Date: 1991-11-26
Speaker: VANDER JAGT (republican)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I rise today to pay tribute to a man who embodied the American spirit. lived the American dream. and taught the American ideal. Maj. Edmund B. Anderson. of Savannah. GA. was not familiar in the halls of our Nations Capitol. but his spirit. his life. and his teachings have done more to build upon the foundation of Americas greatness than many of the laws and resolutions which this body has enacted over the years. President Bush said in his recent State of the Union Address. "The State of the government may be determined by those of us here in this chamber. but the State of America will be determined by all Americans. everywhere." Ted Anderson is one of those Americans who dedicated his entire life to making sure that the State of America was. and will forever. remain as strong as the mighty oak. As a young man. Ted Anderson asked of a country in trouble. "What can I do to help?". and answered the call of his Nation by enlisting in the Army Air Corp. He was a common man of uncommon courage in the North African and European campaigns of World War II. He was a man who saw first hand the horror of war. the iron fist of tyranny. and the dark days of despair that gripped an uncertain world. Throughout the battles of that war. Ted Anderson was one of the courageous American aviators who kept the flickering flame of freedom alive for us here at home. and for the occupied nations of Europe abroad. He risked his life countless times. not for his own glory. but so that his fellow man and generations yet unborn could continue to enjoy the fruits of liberty. Thanks to brave men like Ted Anderson. the American spirit never wavered and America remained the land of the free. When he came home from that war. Ted Anderson never bragged about his achievements. and was soon again defending freedom over the choppy waters of the Pacific and in the jungles of Asia in the Korean war. In the decades that have since passed. few knew that in nis 22 years of military service Major Anderso. had received many of the Nations top military honors. Among his many decorations. ne was awarded the Distingushed Flying Cross. the Bronze Star. the Air Force Commeoidation Medal. and the Air Medal with 13 oak clusters. each one signifying additional heroic acts in defense of freedom. After his service in two wars. Ted knew that this defense of treedom was not over. The postwar era brought a new threat to peace as an iron curtain descended across Europe. and communism threatened all that we Americans hold dear. So Ted continued to serve his country in the Air Force and became one of the pioneers of the Strategic Air Command. established to guard Americas freedom in those volatile postwar years. But throughout his life. Ted Andersons contribution to the greatness of America was not limited to the cockpit of a fighter jet or the flight deck of a B52. Throughout his entire adult life. Ted Anderson not only dedicated himself to serve his country. but also to serve his God and his fellow man. And throughout those years the core from which his good works radiated was his special family. anchored by his bride of 46 years. Nadine. Together they raised six wonderful children: Mars. Nadine. Laurie. Paula. Ted. and Maggie. And today each one of those grown children is a tribute to the love. the values. and the ideals that were instilled into each of them by two wonderful parents. But the Anderson example was not limited to the circle of the immediate family. Theirs was a house that was always open to strangers in need. a home filled with enough love to always take in one more. For years Dan Ailes has been a part of the extended Anderson family. and now today he carries on the examples taught by Ted and Nadine as he teaches young children. Teaching was always important part of Ted Andersons life. and his dedicated service to the Boy Scouts taught countless young men how to do their duty to their God and their Country. to help other people at all times. As a scoutmaster and a friend. his guiding hand helped steer many a young man down the path of adolescence and onto the road of an adult life filled with service to God. to country. and to fellow man. Teds influence was not just limited to Troop 16 and the boys he counseled. As a dedicated servant of St. James Catholic Church and the Benedictine Military School he had the opportunity to impact upon lifts thousands of young men and Women. What a fitting tribute it was to the examnple of Teds life that upon his death this week Benedictine Military School dismissed claseoe and the Senior Corp of Cadets lined the aisle of St. James Church in a final tribute to a man who always was willing to give so much to others. Indeed. he may be gone from us. but the thousands of young men and women he influenced over the years ensures that his spirit will remain with us. and his values and ideals will continue to make America strong for many years to come. Ted Anderson was a man who was fiercely proud of his nation and of his Scotish heritage. As the president of the Clan Anderson Society he was the embodiment of the international symbol of the Clan. the Might/ Oak surrounded by the words. "Stand Sure". Throughout his life. the faith of Ted Anderson in his country. his God and in his fellow man never wavered. whatever the crisis. Ted Anderson would remain as solid as the Mighty Oak. he would always "Stand Sure." His death last week reminds me of an inscription to the Scotish Highlanders who were killed in the Battle of Magersfontein in South Africa. in 1899. That inscription reads: "Scotland is poorer in men. but richer in heros." Today. America is poorer in men but richer in heros for the quiet. yet heroic way in which Ted Anderson lived his life. Ted was a man for whom the words freedom and democracy were not cliches. they were living truths. To him. the American flag was much more than a piece of cloth that fluttered atop our buildings. To Ted Anderson. the American flag was a reminder of the struggles endured by our Nation so that future generations could continue to enjoy the blessings of liberty. To Ted Anderson. that flag was the symbol of the freedom and democracy he had dedicated his life to preserving. And I think that it was very fitting that upon his death a flag from this very building was lowered in his honor and sent to his family as a small remembrance for a man who never forgot what it means to be an American. And for Ted Anderson. his association with this Capitol building goes back a long time. In 1866 the 39th Congress paid tribute to his ancestor. Charles F. Anderson. for preparing the plans and drawings for the extensions of the Capitol that resulted in the construction of our current House and Senate Chambers. How fitting it was that a flag which flew over the Chambers designed by his ancestor would accompany Ted to his final resting place. Today we mourn Ted Andersons death. but we are grateful for his life. At the end of his funeral mass the family shared a poem that was written by a 19yearold pilot in World War II and served as a creed for American pilots all over the world. The poem "High Flight" describes the life of a pilot. Oh. Ive slipped the surly bonds of earth. And danced the skies on laughtersilvered wings. Sunward Ive climbed and joined the tumbling mirth Of sunsplit cloudsand done a hundred. things You have not dreamed ofwheeled and soared and swung High in the sunlit silence. Hovring there Ive chased the shouting wind along and flung My eager craft through footless halls of air. Up. up the long delirious burning blue Ive topped the windswept heights with easy grace. Where never lark. or even eagle. flew. And. while with silent. lifting mind Ive trod The high untrespassed sanctity of space. But out my hand. and touched the face of God. Major Ted Anderson has now slipped the surly bonds of earth to touch the face of God. but his time and service here will long be remembered. Perhaps the Air Force Honor Guard summed it up best when they presented Nadine with the folded American flag at the end of his funeral service: "On behalf of the President of the United States and a grateful nation. we offer our humble thanks and deep sympathy on your loss." The honor guard then rendered this special man one long. final salute.