, STROM THURMOND has seen decades pass in which America has fought in war and prospered

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in peace; decades in which America emerged from isolation

to lead the world to greater freedom and liberty for all; decades in which America made certain the promises of our

forebears and their quest for a more equal society.

Mr. CRAIG. Mr. President, like all my colleagues, I rise

today to honor the senior Senator from South Carolina, Mr.

THURMOND, who is also America’s senior Senator.

Some of my earliest memories of working in the Senate

with Senator THURMOND were our efforts on balancing the

budget and on the balanced budget amendment to the Constitution. He was the real father of this amendment, dating

back to his early years in the Senate. And he fought so hard

on this issue because he cared so deeply about us leaving our

children a legacy of opportunity and economic security.

Senator THURMOND told me he liked being around young

people because they challenged him with new ideas and kept

him young.

As the ranking member of the Senate Aging Committee,

every day I grow to appreciate a little more what Senator

THURMOND has spent a lifetime teaching us: the importance

of being young at heart.

That positive attitude was evident when, a few years ago,

Senator THURMOND told Reuters he was ready to be a backup space shuttle crew member for Senator John Glenn, saying: ‘‘I always believed that if NASA really wanted to study

the effects of space travel on an older American, they should

have called me.’’

Senator THURMOND has spent almost a century, not only

as a witness to history, but as a shaper of history.

Today may be STROM THURMOND Day, but if the 20th century was the American century, then it was also the STROM

THURMOND century.

Senator THURMOND was 41 years young when he climbed

into glider number 34 of the 82d Airborne Division in June

1944 and took part in the Normandy invasion on D-day.

Fifty years later, Senator THURMOND showed perspective

when he did not return to Normandy for the 50th anniversary commemorations because it was more important to attend his son’s graduation.

In 1948 he ran for President against Harry Truman and

Tom Dewey, as the nominee of the States Rights Democratic

Party, and won 39 electoral votes.

A few years after that, he became the only Senator in

American history to be elected by a write-in vote, demonstrating the devotion of South Carolina voters to STROM

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THURMOND that has never wavered, as his dedication to

them has never wavered.

Lyndon Johnson said the Senate has show horses and

work horses. Senator THURMOND has always been a work

horse.

The experts tell us that one of the keys to a long, healthy

life is being adaptable and being able to renew oneself.

Over the years, Senator THURMOND has also displayed a

firm foundation of principles in his devotion to family, faith,

and freedom.

Like all the great persons of history who have had staying

power, Senator THURMOND has shown that great balance of

having a firm moral foundation and being able to renew himself.

In fact, he is the only Member of this body to have served

in the majority as a Democrat, in the minority as a Democrat, in the minority as a Republican, and in the majority as

a Republican. That is adaptability.

I would also add, he has always shown unfailing graciousness to colleagues, to constituents, and to all the Senate

staff.

I remember our former Senate Republican Leader, Bob

Dole, being asked what his health care plan was. He replied:

‘‘I’m in favor of the THURMOND plan. I want to do what he

does. I used to follow him around and if he ate a banana, I

ate a banana.’’

All of us could not do much better than to follow the example of STROM THURMOND.

In Jack Bass and Marilyn Thompson’s biography of Senator THURMOND, they quoted a woman who knew him since

boyhood, who said: ‘‘He hasn’t changed. Everything he’s done

has been done to the full. There’s no halfway doings about

STROM.’’

Today we honor our colleague, friend, and mentor, for a

full career of accomplishment, for his full dedication to

America and South Carolina, and for a full life, in every respect.

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I join my colleagues today in recognizing the distinguished Senator from South Carolina and

his years of service in the U.S. Senate.

STROM THURMOND has lived almost one century—his

100th birthday will be December 5—and he has been a Senator for almost half of that time. He is now finishing his

eighth full term, making him the longest-serving Senator

and the oldest Member of Congress. But Senator THURMOND

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is known—and will long be remembered—for much more

than his longevity.

He has had a remarkable life and career of service to

South Carolina and the United States, having served as a

school superintendent, State senator, judge, and as the Palmetto State’s Governor.

He entered the Nation’s military when he was 21 years old

and almost 20 years later volunteered to serve in World War

II. He was among the brave American troops who landed in

Normandy on D-day with the 82d Airborne Division, and he

received numerous awards for his military service including

the Bronze Star Medal for valor and a Purple Heart.

Senator THURMOND has fought no less fiercely in the political arena. He has used his gifts, experience, the power and

respect he has earned and knowledge of Senate rules and

procedures to advocate on behalf of his causes.

Although he has switched political parties during his career, serving first as a Democrat, running for President as

a States Rights third-party candidate in 1948, and becoming

a Republican in 1964, he has consistently adhered to his political ideology.

I am glad that we have an opportunity to acknowledge his

contributions and to reflect on the considerable impact he

has had on this body, his party, and the Nation.

Senator THURMOND is a living monument but just to make

sure his service is recognized, the people of South Carolina,

whom he has represented for so long, have honored him by

erecting a monument for him and naming dozens of facilities

for him.

Senator THURMOND will certainly be missed around here.

I bid him farewell and extend my best wishes to him and his

family.

THANKING THE SENATE

Mr. THURMOND. Mr. President, I am surely honored by

the generous remarks of my colleagues, Senator Daschle,

Senator Lott, Senator Hollings, Senator Byrd, Senator Stevens, Senator Hutchison, Senator Allard, Senator Specter,

Senator Allen, Senator McConnell, and all others.

It is hard for me to believe that it was about 80 years ago

that I began my professional career. Beginning as a school

teacher and coach, I have enjoyed public service as a County

Superintendent of Education, attorney, State senator, State

circuit judge, military officer, Governor, and Senator. While

I have enjoyed each and every job I have held over the years,

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there is no job I have treasured more than serving as a U.S.

Senator. I am proud to be a Member of this remarkable legislative body and have been blessed to observe nearly a halfcentury of our Nation’s history from within this Chamber. I

still recall the cold Christmas Eve, December 24, 1954, when

I was sworn in by then-Vice-President Richard Nixon, with

my late wife, Jean, by my side.

I came to Washington with one priority—to serve this Nation and my fellow South Carolinians with integrity and to

the best of my ability. As I now enter the final days of my

Senate career, with nearly 48 years of Senate service, I trust

I have accomplished that objective.

The U.S. Senate is a special institution in many respects.

The 6-year term assures that there is the stability within

this Chamber which allows the Senate to be a deliberative

body. The great history of this body reflects the great issues

of American history. Here we have debated fundamental

questions regarding the status of our Union, national territorial expansion, matters of war and peace, social and economic policies affecting every individual, and many other important matters of national interest as well as local issues.

Given the esteemed stature of this legislative body, it was

with no small amount of humility that I moved from South

Carolina to Washington so many years ago. Like every other

man and woman who serves in the Senate, regardless of

party affiliation or ideology, I desired to perform my duties

with honor, to the best of my ability, and with a goal of making a difference in the lives of my fellow citizens.

As Senators, we have many roles to perform in the discharge of our duties. There is no other job in the world that

allows us to have a more direct impact on improving the

lives of individuals and strengthening our Nation. Through

legislation, oversight, and old-fashioned constituent service,

each of us is able to help the citizens of our respective

States, as well as build a Nation which is stronger and better for all who live here. The work we do here benefits millions of Americans. One cannot help but take great satisfaction and pride in such important service.

As legislators we are called upon to vote on matters of

local concern and national interest. I have cast over 16,300

roll call votes as a U.S. Senator. Each vote is cast considering the concerns of my constituents and what is right for our

Nation. While I have missed a few votes, I am pleased that

I have been present for over 95 percent of all roll call votes

called by the Senate during my time in office.

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It is the floor debate and the roll call votes that citizens

most closely associate with the work of the U.S. Senate.

When visitors come to the Capitol, the overwhelming majority of them visit the Senate and House galleries to watch

their Congress in action. I suspect that most Americans are

less familiar with the committee system, but as we all know,

that is where a significant amount of the work of this institution is accomplished.

During my Senate career, I have been privileged to serve

on a number of committees in the U.S. Senate. As a member

and chairman of the Armed Services Committee I worked

hard to help build the finest military force that history has

seen. On the Judiciary Committee, which I also chaired, my

priorities were to safeguard the Constitution, keep the judicial branch independent and staffed with well-qualified men

and women, and enact sound policies to help make our communities safe. As a founding member of the Veterans’ Affairs

Committee I have always fought to ensure that the men and

women of our Armed Forces receive the health care and benefits they deserve. On each of the committees I served, I associated with Senators who were expert in their areas of

oversight, who took their duties as committee members seriously, and who were exceptional legislators.

One of the primary duties of a Senator is to represent and

assist constituents. I consider constituent service to be the

most significant aspect of my Senate career. I am pleased

that my Senate office has helped hundreds of thousands of

South Carolinians interact with a government bureaucracy

that can sometimes be confusing, unyielding, and intimidating.

As the calendar draws closer to the day that I walk out of

the door of room 217 of the Russell Senate Office Building,

I know that pundits and historians will examine my career

and study my service and achievements. I pray that such an

examination will determine that I was a man who rendered

a worthy service to the Nation and to my State. I hope I am

known, above all, as a man who tried to help others. I also

acknowledge that whatever I have been able to achieve,

through my years of Senate service, it was largely through

working closely with my colleagues.

No single individual can accomplish what has to be done

here without recognizing the contribution of those who

served before we arrived. When I think of the South Carolinians who occupied this seat before me, I am humbled. To

follow in the footsteps of such distinguished men as Pierce

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Butler, Charles Pinckney, Thomas Sumter, John C. Calhoun,

Benjamin Tillman and many others, is indeed an honor.

Likewise, much of our own success is due to the colleagues

with whom we serve. This is perhaps the greatest aspect of

being a Senator—to associate with such fine individuals. I

have been so fortunate that in my tenure here I have had

the distinction of serving with so many fine men and women.

I regret that it is simply impossible to identify each and

every single Senator with whom I have had the pleasure of

serving. As a historical note, 1,864 men and women have

served as U.S. Senators. I have had the privilege to serve

with 410 of these great men and women. I have had the distinct opportunity to serve, in some instances, with more than

one generation from some great families. I note there are

Senators serving today whose fathers were my colleagues

some years ago. I am hesitant to recognize individual colleagues, for I have enjoyed my association with every Senator, but a few stand out in my mind.

My longtime colleague, Senator Hollings, has served with

me for nearly 36 years. I greatly appreciate his friendship

and extend my best wishes to him and his lovely wife,

Peatsy.

Having served on both sides of the aisle, and having presided over the Senate as President pro tempore for a number

of years, I am privileged to have friends in both parties. I enjoyed my association with distinguished Senators such as

Richard Russell and Herman Talmadge. Bobby Kennedy was

a special Senator, whose office was across the hall from

mine. I have enjoyed a long and warmhearted association

with Robert Byrd and Ted Stevens. Similarly, I have a great

respect for Joe Biden, with whom I serve on the Judiciary

Committee. My neighbor, Jesse Helms, is a great American

and a great friend. Our current Republican leader, Trent

Lott, always has a kind word and a friendly greeting. I admire the many genuine heroes who have served in the Senate—men like Dan Inouye.

In addition, much of the success of individual Senators and

of the Senate is due to the leadership of the Senate. Distinguished statesmen like Mike Mansfield, Everett Dirksen,

Hugh Scott, Howard Baker, Bob Dole, were great men who

served this institution with dedication and concern for the

well-being of the Senate and the Nation.

As a Senator I have served with ten Presidents, from

Dwight D. Eisenhower to our current capable and dedicated

leader, George W. Bush. Three of those—John Kennedy,

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Lyndon Johnson, and Richard Nixon—were Senate colleagues. In the Supreme Court, 108 Justices have served

since the formation of the Court in 1790. I am proud to have

participated in the advice and consent in the confirmation of

20 of these outstanding men and women, as well as hundreds of judges in the lower courts.

Mr. President, today’s Senate is much different than when

I first arrived. At that time there were four fewer Senators,

for neither Alaska nor Hawaii had been admitted to the

Union. Our friends from the ‘‘Aloha’’ and ‘‘Last Frontier’’

States did not join us until 1959.

Not only were there fewer Senators, but the Senate support staff was much smaller. When I began my Senate service, I was assisted by just four attorneys and three typists.

Today, I have over 35 hard-working, dedicated staff members. At the end of my first term there were about 6,000 staff

serving Members and committees in the House and Senate.

Today there are over 18,000 staff in personal and committee

offices. An additional 13,000 staff support the Congress in

various congressional support agencies.

This growth in the Senate staff, as well as the increase in

the length of the Senate calendar, is a reflection of the

growth of the Federal Government. Both in size and in

scope, the Federal Government has enlarged its involvement

in the life of Americans. I am not convinced, however, that

this has always been in the best interest of our Nation.

There have been significant physical changes to the Capitol complex. When I first arrived in Washington, the Russell

Senate Office Building housed all Senators, staff, committees, and other support personnel and functions. In 1958 the

Dirksen Office Building was completed, and in 1982 the Hart

Office Building was finished. The Capitol building itself was

enlarged during my tenure with the east front extension.

That extension provided additional rooms when it was completed in 1962. As I depart, a great addition is underway

with the construction of the Capitol Visitor Center. I am

proud of my contribution to this effort which began in earnest just a few years ago as I served as President pro tempore and co-chairman of the Capitol Preservation Commission.

Despite all the changes that have occurred in this institution and in our Nation, there is one constant—that has been

the closeness of the Senate family. There are literally thousands of people who work quietly, outside the spotlight, to

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tion to all in the Senate who contribute to the success of

every Senator and make this institution a community. This

family includes the Secretary of the Senate, the Sergeant at

Arms, the staff of those officers, the clerks, doorkeepers,

Capitol Hill police, the staff of the Senate restaurants, the

attending physician and staff, the cloakroom staff, the Chaplain’s office, the Parliamentarian, the Architect of the Capitol

and staff, the librarians, staff of the Congressional Research

Service and the General Accounting Office, and many others

too numerous to mention.

I must also pay tribute to my own staff. A strong, competent, and capable staff is absolutely necessary to any Senator. We could not keep up with all our duties, maintain contacts with constituents, or accomplish our legislative goals

without our staff. Throughout my career, I have made it a

point to hire the best people I could to work in my personal

office and on my committees. I have enjoyed my association

with literally hundreds of bright, talented and hard-working

individuals. I have enjoyed watching them mature in their

personal lives and grow in their professional careers. I am

proud of my staff. I ask unanimous consent that a list of my

current staff be inserted in the Record.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

Duke Short, chief of staff and administrative assistant

Holly Richardson, executive assistant

Mark Ivany, personal assistant

Eliza Edgar, assistant to the chief of staff

Erin Goodin, receptionist

Walker Clarkson, receptionist

Press/Public Affairs

Becky Fleming, press secretary

Emily Dorroh, press assistant

Records

Les Sealy, office manager and systems administrator

David Black, assistant office manager

Projects

Bill Tuten, projects director

John Hawk, projects assistant

Kevin Smith, projects assistant

Michael Bozzelli, projects assistant

Melissa Kiracofe-Low, projects assistant

General Legislation

David Best, legislative director

Ernie Coggins, legislative assistant

James Galyean, legislative assistant

Helena Mell, legislative correspondent

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Ashley Hurt, legislative correspondent

Military Casework

Matt Martin

Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Federalism and Property

Rights

Scott Frick, chief counsel

Melinda Koutsoumpas, chief clerk

Armed Services

George Lauffer, military assistant

President pro tempore, emeritus

James Graham, staff assistant

THURMOND State Offices

Columbia: Warren Abernathy, State director; Jeanie Rhyne; Valerie

Gaines; Lind Morris; Michelle Quinn; and Christie Humphries

Aiken: Elizabeth McFarland

Charleston: Patricia Rones-Sykes

Florence: Raleigh Ward and Kathryn Hook (volunteer).

Mr. THURMOND. Finally, I express my deepest appreciation to my entire family for their love and support, especially

my children. Strom, Julie, Paul, and my beloved daughter,

the late Nancy Moore, have been the joy of my life. I thank

them for their sacrifices and devotion.

Mr. President, no matter which side of the aisle we occupy,

regardless of the issues that may divide us, and despite any

political differences we may have, all of us ran for office and

fought to stay here because we want to serve and make a difference. There is no more noble calling than public service,

and no more rewarding place to serve than the U.S. Senate.

This is truly one of the most unique and special institutions

in the world and the opportunity to serve in this body is a

rare privilege and one which I think all of us value equally.

In my public service career, I have served in many different capacities and at every level of government, but none

has been more meaningful or gratifying than the time I have

spent as the Senator from South Carolina.

When I graduated from Clemson College in 1923, my father gave me a paper entitled ‘‘Advice’’ which I have always

proudly displayed in my Senate office and after which I have

always tried to pattern my life. The advice which my father

gave me, and which I pass on to others follows:

Remember your God;

Take good care of your body and tax your nervous system as little as possible;

Obey the laws of the land;

Be strictly honest;

Associate with only the best people, morally and intellectually;

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Think three times before you act once, and if you are in doubt, don’t act

at all;

Be prompt on your job to the minute;

Read at every spare chance and think over and try to remember what you

have read;

Do not forget that ‘‘skill and integrity’’ are the keys to success.

Mr. President, I leave you, and my friends, with my father’s universal advice and add the following:

Always respect and appreciate your tenure in the world’s greatest deliberative body; do your absolute best to serve this Nation with honor and decorum; and strive to keep the U.S. Senate the proud, historic and distinguished body of government it has been since the birth of this blessed Nation.

As I close out my public service career, I again thank my

constituents, my colleagues, my staff and my family. May

God bless each of you, the U.S. Senate, and God bless the

United States of America.

I love all of you, and especially your wives.

WEDNESDAY, September 25, 2002

PRAYER

The Chaplain, Dr. Lloyd John Ogilvie, offered the following

prayer:

Almighty God, Sovereign of this Nation and Lord of our

lives, in each period of history, You have blessed us with

great leaders who have exemplified love for You and dedication to our country. Today we celebrate such a man. Thank

You for Senator STROM THURMOND.

By Your providential care, on May 25, 1997, he became the

longest-serving Senator in our Nation’s history. Yet, it is not

just the quantity, but also the quality of these years of service that motivate our admiration. So today we join with all

Americans in thanking You for his outstanding service to the

Senate, to his beloved South Carolina and to the Nation.

Thank You for the enrichment of our lives by this man. He

has shown us the courage of firm convictions, the patriotism

of love for this Nation, and true commitment to the Senate.

We praise You for the personal ways he has inspired each

of us. He is an affirmer who spurs us on with words of encouragement. Your Spirit of caring and concern for individuals shines through this remarkable man.

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Gracious God, may Senator THURMOND know of our affirmation, feel our love, and be encouraged by Your blessing.

You are our Lord and Saviour. Amen.

THURSDAY, September 26, 2002

TRIBUTE TO U.S. SENATOR STROM THURMOND

Mr. INOUYE. STROM THURMOND will go down in the history of our Nation as an extraordinary citizen and an extraordinary patriot.

Few people can match his record of achievements:

He was commissioned as an officer in the U.S. Army Reserve nearly 80 years ago. In 1959, he retired as a major

general after serving 36 years in reserve and active duty.

On D-day, June 6, 1944, Lieutenant Colonel THURMOND

boarded an Army CG4A glider and flew behind enemy lines

into Normandy.

He served as Governor of South Carolina. Later, he was a

candidate for President of the United States, receiving the

third-largest independent electoral vote in U.S. history.

In 1954, he was elected to the U.S. Senate as a write-in

candidate. Today, he is the oldest and longest-serving Member of the Senate.

I have been privileged to know and work with Senator

THURMOND for nearly 40 years. I wish to thank him for his

wealth of wisdom. I will always cherish his friendship.

But Senator THURMOND is not only my colleague and

friend, he is also my brother in arms. During World War II,

anti-tank gunners from my regiment, the 442d Regimental

Combat Team, assaulted southern France in 1944. Like Senator THURMOND, they went into battle aboard gliders without

armor. Glider-borne assaults were extremely dangerous and

risky; some would even say they were suicidal missions.

However, they were a necessary component of the U.S. invasion and liberation of Nazi-occupied France.

Senator THURMOND demonstrated rare courage, patriotism, and leadership as gliderman of the 82d Airborne Division. Most glider descents were ‘‘controlled crashes,’’ and

that was the case when Senator THURMOND’s glider landed

in Normandy. Although he was injured, he managed to safely lead his men to the 82d Airborne Division headquarters

at daybreak. The 82d went on to accomplish its difficult obVerDate 19-JUN-2001 14:26 Oct 22, 2002 Jkt 079664 PO 00000 Frm 00075 Fmt 6688 Sfmt 6688 D:\DOCS\STROM\81870.TXT CRS1 PsN: CRS1
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jective of seizing and securing key positions in enemy territory.

I am pleased to report that Senator THURMOND’s distinguished military service will be honored with the naming of

a new section of the Airborne and Special Operations Museum in Fayetteville, NC. The THURMOND Wing will house

an exhibit dedicated to the courageous combat gliderman of

World War II.

As a Senator, STROM THURMOND has often taken positions

that were not universally supported. Yet one could always be

certain that his decisions were honest. He is passionate in

his beliefs, and his commitment to serving his constituents

has been exemplary. At the end of our service in the Congress, we, his fellow Senate Members, can only hope that we

will be able to say we have served our people with the diligence and devotion that Senator THURMOND has served his

people. Indeed, Senator THURMOND can leave this Chamber

and say, with confidence and without hesitation, that he has

faithfully served the people of South Carolina.

WEDNESDAY, October 2, 2002

TRIBUTE TO STROM THURMOND

Mr. GRAMM. I put a statement in the Record today about

STROM THURMOND. I was busy trying to deal with homeland

security when we had the time to speak on STROM THURMOND. But I do want to relate one story about STROM, which

is in my statement in the Record. When I was elected, like

many new Senators do, before we went into session I brought

my two sons to the Senate. I guess one of them was about

8 and one of them was about 10—or maybe 10 and 12, I lose

track.

Anyway, we found my desk. So I said to my sons: Do you

all want to sit in my chair? By this time they had looked

around at all of the desks, and they decided they didn’t want

to sit in my chair. They wanted to sit in Barry Goldwater’s

chair and STROM THURMOND’s chair.

I guess at the time my feelings were a little hurt. But looking back, when I am sitting on the front porch of a nursing

home somewhere and nobody remembers who I am or what

I ever did, I am going to be able to say to myself: I knew and

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I served with the great STROM THURMOND. An absolutely remarkable man, not because he is 100 years old, in the Senate, but because he is forever young—not in a physical sense.

My God, his physical capacities are amazing.

I remember one night, it was about 2 in the morning, we

were in session. Senator Byrd was keeping us here to debate

something. I was dog tired. I was talking to STROM, and he

was lamenting that his brother had died because he hadn’t

taken care of himself and burned the candle at both ends.

I said to STROM: How old was your brother? He was 89

years old. But to STROM, that was not taking care of yourself.

The amazing thing about STROM THURMOND’s eternal

youth is not physical, it is mental. This is a man in his long

career who could learn new lessons. This is a man who is not

ashamed to say: I am not as ignorant as I used to be. This

is a man who could admit to changing his mind.

We are in the only profession where people look down on

you if you learn something; that somehow you are inconsistent if you thought one way one day and you acquire more information and you change your mind.

The most amazing thing about STROM THURMOND to me is

that through all of his public service, from supreme court

justice in South Carolina, from superintendent of schools to

general in the Army on D-day. We all know the story about

one of our colleagues going over with President Reagan and

saying to STROM he should have been there at Normandy,

and STROM said he was there. And he was there when it

counted, on June 6, 1944. It is that eternal youth, that ability to learn something new, to have a new perspective and

to change that makes STROM THURMOND the most remarkable person with whom I have served.

TRIBUTE TO SENATOR STROM THURMOND

Mr. MURKOWSKI. I think it is important as we see our

friends depart from this body to talk about what is outstanding in our own minds relative to their contributions. One

could go on at great length relative to the contributions of

Senator STROM THURMOND. But one of the things outstanding in my mind is the tours that Senator THURMOND used to

give when we had a social event here in the Capitol. Upon

the conclusion of the event, he would offer to take at least

some of the guests on a night tour of the Capitol. He would

recite instances that occurred 30, 40, 50, and almost 200

years ago relative to the sacred surroundings and the old

chamber where the Supreme Court originally was here in

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the Capitol, and reflect humorous stories of who sat where

and what their personal traits might be.

Looking back on my 22 years in the Senate, I treasure

those moments. My wife Nancy and I have often talked

about them. Unfortunately, his health does not allow him to

conduct those tours anymore, but for those who were fortunate enough to share a few moments of his humor on those

tours, the historical references, his magnificent memory, the

reference to the uniqueness of the Senate, and the outstanding highlights of the various careers of those who have come

and gone made it truly a memorable experience.

TRIBUTES TO STROM THURMOND

Mr. SMITH of New Hampshire. Mr. President, I rise to

congratulate Senator STROM THURMOND on his remarkable

tenure as a U.S. Senator.

As a history teacher, I taught my students about Senator

THURMOND. As a Congressman, I always admired Senator

THURMOND’s leadership and his willingness to speak out for

his beliefs. As a Senator, it has been an honor to serve with

Senator THURMOND.

He is a true patriot, a true civil servant. He has served his

country in countless ways, and in every case, he has pursued

this service with vigor.

He showed his dedication to the United States by serving

in the Army during World War II. Senator THURMOND originally signed up for an administrative position, but he eventually went to both the European and Pacific theaters.

He served with the storied 82d Airborne Division and

landed in Normandy on D-day. His combat service earned

him 18 citations, including the Bronze Star for valor, a Purple Heart, the Belgian Order of the Crown, and the French

Croix de Guerre. He continued his military career as a major

general of the U.S. Army Reserve. He also acted as national

president of the Reserve Officers Association.

It is easy to forget this heroism, because it was so long ago

and he has accomplished so much since then. For me, as a

veteran, and as someone who lost his father in service to his

country, I believe we each owe Senator THURMOND our gratitude for his courage in his military service.

Senator THURMOND was first elected to the Senate 48

years ago. It was then, in 1954, that the people of South

Carolina elected Senator THURMOND by a write-in vote, the

only time in history that this has ever happened.

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However, Senator THURMOND had made his mark well before he was elected to the Senate. He showed his dedication

to South Carolina by serving as city and county attorney,

State senator, circuit judge, and Governor.

As a former teacher, coach, and school board chairman, I

believe there is no more noble public service than teaching.

Between heroic military service and a half century of political service, STROM THURMOND managed to set aside time to

teach future generations.

He was a teacher in South Carolina. He was also an athletic coach. He later went on to serve as the superintendent

of education for Edgefield County, SC.

As a U.S. Senator, STROM THURMOND has accomplished

numerous achievements. As you all may know, in 1996, Senator THURMOND became the oldest serving Senator in history. A few months later he became the longest-serving Senator in U.S. history.

In 1998 Senator THURMOND cast his 15,000th vote on the

Senate floor. While these milestones are significant, it is

what he did with this time that makes these records important.

Senator THURMOND well remembers the great baseball

Hall of Famer Lou Gehrig. They used to call him the Iron

Horse. He never missed a game. He always gave 100 percent. He was the essence of sportsmanship.

STROM THURMOND is the Iron Horse of the Senate. He is

the essence of statesman, of public servant. He has given 100

percent for his entire career, and those of us who are privileged to know him draw energy and inspiration from his example.

I will always remember any time I came in early in the

morning to open the Senate. It was always Senator THURMOND presiding. As President pro tempore, he did not have

to do that. He could appoint someone else to do it. But that’s

just how STROM THURMOND is. It is part of his character.

Of course, I have always admired his dedication to his conservative values. Throughout his life Senator THURMOND was

a Democrat, a Dixiecrat, and a Republican, but most important he was always a patriot.

His unflinching devotion to his country manifested itself in

his service and chairmanship of the Senate Armed Services

Committee. Moreover, his unflagging dedication to justice

was represented by another chairmanship, that of the Senate

Judiciary Committee. As a Senator who has served with SenVerDate 19-JUN-2001 14:26 Oct 22, 2002 Jkt 079664 PO 00000 Frm 00079 Fmt 6688 Sfmt 6688 D:\DOCS\STROM\81870.TXT CRS1 PsN: CRS1
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ator THURMOND on both of these committees, I have had the

privilege of seeing a great legislator in action.

As a veteran, I am thankful for all that Senator THURMOND has done, such as serving on the Veterans’ Affairs

Committee for over 30 years. As a former teacher, I commend his work with the youth of South Carolina when he

was an educator. As a Senator, I admire his forthrightness

and dedication to his principles. As an American, he makes

me proud.

Senator THURMOND, thank you for your many years of devotion to this country and the ideals that make it strong.

Mr. GRAMM. There are so many things you could say

about STROM, but there is one thing I can say about STROM

THURMOND that I am certain of and that is, someday I will

proudly tell my grandchildren that I served in the U.S. Senate with STROM THURMOND. Like that happy band of brothers who fought with King Harry on St. Crispin’s Day, I will

tell my grandchildren how I fought with a great man, a great

leader, to accomplish great deeds.

He has had a profound and lasting impact on our country.

But there is something more remarkable. He is eternally

young. Not just in being a 100-year-old Senator, but young

in the ability to adopt new ideas, to change as circumstances

change, and in the process to grow, even during the longest

tenure in the Senate in history. I love STROM THURMOND. I

admire him, and for my whole life, I will be proud that I was

able to call him colleague and friend.

TRIBUTE TO SENATOR STROM THURMOND

Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, I pay tribute to a colleague of

ours whose career of public service may never be matched

again in the history of our country. My friend STROM THURMOND sits on the other side of the aisle of the Senate Chamber, but I consider him a friend with whom I have worked

closely, and I will miss him.

I remember when I was first sworn into the Senate in January 1975. Because of a tied vote in the State of New Hampshire that election year, it was a matter that did not get resolved until we actually went back and did the election over

in the middle of the year. I was the most junior Member of

a 99-Member Senate. We did not have the Hart Building at

the time. We had the Russell Building and the Dirksen

Building, and a couple of us very junior Members were in

basement offices. Senator Garn of Utah, Senator Laxalt of

Nevada, and I were down in the dungeons. When we were

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sworn in, I had a small reception down there. I invited Members of the Senate to come, not thinking that anybody would

actually show up. There were far more noteworthy people

being sworn in that day, some to begin subsequent terms,

others newly elected.

I remember standing there with my mother and father,

and one of the very first people to come through that door

was STROM THURMOND, walking arm in arm with John Stennis of Mississippi. I remember STROM welcoming me to the

Senate and telling my mother and father I seemed like a

nice young man, and that I might actually have a career

ahead of me.

I note that has been the routine of STROM THURMOND, to

welcome new Senators from either party. He has done it

with hundreds of Senators. This one remembers it well.

We often worked in the field of antitrust laws. We worked

together on the National Cooperative Production Amendments of 1993, the very first high-technology bill signed by

President Clinton, and to improve the protections against

anticompetitive conduct in the Digital Performance Right in

Sound Recordings Act.

Senator THURMOND has been a legislator. I must admit,

when Senator THURMOND and I have worked together, it has

raised some eyebrows, and when we have introduced legislation together, some have remarked that either it is brilliant

legislation or one of us has not gotten around to reading it.

But there are so many issues that we did join together. Of

course, there have been occasions when he and I have sat on

opposite sides of an issue, but even though there were issues

about which we felt deeply, Senator THURMOND always conducted himself with the utmost integrity. He has always told

the Senate how he felt. He has done so with the people of

South Carolina first and foremost in his mind.

I recall him inviting me down to talk to the STROM THURMOND Institute at Clemson. He wanted to put on a debate

on economic matters. He had an impartial moderator from

the Heritage Foundation. When I walked in, I saw half the

Republican Party of South Carolina and the Heritage Foundation. I knew I was to be the sacrificial lamb, and I was loving every minute of it. When they stated how much time

would be allotted, Senator THURMOND stated he should have

twice as much time as I because I spoke twice as fast as he

did.

We had a very good meeting. I am sure I did not change

his mind, or most of the minds of the audience, on a couple

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of issues. We walked out of there arm in arm, laughing, having a good time. I remember a couple of days later STROM

coming on the floor and slapping me on the back and saying,

I want to thank the King of Vermont, as he said, for going

down with him.

One of the strangest meetings during that time was when

we were in the Senate dining room and I introduced him to

Jerry Garcia of the Grateful Dead. It was a meeting of cultures, very different cultures.

I share with Senator THURMOND the distinction of being

from a State that has provided the Senate Judiciary Committee with three chairmen over the history of the committee. South Carolina and the State of Vermont have each had

three different people who have shared the Senate Judiciary

Committee. With that in mind, I have always asked what I

call the STROM THURMOND question at judicial hearings. He

has always reminded nominees that the people and lawyers

who appear before them, whatever their position in the case,

whether rich or poor, white or black, man or woman, whatever their religious or political affiliation, deserve respect

and fairness. He has reminded everyone of that.

I will miss my friend STROM. He has been named President pro tempore emeritus for a very good reason.

I have learned much from the senior Senator from South

Carolina. Let me share one additional aspect of Senator

THURMOND’s legacy to the Senate as he completes this term

and retires from office. In addition to all his longevity

records and legislative achievements and buildings named

for him, there is something else about him I will always remember.

When we hold hearings for Federal judges—and we have

held a number this year—I am always careful to carry on a

tradition that Senator THURMOND started. Senator THURMOND always reminded nominees for high office that it is essential to treat others with courtesy and respect. He always

reminded nominees that the people and lawyers who appeared before them, whatever their position in the case,

whether rich or poor, white or black, man or woman, whatever their religious or political affiliation, they are each and

every one deserving of respect and fairness.

Senator THURMOND was right to remind judges—and even

Senators—of that simple rule. It is another contribution he

has made to all of us that will continue to serve us well. As

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I said earlier, I will miss STROM THURMOND. He has been

named President pro tempore emeritus for good reason.

THURSDAY, October 3, 2002

TRIBUTE TO SENATOR STROM THURMOND

Mr. BIDEN. Mr. President, what can I say about STROM

THURMOND?

I remember, back in 1981, the Senate Judiciary Committee

had a new chairman—and a new ranking member, and there

were more than a few folks looking forward to the fireworks.

There was a new conservative Republican administration

and a new Republican majority in the Senate. The Judiciary

Committee seemed destined to be one of the main ideological

battlegrounds over issues that divided us then and still divide us today.

There were more than a few Washington insiders who

thought that STROM THURMOND, the seasoned veteran conservative Republican chairman who first made his mark on

the national political scene as an advocate of State’s rights,

and Joe Biden, a Northeastern Democrat still in his thirties

whose interest in politics was sparked, in large measure, by

the civil rights movement, would never find an inch of common ground—not an inch.

But I knew that was not going to be the case. I had served

with STROM for 8 years by then.

I knew his personal strengths and admired them greatly,

regardless of our political differences, and I knew those

strengths would guide us to consensus rather than gridlock.

I knew with STROM there would be comity—not enmity.

And I knew debate would be civil and constructive rather

than divisive and filled with meaningless partisan rhetoric.

STROM, as usual, didn’t let me down. In his 6 years as

chairman—and for several years after that when we

switched roles—he exceeded my expectations in every way.

There were many heated debates and contentious hearings, but we weathered them and we weathered the kinds of

controversies which I’ve seen poison the well for other committees for years afterward.

But that kind of cooperation would not have happened if

it weren’t for STROM THURMOND’s strength of character.

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It would not have happened if he were not, first and foremost, a gentleman—unfailingly courteous, respectful, and always dignified.

STROM’s word is his bond, and each of us, even the most

partisan political opponents know that, in the heat of debate,

under extraordinary pressure, when the stakes are exceedingly high, STROM THURMOND will always, always keep his

word.

There’s an old Greek proverb that says: ‘‘The old age of an

eagle is better than the youth of a sparrow.’’

Well, STROM THURMOND is an eagle among us.

He’s been my neighbor in the Russell Building for many

years now. Actually, he has most of the offices around me so

I’d say he is more like the landlord.

He has more seniority in this Chamber than any U.S. Senator has ever had, and more seniority than most Americans

will ever dream of having. But longevity is not the measure

of a man like STROM THURMOND.

Longevity is a very small part of why we come to this floor

to pay tribute to him today—a tribute he richly deserves—

not only for a long life, but for a grand life, an accomplished

life.

I joke about it sometimes. About the time, for example,

someone came up to him and challenged his strength and his

tenacity and—right there—STROM took off his coat and started doing pushups.

He has lived long and he has lived well. He has served his

country well. And, more than any other public figure, he has

been a constant force in this Nation for the better part of a

century. Never stopping. Never giving up. Always fighting

for his beliefs. Unequivocally. Unashamedly.

Whether it was his independent run for President 54 years

ago, or serving the people of South Carolina as superintendent for education of Edgefield County, a city and county attorney, a State senator, a circuit court judge, Governor, or

U.S. Senator—he has been truly, sincerely, honorably, one of

America’s most engaged, committed, and enduring public

servants.

He was born back in 1902. It was not until a year later

that the Wright brothers flew the first powered flight. He

was 6 when Henry Ford introduced the Model T.

He received his degree from Clemson 1 year after the Yankees signed Babe Ruth.

When STROM joined the army, Calvin Coolidge was elected

President.

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The Golden Gate Bridge was completed the year STROM

was elected to the State senate.

Judging from that timeline, you might conclude that

American legends tend to lead somewhat parallel lives.

There is no doubt that STROM THURMOND is an American

legend.

He served only one term as a State senator, but in that

one term most people don’t realize he became an education

Senator, raising teachers’ pay and extending the school year.

Not to mention the fact that he sponsored South Carolina’s

first Rural Electrification Act.

Legend has it that when the United States declared war

against Germany—STROM was a circuit court judge at the

time—he literally took off his robes and volunteered for active duty that day.

He went on to earn 5 battle stars, 18 decorations, medals,

and awards—the Legion of Merit with oakleaf cluster, the

Purple Heart, the Bronze Star Medal for valor, the Belgian

Order of the Crown and the French Croix de Guerre.

Then, in 1947, he was elected Governor of South Carolina.

He added 60,000 new private sector jobs; paved 4,100 miles

of farm-to-market roads; raised teachers’ pay again; started

a trade and technical education system; and lowered property taxes. Not a bad record. But STROM was not done.

He was elected to this Chamber in 1954. I have been here

for 30 years. I consider that to be quite a long time but

STROM arrived 18 years earlier. STROM came the hard way.

He was a write-in candidate.

I believe he has the distinction of being the first person to

be elected to a national office that way.

It wasn’t long before he became an expert on the military

and an advocate for a strong national defense. He’s been on

the Armed Services Committee since the Eisenhower administration—1959.

He was a Democrat back then. We could use you again

now, Senator.

But seriously, STROM held to his convictions about a strong

military and, in 1964, said the Republican Party more closely

represented his views, so he switched and, when he did,

changed the future of South Carolina politics.

STROM and I may disagree on most issues, but, the fact is,

it was STROM THURMOND who, one way or another, helped

shape the debate on many of those issues for the better part

of the last century.

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A long life is the gift of a benevolent God, but a long life

with a powerful and lasting impact is the treasure of a grateful Nation.

He has had that kind of impact, and we are grateful.

His achievements, his list of awards, the many schools and

buildings named for him—too many to enumerate here—are

only a small tribute to a man who has done in 100 years

more than most of us could accomplish in 1,000 years. And,

the truth is, most of us wouldn’t have the energy to even try.

The real beneficiaries of STROM THURMOND’s legacy are

the citizens of South Carolina.

Not since the days of John C. Calhoun has South Carolina

enjoyed such memorable representation as it does today with

Senator THURMOND and Senator Hollings.

From his own reflections and experiences, Calhoun wrote

the famous Disquisition on Government. Some political scientists have said that essay is a key to modern American

politics, a handbook for defending against the tyranny of the

majority, and for building pragmatic coalitions.

In that work, Calhoun wanted to maintain the Constitutional rights of States, and the delicate relationship between

Federal and State powers.

STROM THURMOND wears the mantle of that heritage.

Some years back, Senator THURMOND was quoted as saying, ‘‘The Constitution means today exactly what it meant in

1787 or it means nothing at all.’’

Armed with that conviction all of his life, he’s been an able

advocate of State’s rights—the balance of power between

branches of government—individual rights against government prerogatives and usurpations—private enterprise—decentralized government—and strict Constitutional interpretation.

He has not only been a successful politician who helped

shape the last century, but a political philosopher with

whom I do not always agree, but for whom I have the deepest respect.

Let me tell you one of my most memorable stories about

STROM.

It was when we went down to the White House to try to

convince President Reagan to sign a crime bill.

President Reagan was in the beginning of his second term.

We sat in that Cabinet Room. We were on one side of the

table and William French Smith, Ed Meese, and someone

else, I can’t recall whom, were on the other side.

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The President walked in and sat down between STROM and

me. We told him why we thought he should sign the bill,

why it was important for him to sign it.

At first, the President looked like he was thinking about

it, and then, to the shock of everyone on the other side of the

table, he began to look like he was being convinced—that he

actually might sign it.—This is absolutely a true story.

Ed Meese stood up at that point. He looked at us and then

he looked at the President and said. ‘‘Mr. President, it’s time

to go.’’

The President hesitated. He looked over at STROM and

nodded as if he wanted to hear more. But Ed Meese said

again, ‘‘Mr. President, it’s time to go.’’

At that point, the President made a motion to get up, and

STROM reached over and put his hand firmly on the President’s arm. He grabbed it and pulled him back down and

said, ‘‘Mr. President, the one thing you got to know about

Washington is that when you get as old as I am, you want

to get things done, you have to compromise.’’

There was Ronald Reagan, not that much younger than

STROM, and there was STROM, smiling, making the President

laugh. And there was Ed Meese not looking very happy as

STROM talked the President into his position.

That’s a remarkable ability, and it works for STROM because people always know where his heart is. They know

what his objective is.

People know that he believes what he says and says what

he believes, and it’s real and it is honest.

One more personal story that I will never forget. It was

during a contentious hearing on a Supreme Court Justice

and a difficult time in my career. STROM and I disagreed on

the nominee. And I was being blasted in the press back in

1988.

I called a meeting of the entire committee and said that

if the accusations relevant to me were getting in the way of

the work of the committee, I would resign as chairman.

But before I could get the last word out of my mouth,

STROM stood up. ‘‘That’s ridiculous,’’ he said. ‘‘You stay as

chairman. We all have confidence in you.’’

I said, ‘‘Don’t you want me to explain?’’

And STROM said, ‘‘There’s no need to explain. We know

you.’’

I will never forget what he said that day.

I have told this story before, but to this day, I can’t think

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cal advantage, not only not take it, but stand by me. That’s

the STROM THURMOND I know and will always admire.

I have been honored to work with him, privileged to serve

with him, and proud to call him my friend. As I said earlier:

A long life may well be the gift of a benevolent God, but a

long life with an impact as powerful and lasting as his is the

treasure of a grateful Nation.

STROM THURMOND is, without doubt, an American treasure.

The truth of the matter is that his longevity lies in his

strength of character, his absolute honesty and integrity, his

sense of fairness, his civility and dignity as a gentleman, and

his commitment to public service.

None of these things are skills you learn. They are qualities that burn deep within leaders like STROM THURMOND.

And people who know him well can sense them.

The measure of STROM THURMOND is not how long he has

lived or how long he has served, but the good he has done,

the record of success he has achieved, and the standard of

leadership he has set.

The truth is that STROM’s ongoing legacy is not about time,

it is about extraordinary leadership and dedicated service to

the people of South Carolina and the Nation.

And for that we say, ‘‘Thank you, STROM, and 100 more.’’

FRIDAY, October 4, 2002

SENATOR STROM THURMOND: STATESMAN, PATRIOT, LEADER

Mr. HELMS. Mr. President, last week, several Senators

spoke during morning business one day about our distinguished colleague from South Carolina, Senator THURMOND.

Long before I came to the Senate, I myself spoke many times

on television editorials commending Senator THURMOND.

He was then, and is today, even more of a genuine American patriot than when I was in Raleigh never dreaming that

I would one day be a colleague to Senator THURMOND in the

Senate.

Trying to capture the essence of STROM THURMOND in a

relatively few words of tribute is impossible. Who can adequately describe his firm handshake, his unmistakable South

Carolina cadence, or his almost superhuman capacity for

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work? How can one convey the explosive energy STROM

THURMOND has carried anytime he walks into a room?

The sheer breadth of experience STROM THURMOND brings

to the Senate boggles the mind: Born in 1902, he served

South Carolina as State senator, as a circuit judge, as Governor and as U.S. Senator.

He voted for Franklin Delano Roosevelt in 1932, and more

than 50 years later, voted for Ronald Reagan in 1984. He ran

for President against Harry Truman in 1948 and actively

participated in Bill Clinton’s impeachment trial in 1999.

When the Army told him he was too old to fight in World

War II, he managed to obtain an age waiver to participate

in the fighting. Then, in typical STROM THURMOND fashion,

he landed with the 82d Airborne Division in Normandy on

D-day. Small wonder that Fort Bragg recently honored him

by christening its newest building the Major General STROM

THURMOND Strategic Deployment Facility.

My simple references to STROM THURMOND’s accomplishments fail to convey the historic legacy he will leave in the

Senate. In 1997 STROM became the longest-serving Senator

in the history of the institution, but he was the quintessential Senator long before he officially assumed that honor.

Senator THURMOND had great influence on my decision in

1972 to become a candidate for the Senate from North Carolina. He came to Raleigh many times urging me to run, and

countless others to support me.

Every time he came, he told me again that if I would just

run for the Senate, he would come to North Carolina frequently to campaign for me.

I decided to run because thanks to Senator THURMOND,

there were many urging me to do it. And, sure enough, there

he came, down from Washington to Raleigh, to help me.

Again and again he came.

He was a fellow Southerner, and like me, he was a Democrat who had converted to the Republican Party. In those

days, there were not a lot of Republicans in North and South

Carolina, but STROM was determined to change that. And I

might add, parenthetically, that no single individual, with

the possible exception of Ronald Reagan, has done more to

build the Republican Party in the South than STROM THURMOND.

Senator THURMOND knows how much I admire and respect

him. He knows how grateful I am for his enormously helpful

trips to North Carolina where we stood together, day after

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day, night after night, urging the people of North Carolina

to send Helms to Washington to help STROM THURMOND.

I am proud to say, that STROM THURMOND became one of

the best friends I have ever had, and one of the finest men

I have ever known. He tutored me in the intricacies of the

Senate and its traditions, the personal dedication the job requires, and the genuine commitment Senators owe to their

constituents.

Some years ago, STROM paid me the ultimate honor of asking me to serve as godfather to his newborn daughter.

Today, Julie Thurmond Whitmer is a beautiful young

woman, and the pride I take in her is exceeded only by her

father.

One final note, I owe Senator THURMOND my eternal gratitude for a favor he did for me.

When I arrived in the Senate, I was searching for young

people to help me with my Senate responsibilities. Senator

THURMOND referred a wonderfully smart, principled, and

competent young lady for my staff.

After 30 years of working with, and for, the irreplaceable

Mrs. Pat Devine, I can genuinely say that her presence

among the ‘‘Helms Senate family’’ is the finest helping hand

STROM THURMOND could possibly extend to me.

Senator THURMOND watched over her protectively, and he

often jokingly needled me about how I had ‘‘stolen away his

redhead.’’

The Senate simply will never be the same without Senator

THURMOND sitting tall and straight at his desk, serving the

people of South Carolina and the country he loves.

He is a true friend, a great statesman, and a blessing to

all who cherish the strength of statesmen like J. STROM

THURMOND. He is a great patriot. He is my friend and I am

his. This is a stronger and greater country because of his

service and his dedication to the principles that made America great from the beginning.

TUESDAY, October 8, 2002

TRIBUTE TO MAJOR GENERAL STROM THURMOND

Mr. HELMS. Mr. President, throughout America’s history,

our Nation has been blessed with leaders of rare courage,

character, and conviction. The Senate for almost half a cenVerDate 19-JUN-2001 14:26 Oct 22, 2002 Jkt 079664 PO 00000 Frm 00090 Fmt 6688 Sfmt 6688 D:\DOCS\STROM\81870.TXT CRS1 PsN: CRS1
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tury has been fortunate to count among its members an especially remarkable individual, Senator STROM THURMOND.

Earlier, I joined in paying tribute to Senator THURMOND’s

unparalleled record of public service both to his country and

to his beloved citizens of South Carolina. His extraordinary

record of service spans almost 80 years.

We should also recall another aspect of service to his country—Senator THURMOND’s heroic and selfless record of military service.

His distinguished military career spanned more than 3

decades, commencing shortly after his 21st birthday when he

was commissioned a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army Reserve. When he retired in 1965, Senator THURMOND had

risen to the rank of major general, the highest rank then

available to a Reserve officer.

Inasmuch as he was serving as a South Carolina circuit

judge at the outset of World War II, Mr. THURMOND was exempt from military service. But then-First Lieutenant THURMOND did not hesitate: he volunteered for duty the day the

U.S. declared war against Germany, receiving a commission

in the active Army and becoming a member of the First U.S.

Army.

While serving in the European theater, STROM served in

all battles of the First Army, fighting through France, Belgium, Holland, Luxembourg, Czechoslovakia, and Germany.

A lieutenant colonel at the time of the Normandy invasion—

STROM volunteered for temporary duty with the All-American Division, North Carolina’s 82d Airborne, with whom he

would land on the first day of the invasion.

Senator THURMOND once recounted this experience with

the 82d:

On May 23, they informed us that they needed Civil Affairs officers for

temporary duty with the 82d Airborne. Three of us volunteered. . . . On May

29, our units headed for an airfield near Newbury, where the three of us

were briefed, given final instructions, and assigned to various gliders. We

were to arrive with the 82d in France on D-day, June 6. The primary mission of the 82d and the 101st Airborne Divisions was to keep enemy reinforcements from the invasion beaches. One fifth of the American airborne

soldiers were killed or wounded that day, but we succeeded in accomplishing

our mission.

After we crossed the coastline of France we were subjected to heavy antiaircraft fire, and soon thereafter the tow plane cut us loose. Well, after that,

we lost altitude fast. All I could see rushing toward us were fields full of

fences and trees and crooked up gliders. As we came in to land, we hit a

tree and tore off one of our wings. The crash threw us into another tree,

and that clipped off our other wing. What was left of us kept going until

it plowed into a fence. We had crash landed into an apple orchard.

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We had landed within the German lines and as soon as we touched the

ground we were hit with enemy fire. I headed a reconnaissance party with

personnel from my glider to locate a command post. I borrowed a jeep from

an officer of the 4th Infantry Division and made a reconnaissance of other

nearby gliders, trying to assist injured personnel in getting to the

rendevous. As soon as we had consolidated the group and set up a temporary camp, we started to dig foxholes. We were still being shelled, but not

as heavily, along with [receiving] small arms fire. I had busted up my left

knee when the glider had landed, so once we had taken care of more urgent

matters, I had the medics patch me up.

With typical humility, Senator THURMOND failed to note

that he was awarded a Purple Heart for his injuries that

day. In addition, he has been the recipient of numerous other

decorations for heroism and valor, including 5 battle stars

and 18 decorations, the Legion of Merit with oakleaf cluster,

the Bronze Star Medal with V device, the Belgian Order of

the Crown, and the French Croix de Guerre.

In an effort to honor all soldiers of the 82d Airborne and

to acknowledge the spirit and actions of Major General

STROM THURMOND during his military career, I wrote to the

Secretary of the Army this past April. My request was that

Fort Bragg’s new 82d Airborne Division Strategic Deployment Facility—a key complex ensuring that Fort Bragg will

serve as the Army’s principal power projection platform for

years to come—be named in honor of Major General STROM

THURMOND.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of

my letter of April 19, 2002, and the Department of the

Army’s response of June 4, 2002, be printed in the Record.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

U.S. SENATE,

Washington, DC, April 19, 2002.

Hon. THOMAS E. WHITE,

Secretary of the Army, 101 Army Pentagon, Room 3E700, Washington, DC.

DEAR MR. SECRETARY: The Honorable STROM THURMOND has established

an unparalleled record of public service during his almost 48 years in the

United States Senate.

For the past 29 years, it has been my privilege to serve as a colleague

of Senator THURMOND’s. During that time, his leadership, dedication, and

integrity have served as a source of personal inspiration.

As STROM will soon be retiring from the Senate, I expect there to be a

number of tributes and dedications honoring various aspects of his unprecedented service to our country. I would like to ensure that his 36 years of

dedicated service to the United States Army are also recognized in an appropriate manner.

As you are probably aware, STROM’s remarkable record of service to the

Army began in 1924 when he was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the

Infantry. An Army Reserve First Lieutenant on the eve of World War II,

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STROM volunteered for an active Army commission on the day the United

States entered the war against Germany (in spite of the fact that his duties

as a South Carolina circuit judge exempted him from deployment). After receiving his commission, Lt. THURMOND became a member of the First U.S.

Army where he would subsequently be attached to Fort Bragg’s own 82d

Airborne Division for the Invasion of Normandy. It was during that operation that he sustained an injury that led to the eventual award of a Purple

Heart.

As a gesture of our country’s gratitude for his remarkable military and

public careers and as an inspiration to the soldiers who will pass through

it in defense of our nation, I request that the Army dedicate the soon to be

completed 82d Airborne Division Deployment Staging Complex adjacent to

Pope Air Force Base’s Green Ramp as the ‘‘Major General STROM THURMOND Airborne Operations Center.’’

So dedicating this premier facility, designed by the Army and the Air

Force to ensure that Fort Bragg and Pope AFB will function as the Army’s

leading Power Projection Platform for many years to come, will serve as

both an appropriate tribute to STROM THURMOND’s immeasurable contributions in service to our country and as an inspiration to the courageous

young men and women who have committed their lives to the security of

our Nation.

Mr. Secretary, I will appreciate your expeditious consideration of my proposal as I am told that the facility is expected to open in July. If you have

any questions, please do not hesitate to call me or David Whitney of my

staff.

Many thanks.

Sincerely,

JESSE.

—————————

DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY,

OFFICE OF THE ASSISTANT SECRETARY

OF THE ARMY,

Washington, DC, June 4, 2002.

Hon. JESSE HELMS,

Senate, Washington, DC.

DEAR SENATOR HELMS: Thank you for your recent letter to the Secretary

of the Army, proposing the soon to be completed 82d Airborne Division Deployment Staging Complex at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, be named in

honor of Senator STROM THURMOND.

Senator THURMOND’s distinguished record of almost 48 years in the

Senate, coupled with his military service and heroic actions in the line of

duty during World War II, merit recognition. The package recommending

that the Secretary of the Army grant an exception to policy permitting the

requested naming has been prepared and is being expeditiously processed.

Thank you for your efforts to gain recognition for Senator THURMOND for

his long and distinguished service to our Nation.

Sincerely,

JOSEPH W. WHITAKER,

Deputy Assistant Secretary of the

Army (Installations and Housing),

OASA (I&E).

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Mr. HELMS. Mr. President, needless to say, I am grateful

to have received the Army’s positive response and in September a ceremony was held at the green ramp at Pope Air

Force Base, adjacent to Fort Bragg. More than 200 gathered

to dedicate a premier facility, to honor the 82d Airborne, and

to pay tribute to Major General THURMOND’s exemplary contributions as a soldier and a statesman.

On that occasion, many fine tributes were spoken. I was

particularly moved, though, by the words of the Under Secretary of the Army, the Honorable Les Brownlee. As a result

of his distinguished service as majority staff director of the

Senate Armed Services Committee, where he served under

both Senators THURMOND and Warner, Secretary Brownlee

is well-known to many Senators.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that Secretary

Brownlee’s remarks from the September 16 dedication and a

copy of a document ‘‘THURMOND Military Service Record’’ be

printed in the Record.

REMARKS BY HON. LES BROWNLEE, UNDER SECRETARY OF THE ARMY AT

DEDICATION CEREMONY, MG STROM THURMOND STRATEGIC DEPLOYMENT

FACILITY, POPE AFB, NC, SEPTEMBER 16, 2002

Congressman Hayes, thank you very much for your very enthusiastic remarks to our soldiers here in the 82d Airborne Division.

I hope you forgive me if I don’t mention everybody’s name again, since

they have been mentioned a number of times already. But I did want to recognize the soldiers of the 82d Airborne Division and the airmen of the 43d

Airlift Wing who are here today and who I know will enjoy the benefits of

this marvelous facility.

I also wanted to recognize that not only did Congressman Hayes play a

pivotal role in this facility but Senator Helms and his staff did as well, and

I know that Senator Helms insisted that this facility be named for his colleague, Senator STROM THURMOND.

This year we will lose two giants out of the Senate. Senator THURMOND

and Senator Helms will complete their tenure in the Senate this year but

they will be sorely missed by the Nation.

I want to recognize also the great work that was done by everyone concerned in achieving this marvelous facility. It is truly a wonderful example

of the jointness and cooperation that exists between the Army and the Air

Force, and I want to recognize and express our appreciation to our Air Force

comrades in arms.

I’m going also to pay a special tribute here to Mr. Duke Short, chief of

staff at the current time to Senator THURMOND for almost 30 years. But

more important, as a lieutenant he was assigned to the 82d Airborne Division and served here at Fort Bragg. Duke, please stand. Please join me in

giving Duke a big round of applause for his many years of outstanding service to the Nation and to Senator THURMOND.

I spent some time last week with Senator THURMOND and remarked that

I was planning to borrow Duke Short from him for a few hours so that he

could participate in this dedication ceremony. In typical STROM THURMOND

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fashion he didn’t blink an eye as he deadpanned ‘‘that’s fine . . . just bring

him back.’’

As many of you know, I have had the distinct honor and privilege of working directly for Senator THURMOND for many years on the Senate Armed

Services Committee, so I feel especially grateful for the opportunity to say

a few words today. Senator THURMOND has been, and continues to be, an

inspiration for us all and I am certain he is both honored and humbled by

the dedication of this facility in his name.

Pay particular notice that this facility is dedicated to Major General

STROM THURMOND—not Senator THURMOND. This is significant as it recognizes his military career and accomplishments. But let’s also take note of

the extraordinary list of important positions STROM THURMOND has held

throughout his life: superintendent of education for Edgefield County, South

Carolina State senator, circuit judge of South Carolina, Governor of South

Carolina, candidate for President of the United States, U.S. Senator where

he served as chairman of the Armed Services, Veterans Affairs, and Judiciary Committees and as President pro tempore, major general in the Army

Reserve, and the oldest Senator, as well as the longest-serving senator. On

December 5 this year Senator THURMOND will be 100 years old and still an

active Senator. What an impressive list—what a marvelous life of public

service.

In 1924 STROM THURMOND was commissioned as a second lieutenant in

the U.S. Army Reserve. During World War II, although exempt from military service due to both his age and position as a judge, he took a 4-year

leave of absence from a circuit judgeship in South Carolina in order to voluntarily serve his country as a soldier. As a 43-year-old lieutenant colonel

he served with the All Americans—the 82d Airborne—and landed in a glider

carrying 8 other soldiers and a jeep as part of the D-day invasion in

Normandy. His team reinforced parachute troops that landed earlier that

day and collectively routed the German forces from the town of Ste. MereEglise.

In fact, I remember discussing the glider operations with Senator THURMOND. Riding a glider into battle is high adventure, and the usual result

was a crash-landing. That’s in fact how Senator THURMOND landed—a terrific crash that wounded him and destroyed the jeep the glider was carrying.

I asked the Senator how he got out of the glider and into the battle. He explained that the entire side of the glider was torn open. ‘‘All you had to do

was to stand up and walk right out the side!’’

Four days after landing in the glider Lieutenant Colonel THURMOND,

armed with only a pistol, captured a German motorcycle and commandeered

it for his section’s use.

Subsequently, Lieutenant Colonel THURMOND participated in the liberation of Paris, the Rhine Campaign, and was among the first Americans to

liberate the Buchenwald concentration camp. As a result of his actions,

STROM THURMOND was awarded the Legion of Merit—the Bronze Star for

valor, the Purple Heart, and five battle stars. Although the war ended in

Europe, General THURMOND didn’t return straight home. He volunteered for

and was transferred to the Pacific Theater at the conclusion of combat in

Europe and was preparing for the final assault on the Japanese island of

Okinawa when the war ended.

In 1959 Senator THURMOND was promoted to the rank of major general,

and retired from the Army Reserve in 1964 after 40 years of active and reserve duty. Senator THURMOND obviously knows the military, is a stalwart

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supporter of the Army, and holds dear to his heart the soldiers, particularly

the paratroopers, of our Army.

At this time I have a letter from Senator THURMOND which he asked that

I read to you this morning:

DEAR FRIENDS: I am sorry that I am unable to join you today as you dedicate the Major General STROM THURMOND Strategic Deployment Center.

When the Commander-in-Chief needs to project American military might

quickly, he has no better option than the 82d Airborne Division. For more

than the past 50 years, ‘‘The All American’’ has distinguished itself in military operations around the world.

I think one of my proudest distinctions as a soldier is my association with

the 82d Airborne Division. A lot of things have changed over the past 55

years that makes the paratrooper an even more efficient soldier than he was

in 1944. Thank goodness you do not use wooden gliders anymore. I must

confess that my one day only ride in that particular aircraft is not one of

my favorite memories. We can be proud that today’s paratrooper is better

equipped, better trained, better armed and more lethal than the airborne

soldiers of any other generation or army. The military power that a regiment of 21st century paratroopers brings to bear in a fight is nothing short

of awe-inspiring to our allies, and nothing less than terrifying to our enemies.

In addition to advances in weapons and tactics, there have been considerable changes in quality of life for our soldiers. Investing in the well-being

of our soldiers and their families is not only a downpayment toward readiness, but it is simply the right thing to do. The Deployment Center being

dedicated today will give paratroopers a modern and well-designed power

projection platform.

That this facility is being named in my honor is a recognition that is truly

flattering and meaningful. I am proud of this . . . and I am proud of my affiliation with the 82d Airborne Division. I am very appreciative of this distinction and I am always proud to do whatever I can to help the fine men

and women of our Armed Forces.

With best wishes and kindest regards,

Sincerely,

STROM THURMOND.

In December 1996 Senator THURMOND celebrated his 94th birthday with

the 82d Airborne Division. He served as honorary jumpmaster on a C–141

with the same unit he had served with in 1944. Senator THURMOND said

at the time that he wanted to parachute into Normandy in 1944 but was

told that he was too old. Then, with his typical style, Senator THURMOND

stated ‘‘Perhaps they will finally let me jump and I’ll get a pair of Airborne

wings in celebration of my 94th birthday!’’

Almost 5 years ago I was honored to attend Senator THURMOND’s 95th

birthday party. Throughout the party many friends and well-wishers all remarked to the Senator that they hoped that they could attend his 100th

birthday party. The Senator looked at each of them and said, ‘‘well, if you

eat right, exercise, and take care of yourself there’s no reason why you can’t

be there.’’

This Strategic Deployment Facility is a tremendous testament to the spirit and tenacity of General and Senator THURMOND. STROM THURMOND admires courage, toughness, and perseverance—traits he believes, and I certainly agree with him, are found in every soldier. The soldiers who pass

through this facility will be the standard-bearers of our great Nation, and

will undoubtedly live up to the ideals of STROM THURMOND. The soldiers

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who train here, the soldiers who will deploy from here, the soldiers who we

send in harm’s way, will be better prepared to meet the challenges of today’s

environment because of both this facility and the lifelong dedication to the

Nation rendered by Senator STROM THURMOND—a man committed to our

Nation’s security.

We have learned all too well the uncertainty of our world. The threats to

our Nation’s interests are more complex and diverse than at any time in our

history. The stakes are high. The United States must safeguard our national

interests and fulfill our world leadership responsibilities as well. Today, the

U.S. military is protecting our Nation’s interests both on the war front and

on the home front, and the call may come at any time, day or night, for our

valiant troopers to pass through these portals and answer the call to battle.

As our military forces use this MG STROM THURMOND Strategic Deployment Facility to protect and defend this great Nation, I am confident that

all of us, military and civilian, soldier and family member, will always remember and live up to the words of our President, George W. Bush, on 14

September last year when he stated: ‘‘America is a Nation full of good fortune, with so much to be grateful for. But we are not spared from suffering.

In every generation, the world has produced enemies of human freedom.

They have attacked America, because we are freedom’s home and defender.

And the commitment of our fathers is now the calling of our time.’’

A week later President Bush declared: ‘‘We will rally the world to this

cause by our efforts, by our courage. We will not tire, we will not falter, and

we will not fail.’’

The paratroopers who pass through this facility will never fail us. They

will continue to live to the high standards of courage, valor, and selfless

service demonstrated by Senator THURMOND. I know that our soldiers of

today and the future will draw strength, resolve, and inspiration from this

facility and its namesake, and will continue to protect the security of this

great nation.

God bless each and every one of you and God Bless America!

——————————————

THURMOND MILITARY SERVICE RECORD—JANUARY 9, 1924–NOVEMBER 22,

1964

STROM THURMOND began his military career when he was a Reserve Officers Training Corps cadet at Clemson Agricultural College from 1919 to

1923. He was appointed an officer in the U.S. Army Reserve, at the rank

of second lieutenant, on January 9, 1924, and received the rank advancement to first lieutenant on August 9, 1927. He enlisted in the Army shortly

after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 11, 1941. However,

he did not actually enter the service until April 17, 1942. He performed various military duties with the military police, as captain, in the United

States until October 26, 1943, when he was assigned to the Civil Affairs Division (Section G–5) of the headquarters, First Army, as major and lieutenant colonel, which was formed on October 23, 1943. He worked in the European (England, France, Belgium, and Germany) and Pacific (Philippines and

Japan) theaters, and participated in the Normandy invasion with the 82d

Airborne Division. THURMOND was awarded 5 battle stars, 18 decorations,

medals and awards, including the Legion of Merit with oakleaf cluster, the

Bronze Star with ‘‘V’’ device, the Purple Heart, and the French Croix de

Guerre. He took official leave on October 19, 1945, to return to the South

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Carolina Circuit Court and was officially discharged on January 20, 1946,

with the rank of lieutenant colonel. He then joined the U.S. Army Reserve

Corps and also became involved with the Reserve Officers Association and

the Military Government Association. THURMOND served as the national vice

president (July 1953–June 1954) and president (June 1954–July 1955) of

the Reserve Officers Association and the president (December 1957–c. December 1958) of the Military Government Association. THURMOND retired at

the rank of major general of the Army Reserves on November 22, 1964, after

40 years of service in the Armed Forces.

STROM THURMOND served with the Civil Affairs Division (Section G–5) of

the First Army Headquarters during World War II. The division’s mission

was to occupy, govern, and help restore devastated, war-torn countries and

their economies, and usually arrived during large-scale combat operations.

THURMOND studied and used various military school instruction materials,

i.e., military police, legal, G–5, European geography and history, etc., in connection with his civil affairs/military government training and responsibilities. This material covered numerous directives and rules dealing with civilians, displaced persons, welfare, finance, background in formation on Germany and France, etc. Of interest, and further study, is a report discussing

the activities of the First Army Civil Affairs Division during the D-day invasion titled, ‘‘Civil Affairs: Soldiers Become Governors,’’ by Harry L. Coles

and Albert K. Weinberg[. It] was published by the Office of the Chief of Military History, Department of the Army, Washington, DC: GPO, 1964 (SuDoc

number D114.7:C49).

From 1946 to 1959 THURMOND used the civil affairs/military government

training material and manuals he collected, along with prior experience and

knowledge, as he taught basic and advanced officer courses to officers of the

352d and 360th Military Government Area Headquarters Units.

From 1948 to 1958 THURMOND was involved with the Reserve Officers Association and the Military Government Association in leadership capacities.

In particular, THURMOND served as president of the South Carolina Department of the Reserve Officers Association and as the organization’s national

president and vice president, and as the national president of the Military

Government Association, mentioned above.

On January 15, 1948, at Fort Jackson, South Carolina, Lieutenant Colonel STROM THURMOND was promoted to the rank of colonel in the U.S. Army

Reserve (USAR). On February 20, 1955, at Third Army Headquarters, Fort

McPherson, Georgia, Colonel THURMOND was promoted to the rank of brigadier general in the USAR by General A.R. Bolling. And on April 25, 1960,

at the Pentagon in Washington, DC, Brigadier General THURMOND was promoted to the rank of major general in the USAR by General R.V. Lee, U.S.

Army Adjutant General, witnessed by Secretary of the Army Wilber M.

Brucker.

Senator STROM THURMOND (D–SC), as colonel in the USAR, organized the

360th Military Government Area Headquarters (MGAH) Unit on October 1,

1950, and commanded it from that date until January 3, 1954. During the

4 years Colonel THURMOND commanded the 360th MGAH he received various commendations including a superior rating by the South Carolina Military District Headquarters, 3d Army Headquarters, and Army inspectors

from Washington, DC, rated his the top reserve unit in 3d Army area.

During the last two weeks of October 1956, Senator THURMOND, as brigadier general in the USAR, accompanied the Assistant Secretary of Defense,

Carter L. Burgess, on an inspection tour of the Far East. Secretary Burgess

was traveling in dual capacity as Assistant Secretary of Defense and Vice

(Trim Line)

(Trim Line)

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Chairman of the Defense Advisory Committee on Professional and Technical

Compensation, as a part of the Gordiner Committee. They visited Air Force

and Army personnel on bases in Alaska, Japan, Okinawa, and Korea. Senator THURMOND made a special point of greeting all service men and women

from South Carolina during his visits to each base.

The last two weeks of September 1957, Senator STROM THURMOND, as

brigadier general in the USAR, and Congressman LeRoy H. Anderson (D–

MT), as major general in the USAR, during their active tours of duty, visited Air Force and Army personnel at bases in France, Germany, and Italy.

Again, Senator THURMOND made an effort to visit with service men and

women from South Carolina.

From October 25 to November 7, 1959, Senator STROM THURMOND, as

brigadier general in the USAR, attended a 2-week senior officer’s course at

the U.S. Army Command & General Staff College in Fort Leavenworth,

Kansas.

In November 1962, Senator THURMOND, as a major general in the USAR,

toured U.S., German and Pakistani bases in Germany and Pakistan with

other members of the Congressional Command & Operations Group consisting of Members of Congress and their congressional aids. Senator Ralph W.

Yarborough (D–TX), a colonel in the USAR, was a member of the group as

was Captain Harry S. Dent, Senator THURMOND’s administrative assistant.

In January 1964, Senator THURMOND, as a major general in the USAR,

was one of the 84 students enrolled in the Special Warfare School’s Senior

Officers Counterinsurgency & Special Warfare Orientation Course at Fort

Bragg, North Carolina, where he viewed various demonstrations and presentations including scuba diving.

And in November 1964, prior to his retirement from the military, Major

General THURMOND, again with members of the USAR Congressional Command & Operations Group, consisting of Members of Congress and their

congressional aides, visited elements of the Southern European Task Force

in Italy. The purpose of the visit was to become familiar with the organization and mission of the bi-national command. During the latter part of his

trip with the active duty group Major General THURMOND also toured

Wheelus Field in Libya.

Æ