S10710 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE November 20, 2008 

tenets of tribal sovereignty are thus essential responsibilities of this country. 

South Dakota’s tribes have a special 

place in this history due to their 

proactive leadership in the Federaltribal relationship. For example, the 

1868 Treaty of Fort Laramie was entered into by Indian tribes in South 

Dakota that desired a peaceful relationship with the United States and a 

mutual recognition of sovereignty. In 

this treaty, like many others, the 

United States entered an agreement to 

end hostilities and for the cession of 

land, in return entering into a contract 

to provide assistance with education, 

health care, farming and other necessities; these responsibilities continue 

today. During this month of recognition and remembrance it is only appropriate to recognize the special status of 

the treaty tribes. 

In addition to this unique governmental relationship, American Indians 

actively enrich the fabric of our Nation’s character in many ways. Tribal 

members have courageously served to 

protect America in every conflict since 

the Revolutionary War, and they have 

served at the highest rate of any group 

in the country. Tribal educational 

models are rapidly gaining respect for 

an approach that stresses the importance of history and culture as well as 

the skills necessary for students to 

prosper in an increasingly global world. 

American Indian and Alaska Native 

Heritage Month falls in the same 

month as Thanksgiving and I hope this 

affords us with the time to give thanks 

for the sacrifices of the first Americans. Once reduced to a population of 

less than 50,000, the American Indian 

population is now some 4.5 million 

strong. Their story, like that of the 

country as a whole, is a proud, resilient 

history and I am committed to supporting tribes as they continue to build 

a strong future. Observance of American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage 

Month honors the unique heritage of 

this country’s first inhabitants, and 

most importantly reaffirms our responsibility to honor Indian treaties. 

f 

RETIREMENT OF MARGO CONNOR 

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I rise today 

to recognize Margo Connor, who has retired after 33 years of service to the 

Senate community. During the past 

three decades, Margo Connor has assisted in providing catering for Senate 

functions on Capitol Hill. In a fastpaced environment with a high turnover rate, she remained dedicated and 

personal, with a keen ability to establish close relationships. 

Margo spent 17 years in the special 

functions office for the former Dirksen 

Senate Dining Room. She compiled 

menus and prepared the former Senate 

Dining Room for functions. Meeting 

and interacting with many different 

people were her favorite aspects of her 

service; she was on a first-name basis 

with former Senators such as David 

Pryor, Thomas Eagleton, Gary Hart, 

and Jennings Randolph. Margo’s commitment to providing a pleasant, comfortable, and professional environment 

for Senate functions resulted in close 

friendships. Senator Randolph would 

often call her at home, making requests for a special bread with nuts on 

it. After returning from their honeymoon, Senator JOE BIDEN and his wife 

shared their pictures with her. Instead 

of calling it the Senate Dining Room, 

Senator PRYOR referred to the Senate 

Dining Room as simply ‘‘Margo’s 

Room.’’ 

After working in the Senate Dining 

Room, Margo took a position in the accounting office processing bids for the 

Senate Restaurant. Several years later, 

she moved to the Capitol Senator’s 

Dining Room where she was a hostess. 

After working as a hostess, she worked 

in the Senate catering office, where she 

has been for the last 13 years. 

In her years on Capitol Hill, Margo 

has seen a great variety of events. She 

hosted functions with the NFL, the 

Dalai Lama, and a number of other notable people. Among others, she met 

Paul Newman, whose suitcase she 

watched in the kitchen as he spoke at 

an event. During annual events at 

Union Station commemorating Columbus Day, Dr. David R. Curfman, president of the National Columbus Celebration Association, told her that she was 

the only one who understood what he 

needed. 

Margo will miss the people she works 

with, whom she considers to be like 

family. In turn, I know she will be 

missed greatly by those who have had 

the opportunity to know and work with 

her. In fact, Margo has been such a 

presence in the Senate, and has befriended so many over the years, that 

it is difficult to express how much she 

will be missed. I am pleased to join the 

entire Senate community in thanking 

Margo for her years of service and 

wishing her a happy retirement. 

f 

TRIBUTE TO GENERAL JIM SHANE 

Mr. MCCONNELL. Mr. President, 

today I rise to salute the service of a 

distinguished Kentuckian. This gentleman recently ended a long career devoted to the service of his country and 

our commonwealth. 

His name is Jim Shane, and I am 

proud to say Jim is a friend of mine. 

Jim recently stepped down as executive 

director of the Kentucky Commission 

on Military Affairs, a post he held 

since 1997. During his tenure, Jim can 

point to many accomplishments, but 

he was particularly instrumental in 

preparing Kentucky for the rigors of 

the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure—BRAC—process. The commonwealth, in particular Fort Knox, was a 

big winner in the BRAC process, and no 

one was more instrumental in this success than Jim. 

Jim had a vision for Fort Knox, one 

in which the installation would again 

be a home to combat troops and to a 

number of major Army commands. He 

then worked tirelessly with Federal 

and State officials, the BRAC Commission and the Department of Defense to 

make that conception of Fort Knox a 

reality. The result was that Fort Knox 

emerged revitalized from the BRAC 

process. Consequently, central Kentucky stands to gain immeasurably 

from the economic benefits stemming 

from the installation’s enhancement, 

and our armed forces will be the better 

for Fort Knox’s improved stature. 

Prior to his service for Kentucky, 

Jim served his country with great distinction. He spent 27 years of commissioned service in the Army, rising to 

the rank of brigadier general. His career highlights include service as Deputy Commanding General, United 

States Recruiting Command, in which 

he was responsible for manning the 

Army’s all-volunteer force. 

Jim also received numerous medals, 

awards and decorations for his efforts 

in the Army including the Distinguished Service Medal, the Defense Superior Service Medal, the Legion of 

Merit, the Bronze Star Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal, with three Oak 

Leaf Clusters, the Joint Service Commendation Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, the Army Achievement Medal, the Parachutist Badge, 

the Ranger Tab, and the Joint Chiefs of 

Staff Identification badge. 

I am proud to say that Jim is also a 

fellow alumnus of the University of 

Louisville. 

Mr. President, I ask that my colleagues join me in honoring this fine 

Kentucky patriot for his long and notable career of public service. 

f 

TRIBUTE TO MAJOR JOHN LEE 

MCELROY 

Mr. MCCONNELL. Mr. President, it is 

never too late to honor great heroism 

and sacrifice. That is why I am proud 

to say that after 40 years, a brave Kentuckian lost in battle will finally return home with honor to American 

soil. 

On May 12, 1968, MAJ John Lee 

McElroy of the U.S. Air Force undertook what would be his final mission. 

Stationed in the Quang Tin province of 

the Republic of Vietnam, he was the 

navigator on a C–130 Hercules aircraft 

when his plane was struck by intense 

enemy fire and crashed. There were no 

survivors. 

‘‘On this particular day [Major 

McElroy] was flying a most important 

mission of aerial evacuation for American and allied personnel,’’ wrote COL 

Marion F. Garuthers, the major’s commander, in a letter to his parents. ‘‘His 

example of Christian living significantly influenced all persons with 

whom he associated.’’ 

Sadly, while the family of Major 

McElroy knew his final fate, they did 

not get to say their final goodbyes. For 

four decades, his remains went unrecovered. His wife, Regina M. McElroy, 

and his parents, Oscar L. and Gladys V. 

McElroy, passed away never knowing if 


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