December 9, 2008 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S10827 

Einar Dyhrkopp, business leader, 

public servant, and patriot, was a 19- 

year-old Navy firefighter assigned to 

the bowels of the USS Aaron Ward 

when the destroyer-minelayer was attacked by 25 kamikaze bombers in the 

battle for Okinawa. 

In the years after World War II, Gen. 

George C. Marshall was asked if America had any secret weapons to win that 

conflict. General Marshall replied, yes, 

we do, ‘‘the best darn kids in the 

world.’’ Einar was just the kind of kid 

General Marshall was talking about. 

About 365 men were assigned to the 

USS Aaron Ward; 42 of them burned to 

death or were lost overboard in the 52- 

minute battle on May 3, 1945. Einar was 

one of the lucky ones: he survived the 

attack, although his hair was burned 

to his scalp as he fought to douse the 

ship’s flames. 

When the war ended, Einar came 

home like so many World War II vets, 

found new ways to serve his country. 

He married Frances, and they had a 

son. He was a banker, a business leader, a livestock and grain farmer in 

southern Illinois, and a great politician. He was elected mayor of 

Shawneetown, IL, where he was born 

and lived his entire life. He was a selfdescribed ‘‘dyed in the wool’’ Democrat. He was respected and admired by 

people from both political parties. 

He was also a dedicated public servant. In 1993, Einar Dyhrkopp was appointed by President Bill Clinton to 

the U.S. Postal Service Board of Governors and served two terms as the 

Chairman. During his tenure, the Postal Service experienced an unprecedented 5 straight years of positive net 

income. It also enhanced service and 

increased its ontime delivery rate for 

next-day delivery to 94 percent. He 

cared about the Postal Service’s bottom line and its customers. He talked 

to me so many times about issues related to the Postal Service. He cared 

about the workers there too. He once 

invited picketing postal workers in for 

coffee and cinnamon rolls and, after 

talking with them, answered all of 

their questions. He visited countless 

postal facilities, asking employees 

what we can do to make their job better and make our services better in the 

Postal Service. In 2003, the post office 

in his beloved Shawneetown was rededicated and renamed in his honor. 

Einar had tears in his eyes as the tributes were read. 

Mr. Dyhrkopp also served on several 

Illinois State commissions and was a 

member of the Regional Advisory 

Board of Southern Illinois University 

Public Policy Institute. 

There was the one curious political 

chapter in his life. In 1986, Einar 

Dyhrkopp ran what he called a noncampaign for the U.S. Senate. He ran 

on the Illinois Solidarity Party slate, a 

roster of statewide candidates put together by Adlai Stevenson III. Mr. Stevenson, son of the two-time Democratic Presidential candidate, had won 

the Democratic nomination for Governor, but that primary had been raided by the LaRouche party. He abandoned the Democratic Party ticket 

after two disciples of the extremist 

Lyndon LaRouche won slots on the 

Democratic slate in a disastrous primary election. Mr. Stevenson said he 

could not in good conscience share a 

ticket with people whose views he 

found so objectionable. State law required that the new Illinois Solidarity 

Party field a whole slate of statewide 

candidates, not just the gubernatorial 

candidate. So Einar stepped up and 

agreed to be the new party’s nominee 

for U.S. Senate. 

What a crazy campaign. Mr. 

Dyhrkopp did not accept a single penny 

in campaign contributions. He did not 

spend a dollar or make one speech. He 

did not even vote for himself, announcing he was going to cast his ballot for 

his friend, the incumbent, Senator 

Alan Dixon. As one political writer put 

it, his strategy was ‘‘not to leave the 

house until the election was over so he 

wouldn’t draw attention or votes away 

from Senator . . . Dixon.’’ Despite his 

best efforts to avoid the voters, Einar 

ended up with 15,000 votes. That is the 

kind of man he was—hard not to like. 

As my friend Paul Simon said some 

years ago, ‘‘Einar Dyhrkopp represents 

responsible citizenship at its best. He 

has aided his community and provided 

leadership on the State and national 

scene. He has gone out of his way to 

help those who need assistance.’’ 

For years after the bombing of the 

USS Aaron Ward, Einar did not talk 

about the attack. He told a reporter, 

‘‘When you go through something like 

we went through together, almost everyone wants to get it out of their 

minds the first few years.’’ Later in 

life, he changed his mind. He became 

active in a group of survivors of the 

Aaron Ward attack. He was interviewed 

by Southern Illinois University’s public broadcasting stations in conjunction with the broadcast of ‘‘The War,’’ 

by Ken Burns, a documentary on World 

War II. He told a reporter that his 

change of heart was simply because 

‘‘[w]e do not want the experience lost. 

If you lose history, you’re destined to 

repeat it.’’ 

America’s history might have taken 

a far different and darker course had 

Einar Dyhrkopp and millions of others 

of ‘‘the best darned kids in the world’’ 

not sacrificed and served in that conflict and had they not come back home 

to serve their Nation in other ways for 

decades more. 

He was a good man who gave much to 

his community, much to my State of 

Illinois, and much to America. Last 

Friday, at the urging of some friends 

who told me he was seriously ill, I 

called his home. Frances answered the 

phone, and I told her who I was. I said 

I thought I would say a word or two to 

Einar if he can take the call. Well, she 

said, I am not sure he can talk to you. 

I did not know how sick he was. And 

she leaned over, and I could overhear 

her saying: Einar, it is Senator DURBIN. 

The next think I knew, Einar was on 

the phone. We only chatted for a 

minute or two. We talked about the 

great times we had together, about 

that wonderful man, Paul Simon, who 

inspired us all to get involved in public 

life. 

He said: I think this is the end for 

me. 

I said: You have had a good run at it, 

Einar. You have been with some great 

people, and you have been a great 

friend. 

Those were our last words. He died 

the following day. 

I offer my sympathy to Mr. 

Dyhrkopp’s wife Frances, their family, 

including their three grandchildren, 

and so many friends in southern Illinois. Einar Dyhrkopp will be missed. 

I yield the floor, and I suggest the absence of a quorum. 

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The 

clerk will call the roll. 

The assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll. 

Mr. REID. I ask unanimous consent 

that the order for the quorum call be 

rescinded. 

The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. 

SALAZAR). Without objection, it is so 

ordered. 

f 

TRIBUTE TO SENATORS 

JOHN WARNER

Mr. BYRD. Mr. President, Today is a 

day I have dreaded. Today I say farewell to my good friend and esteemed 

colleague, Senator JOHN WARNER. 

A few years ago, in an article for a 

Capitol Hill publication, Senator WARNER called attention to the courage of 

America’s war veterans. He explained 

that the men and women who serve in 

our military are ‘‘heroes [who] share 

the timeless virtues of patriotism and 

selfless devotion to duty in defending 

our country.’’ 

Mr. President, Senator WARNER is 

one of my ‘‘heroes.’’ He is a man who 

has always displayed ‘‘the timeless virtues of patriotism and selfless devotion 

to duty in defending our country.’’ 

Indeed, Senator WARNER has spent 

his life in service to our country. He 

enlisted in the Navy at the tender age 

of 17 in order to serve in World War II. 

A few years later, he joined the Marines in order to serve in the Korean 

conflict. From 1969 to 1972, he served as 

the Assistant Secretary of the Navy, 

and from 1972 to 1974, as Secretary of 

the Navy. 

In 1978, he was elected to the U.S. 

Senate, and is now the second longestserving Senator in the history of his 

beloved Commonwealth of Virginia. 

His entire Senate career has been 

marked by his dignity, style, grace, 

and integrity. He is one of those men 

with whom one can disagree without 

rancor. I cannot recall ever hearing 

anyone speak ill of JOHN WARNER. 

A few years ago, on another occasion 

in which I paid tribute to my good 

friend, I referred to him as ‘‘the 

classiest of class acts’’—and he is. We 


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S10828 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE December 9, 2008 

will miss his comity, his courtesy, and 

his refreshing bipartisan spirit always 

seeking consensus solutions for the 

good of the country. Whether in committee or on the Senate floor, he never 

succumbs to the bitter, destructive 

partisanship which has all too often 

characterized this chamber in recent 

years. 

Senator WARNER has spoken out 

against his own party when he felt that 

the wrong course was being pursued. 

When the horrors of Abu Ghraib came 

to light, JOHN WARNER did not hesitate 

to help write the legislation to restrict 

the use of torture. 

Senator WARNER embodies the guiding principles set down by another of 

our country’s brave warriors, GEN 

Douglas MacArthur, who proclaimed 

his leading lights to be, ‘‘Duty, honor, 

country.’’ 

Mr. President, without qualification, 

I can say that it has been an absolute 

pleasure to have served with this distinguished and esteemed Virginia gentleman, and I will miss him. 

CHUCK HAGEL

Mr. President, I came to know Senator HAGEL in 1997 when we worked together on the Byrd-Hagel Resolution 

related to the Kyoto Protocol. We 

made a good team because our effort 

was approved unanimously, by a vote 

of 95–0. 

In our work together, I made a new 

friend because I found Senator HAGEL

to be a likeable and cooperative person 

as well as a knowledgeable and hardworking Senator. 

My respect for this dynamic Senator 

increased as I watched him become one 

of the Senate’s most outspoken critics 

of Mr. Bush’s war in Iraq. Several of us 

were already pointing to the disastrous 

results of the Bush administration’s 

flawed and failed Iraqi war policies. 

But Senator HAGEL’s opposition to the 

war carried very special impact. He is a 

conservative, a member of the President’s own political party, and a military veteran. In fact, he still carries 

shrapnel in his chest and remnants of 

burns to his face from his service as an 

infantryman in Vietnam. Senator 

HAGEL now calls Mr. Bush’s war in Iraq 

‘‘an absolute replay of Vietnam.’’ 

I will miss my friend and colleague. 

The Senate needs strong, independent 

voices like Senator HAGEL—lawmakers 

who are willing to put the best interests of our country and American people over partisan politics. 

PETE DOMENICI

Mr. President, when the Senate convenes next January, it is difficult to 

accept that Senator DOMENICI will not 

be here. 

This son of an Italian immigrant grocer was elected to the Senate in 1972, 

making him the first Republican in 

nearly 40 years to be elected to the 

Senate from the great State of New 

Mexico. He is now the longest serving 

Senator in the history of New Mexico. 

In the Senate, he established himself 

as an expert on fiscal policies and the 

intricacies of the Federal budget. Having served with Senator DOMENICI on 

the Appropriations and Budget Committees, I have come to know and respect him not only as a dear friend and 

colleague, but also as a formidable opponent. Senator DOMENICI and I have 

clashed swords many times on the Senate floor, and, believe me, when you 

clashed with him, you would have the 

fight of your life. He has one of the 

sharpest minds on Capitol Hill. He is 

one of the most knowledgeable people 

on the budget on Capitol Hill. And he is 

always prepared. 

Oh, how I regret that he will be leaving us all too soon. But I would like to 

use this opportunity to thank the senior Senator from New Mexico for his 

wonderful service and to congratulate 

him on an outstanding career in the 

Senate. 

Thank you, Senator DOMENICI, for all 

your work for your State, and our 

country. And, thank you, PETE, for 

being a friend. 

f 

TRIBUTE TO MAJOR BENJAMIN 

VENNING 

Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I rise 

today to honor Major Benjamin 

Venning, U.S. Marine Corps, for his 3 

years of service to the U.S. Senate and 

for his continued service to our Nation 

and its Corps. 

From December 2005 to December 

2006, Major Venning served in my office 

as a military fellow. He came to my office soon after a tour in Fallujah, 

where his actions in service to the 

United States earned him a Bronze 

Star. Major Venning had experienced 

first-hand the rising violence in Iraq. 

His on-the-ground experience in Iraq 

gave him tremendous insight on issues 

affecting servicemembers and veterans. 

Many who served in Iraq and Afghanistan have returned with serious physical injuries or have even paid the ultimate price. Others have returned with 

more invisible wounds, injuries that 

are not immediately apparent but that 

bring pain and suffering to a returning 

veteran and his or her family. Today, 

traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress syndrome are recognized 

as signature injuries of the conflicts in 

Iraq and Afghanistan. While Major 

Venning served on my staff he helped 

draw attention to these invisible 

wounds. With his relationships at Bethesda Naval, he helped me understand 

the impact of traumatic brain injuries 

on returning soldiers and marines. 

With Major Venning on my team, I was 

able to ask hard questions about how 

our government was responding to the 

growing number of veterans needing 

help for these serious injuries. 

In April 2006, I sent a letter that 

Major Venning worked on, which was 

one of the first to ask the Department 

of Veterans Affairs to closely review 

its ability to provide proper mental 

health care to returning veterans. Another Senator from the State of Illinois 

signed that letter: Barack Obama. 

Today, as the world awaits his inauguration, the President-elect has promised he will continue to improve mental health treatment for troops and 

veterans suffering from combat-related 

psychological injuries. 

After his service as a military fellow, 

Major Venning was named the Deputy 

Director of the Marine Corps Senate 

Liaison Office. It is no surprise that he 

was as loved in that office as he was in 

mine. It was my pleasure to host his 

promotion to major, with his friends 

and family in attendance, in my office 

in the Capitol. His commanding physical presence is matched only by his 

compassion and understanding of the 

issues facing our returning servicemembers, which was never on better 

display than when he helped shepherd 

wounded veterans as my guests at the 

State of the Union. 

Major Ben Venning is a marine in the 

best tradition of the Corps. His efforts 

have informed the Congress and have 

represented the Corps’ values and capabilities. His performance here will 

leave a lasting mark on my office, the 

U.S. Senate and the Marine Corps long 

after he has departed. 

Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, it is my 

pleasure today to congratulate and 

thank Major Benjamin Venning of the 

U.S. Marine Corps. This week, Major 

Venning finishes up a highly successful 

assignment as Deputy Director of the 

Marine Corps Liaison Office to the U.S. 

Senate, which is responsible for providing information about the Corps to 

this institution. He has served the Senate and the Marine Corps superbly, and 

he is a credit to the entire Corps. 

Major Venning learned about the 

Senate during a fellowship in 2006 with 

Senator DURBIN of Illinois. He worked 

on timely reserve pay and budget 

issues, getting to know the ins-andouts of the often arcane appropriations 

process. Senator DURBIN, as I am, is a 

member of the Senate’s Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, which handles the Senate’s work in writing the 

annual budget bill for the Department 

of Defense. That was an ideal perch for 

Major Venning to grasp the complicated but essential financing of our 

extensive national security operations. 

In his next assignment, joining the 

Corps’ liaison office, he brought the 

same sense of intelligence and integrity that he showed in that year with 

the senior Senator from Illinois. Major 

Venning was always prompt in answering questions about the Marine Corps, 

whether about plans for growth of the 

force or the minutia of a particular 

program. He and the entire team in the 

liaison office provided excellent support for Senate delegations traveling 

to foreign nations to meet with international leaders and to review foreign 

assistance programs. He ensured that 

extensive itineraries unfolded smoothly and productively. 

Major Venning is a marine through 

and through, displaying great dedication to and knowledge about the force. 

Staffing a recent mission overseas, for 

example, hewing to longstanding tradition, he made sure that the Corps’ 


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