[House Prints, 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]




                            COMMITTEE PRINT
                          112th Congress No. 5


 
                              A Ceremony
                          Unveiling the Portrait
                                  o
                             THE HONORABLE
                              IKE SKELTON

   A Representative in Congress from the Fourth District of Missouri
                    January 3, 1977-January 5, 2011

       Elected to Ninety-Fifth Congress and Succeeding Congresses
         Chairman of the Committee on Armed Services, 2007-2011

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                              PROCEEDINGS

                               before the

                      COMMITTEE ON ARMED SERVICES

                     U.S. House of Representatives

                             March 5, 2012

                    U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE
                           WASHINGTON : 2012
73-567

_______________________________________________________________________
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                               A Ceremony

                         Unveiling the Portrait

                                   of

                             THE HONORABLE

                              IKE SKELTON

                      COMMITTEE ON ARMED SERVICES

                     U.S. House of Representatives

                         Monday, March 5, 2012

_______________________________________________________________________

                                     

                                     

                                     

                                     

                                     

                                [ iii ]
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         THE PORTRAITDo we have any info on this portrait???

    The portrait of Mr. Skelton was rendered by artist Gavin Glakas.
                          BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH

Congressman Ike Skelton (D-MO) represented Missouri's Fourth 
    Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives from 
    1977 to 2011.
A leader in the House on defense issues, Skelton was appointed to the 
    House Committee on Armed Services in 1981. He served as chairman of 
    the Subcommittee on Military Forces and Personnel from 1993 to 
    1994, and as the subcommittee's ranking member from 1995 to 1998. 
    After serving as the full committee's ranking member from 1998 to 
    2006, Skelton held the gavel as chairman of the Committee on Armed 
    Services from 2007 to 2011.
Skelton was a key player in the passage of the Goldwater-Nichols 
    Department of Defense Reorganization Act of 1986. A champion for 
    Professional Military Education, Skelton chaired a House Panel on 
    Military Education in 1987 and 1988, and was known as Congress' 
    chief advocate for better strategic thinking and improvements in 
    the military's intermediate and senior level educational programs. 
    During his time on the committee, Skelton warned against further 
    cuts in the defense budget and focused on efforts to improve 
    military pay, health care, and quality of life for service members 
    and their families. He also was instrumental in the enactment of 
    the Weapon Systems Acquisition Reform Act of 2009, which overhauled 
    the defense procurement process.
Missouri's Fourth Congressional District is home to Fort Leonard Wood, 
    Whiteman Air Force Base, and the Missouri National Guard Ike 
    Skelton Training Site. Skelton played a vital role in the creation 
    of the Maneuver Support Center at Fort Leonard Wood, and in 
    bringing the U.S. Army Engineer, Chemical, and Military Police 
    Schools to that post. He also helped to secure many new missions 
    for Whiteman Air Force Base, including the B-2 Stealth Bomber and 
    the MQ-1 Predator control mission.
Reflecting his longtime interest in military affairs and military 
    history, Skelton developed his own National Security Book List, a 
    compilation of books Skelton recommends as required reading to all 
    officers in the Armed Forces, to Members of Congress, and to those 
    interested in national security issues. He is the author of 
    Whispers of Warriors: Essays on the New Joint Era, published by the 
    National Defense University Press, a compilation of 12 articles 
    written by Skelton that were previously published in military 
    journals, including Aerospace Power Journal, Joint Force Quarterly, 
    Military Review, Naval War College Review, Parameters, and 
    Strategic Forum.
A native of Lexington, Missouri, Skelton is a graduate of Wentworth 
    Military Academy and the University of Missouri at Columbia where 
    he received A.B. and L.L.B. degrees. He was named as a member of 
    Phi Beta Kappa and the Law Review. Prior to his election to 
    Congress in 1976, Skelton served as Lafayette County Prosecuting 
    Attorney and as a Missouri State Senator. From 1961 to 1976, he was 
    a partner in the law firm of Bradley, Skelton, and Schelp in 
    Lexington, Missouri.
In 2011, Skelton became a partner in the Husch Blackwell law firm, 
    which has offices across the United States, including Kansas City, 
    Missouri, and Washington, DC. He is a member of the American Battle 
    Monuments Commission, an advisor to the Center for New American 
    Security, a distinguished professor at the National Defense 
    University, and a trustee of the Harry S. Truman Library 
    Foundation.
Skelton is an Eagle Scout, a member of Sigma Chi social fraternity, a 
    Lions Club member, and a former elder of the First Christian Church 
    in Lexington. He and his late wife Susan Anding Skelton have three 
    sons and five grandchildren. In 2009, he married Patricia Martin 
    Skelton, also of Lexington, Missouri.
                               THE ARTIST

                              Gavin Glakas

Gavin Glakas grew up in Bethesda, Maryland, and studied at Washington 
    University in St. Louis and the Slade School of Fine Art in London.
Following graduation, Glakas spent a year and a half working on Capitol 
    Hill for Senator Harry Reid. He had planned to go to law school, 
    but after an 8-month illness culminating in the removal of a tumor 
    from his lung at the age of 24, he decided to pursue his lifelong 
    ambition of a career as an artist.
Glakas began showing his work in galleries almost immediately and has 
    won numerous honors for his artwork, including awards from the 
    Portrait Society of America and the Butler Institute of American 
    Art. His paintings have been featured in American Art Collector, 
    International Artist, and Art Business News magazines and exhibited 
    at museums and galleries throughout the country.
Glakas' portraits hang in the United States Capitol, Georgetown 
    University, the Ratner Museum, and the Society of the Four Arts 
    Museum in Palm Beach, as well as numerous private collections.
The artist lives in Washington, DC, where he paints full-time and also 
    teaches figure painting and drawing at the Yellow Barn Studio in 
    Glen Echo, Maryland.

                       SPECIAL DONOR APPRECIATION

                American Maritime Officers Services
                APL Limited
                BAE Systems
                Bleeding Edge
                Bradley and Bradley
                David Woods Kemper Foundation
                DRS Technologies
                EADS North America
                General Atomics
                General Dynamics
                General Electric
                Gephardt Group Government Affairs
                Honeywell International
                Husch Blackwell
                Lockheed Martin Corporation
                Maersk
                Masters, Mates & Pilots Union
                National Association of Uniformed Services
                Northrop Grumman Corporation
                Parsons Corporation
                Raytheon Corporation
                Rockwell Collins Inc.
                SAIC Inc.
                Seafarers International Union
                The Boeing Company
                TriWest Healthcare Alliance

                       SPECIAL DONOR APPRECIATION

                Mr. & Mrs. Charles L. Aylward, Jr.
                Mr. Stephen Bough
                Mr. Marshall Brachman
                Mr. & Mrs. Joe Carmichael
                Senator & Mrs. Harold Caskey
                Mr. & Mrs. Andy Dalton
                Mr. James Davidson
                Mr. & Mrs. J. Kent Emison
                The Honorable Martin Frost
                Mr. Sidney Guller
                Mr. & Mrs. Sam F. Hamra
                Mr. & Mrs. Wayne Hermandorfer
                Mr. & Mrs. Harvey L. Kaplan
                Mr. Jay Killeen
                The S. Lee Kling Family--Rosie, Lee, & Allen
                Mr. & Mrs. James Kozlowski
                Mr. Kenneth B. McClain
                The James B. Nutter Family
                Mr. Phillip P. Scaglia
                Mr. & Mrs. Larry Sexton
                Mr. Michael Sheehy
                Mr. & Mrs. David L. Steward, Sr.
                Mr. & Mrs. William C. Tempel
                Father John H. Wandless
                Mr. & Mrs. Robert L. Welling
                Mr. & Mrs. Timothy F. Wiliger
                           PORTRAIT COMMITTEE

                Mr. Jack Pollard, Co-chair
                Mr. Terry Turner, Co-chair
                Ms. Lara Battles
                Mr. Robert Hagedorn
                Mr. Russell Orban
                Mrs. Tami Plofchan

                        SPECIAL ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

                Mr. Bob Simmons
                Mr. Paul Arcangeli
                Mr. Bob Cochran
                The Honorable Erin Conaton
                Ms. Farar Elliott
                Ms. Whitney Frost
                Mr. Jim Schweiter
                             P R O G R A M

                   345 Cannon House Office Building,

                        6:30 P.M., March 5, 2012

Masters of Ceremonies:
                Mr. Jack Pollard
                Chief of Staff to the Honorable Ike Skelton, 1983 to 
                    1998

                Mr. Terry Turner

Invocation:
                The Honorable Emanuel Cleaver II

Remarks:
                The Honorable Howard P. ``Buck'' McKeon
                Chairman, House Committee on Armed Services

                The Honorable Adam Smith
                Ranking Member, House Committee on Armed Services

                The Honorable Jo Ann Emerson
                Representative from Missouri

                The Honorable Gene Taylor
                Representative from Mississippi

                The Honorable Steny Hoyer
                House Democratic Whip

                The Honorable Nancy Pelosi
                House Democratic Leader

Introduction of the Artist:
                Mr. Gavin Glakas

Acceptance of the Portrait:
                House Fine Arts Board

Unveiling of the Portrait:
                Mrs. Patty Skelton

Remarks:
                The Honorable Ike Skelton
                                     

                   Unveiling Ceremony of Portrait of

                             THE HONORABLE

                              IKE SKELTON

                         Monday, March 5, 2012
                     U.S. House of Representatives,
                         Committee on Armed Services,
                                                       Washington, DC.
MONDAY, MARCH 5, 2012THE UNVEILING AND PRESENTATION OF THE OFFICIAL 
    PORTRAIT OF THE HONORABLE IKE SKELTON CHAIRMAN 2007-2011 COMMITTEE 
    ON ARMED SERVICES
Mr. Pollard. Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to the 
    unveiling of the official portrait of Chairman Ike Skelton.
I am Jack Pollard. In addition to being a former member of Chairman 
    Skelton's staff, I have the honor of serving as co-chair of the Ike 
    Skelton Portrait Committee. The other co-chair is Terry Turner, and 
    our plans were that we would share the master of ceremonies duties 
    for tonight's event. But after returning from 4 days in Arizona 
    late last night, Terry was summoned to a meeting in the Maritime 
    Trades Department of the AFL-CIO in Florida beginning today, so 
    early this morning he boarded the plane to Florida. And you have to 
    admire his willingness to take one for the team.
There are many people involved in preparing an official portrait and 
    planning an unveiling reception. If I tried to thank them all, we 
    would be here all night, and I would leave somebody out. However, 
    many of those who deserve thanks are listed in the program, which I 
    hope you got on your way in.
As many of you know, official portraits of committee chairmen are not 
    financed with public funds, but rather through the generosity of 
    various organizations and individuals. The corporations, labor 
    unions, and individuals who have donated, or have pledged to 
    donate, to Ike's portrait are listed in our program.
We will hear from some outstanding guest speakers leading up to the 
    unveiling of the portrait, but first I will ask Congressman Emanuel 
    Cleaver II, Ike's friend and former colleague in the Missouri 
    delegation, to deliver the invocation.
Congressman Cleaver.
[Applause.]

                 INVOCATION BY HON. EMANUEL CLEAVER II
Mr. Cleaver. Good evening.
If you experience the vastness of this crowd, there are two things that 
    should come to your mind: One, the love and respect that we all 
    have, and those who couldn't get in this room, for Ike Skelton. And 
    number two, you should not say anything negative about anybody from 
    Missouri. There is a great chance that somebody from Missouri is 
    standing next to you.
Let us pray.
Almighty God, Lord of mercies, we come to You this evening in 
    thanksgiving. We bless Your name and give You thanks for allowing 
    Ike Skelton, Your servant and Your son, to pass this way. Your love 
    has so touched Isaac Newton Skelton that the roots of his human 
    existence have grown deep in the soil of service to his community 
    and to his Nation.
Everliving and evergiving God, You made us a part of what You are doing 
    in this world. And it is worth saying, O God, to You, that You are 
    doing a lot, and that Your servant, Ike has given meaning to the 
    life of Ike Skelton. And may the offering that he has brought to 
    You through his service provide blessings even to unborn 
    generations of Americans. Bless him and his family.
And O, God, as I sign off this prayer, I ask that You allow us to 
    understand, as this portrait is unveiled, that those who serve 
    deserve. Amen.
Mr. Pollard. It is always a pleasure for me to be able to introduce our 
    first guest speaker, who, in addition to his remarks, has an 
    important official function to perform tonight. He and his staff 
    have done so much to make this event a success. Let me introduce 
    the current chairman of the House Committee on Armed Services, 
    Congressman Buck McKeon of California.
[Applause.]

               REMARKS OF HON. HOWARD P. ``BUCK'' McKEON

                 Chairman, Committee on Armed Services
The Chairman. I have been to a few of these before, and I have never 
    seen such a huge turnout. And one of them was for me.
Ike, we don't need any words. This is an honor to you, all the people 
    that are here to celebrate your--as Duncan called it--hanging. It 
    is great to be here.
The old committee chairman looks like he is still a kid.
Mr. Dellums. Thank you.
The Chairman. And I saw Duncan here. Duncan is back there. Ralph Hall. 
    Who is that behind you there, Ralph?
You know, I probably met Ike almost 20 years ago when I first came to 
    Congress, but my first real recollection of him is one year we 
    stayed here for the Fourth of July celebration, and we sat right 
    next to Ike and his family, my wife and I. It was the only time we 
    have stayed for the Fourth of July celebration, though, the 
    fantastic show that they held out on the Mall and the fireworks and 
    everything. And it poured. I mean, it really poured, the whole 
    time. We had our umbrellas, and we were taking turns, you know, 
    putting water down each other's necks, backs. And I saw Ike relate 
    to his children and grandchildren, and I was really impressed.
And then as I got this job, I became the ranking member when John 
    McHugh became the Secretary of the Army, and I got to work with Ike 
    as my chairman, and my respect for him grew. I mean, I already 
    thought he was a great man, but I got to travel with him around the 
    world on a couple different CODELs. The guy is so humble that he 
    always was concerned about everybody else. He never worried about 
    himself. And that was just so impressive.
And when we would meet with leaders of other countries, military 
    leaders or privates, it didn't matter. He treated everybody the 
    same, with great dignity, with great respect. And everywhere we 
    went, they loved him.
And I was so impressed by he always had the right things to say. You 
    know, I don't know when he ever took the time to study. I guess he 
    spent a lot of his time before he came here, because his knowledge 
    of history and of the military--he gave me a book, a list of books 
    to read, 50 books. I think I have read two of them.
But my association with Ike, with him as chairman and me as ranking 
    member, was way too short. Not really, just kidding. But I was 
    thinking he would be the ranking member. And it was a very 
    interesting election. Almost the whole top row. You know, it could 
    happen again in a few months. The country is really, you know, kind 
    of upset with all of us around here right now. I heard somebody 
    interviewed say that--I think it was Paul Ryan on TV. They said, 
    ``You know, you are down to 10 percent.'' He said, ``It couldn't 
    be. I don't think we are that high.''
Anyway, my friend, my chairman of the Committee on Armed Services for 
    the last 4 years, it is just an honor to be here and, as chairman 
    of the committee, to accept this portrait of Ike. It will be 
    hanging in our committee room tomorrow morning for our hearing. 
    And, Ike, it is just great to be able to call you friend, somebody 
    I will always look up to. Thank you.
[Applause.]
Mr. Pollard. The House Committee on Armed Services has a well-deserved 
    reputation for bipartisanship, which has continued under the 
    leadership of Chairman McKeon and our next speaker. Please welcome 
    another former colleague of Ike's on the House Committee on Armed 
    Services, the current ranking member, Congressman Adam Smith of 
    Washington.
[Applause.]

                       REMARKS OF HON. ADAM SMITH

              Ranking Member, Committee on Armed Services
Mr. Smith. Thank you. It is a great honor to be here. I came to 
    Congress 15 years ago now and the pleasure of serving on the 
    Committee on Armed Services, and I could not have had a better 
    Member to look up to than Ike Skelton for that entire time. When I 
    first got here, actually Mr. Dellums was the ranking member, who 
    set a great example, and Mr. Skelton picked that up and kept going 
    with it.
If you are a new Member of Congress, if there are any in the crowd or 
    people who have been here, and you want to know, how do you do this 
    job, you can look at the way Ike Skelton did this job, and you can 
    understand exactly what it means to be a public servant. More than 
    anything, Ike cares about people, and he did his job that way. He 
    always knew, whatever the issues, whatever was going on, you treat 
    people decently, and you take care of them. And Ike did that on the 
    committee as the ranking member and as the chairman with incredible 
    dignity, an example that we should all follow.
I guess the two things I remember most about Ike from his service is, 
    number one, it was always about the troops. I traveled with Ike a 
    lot. I never traveled with anyone who was laserlike focused on how 
    are you taking care of the troops? Whether serving overseas, 
    serving here, retired, active duty, Guard, or Reserve, I can 
    honestly say during my time in Congress, there is no greater 
    champion of the men and women who serve this country and the armed 
    services than Ike Skelton.
The second thing is he made this committee stick to its bipartisan 
    roots. Now, he wasn't alone in that; a lot of folks behind me and a 
    lot of folks out in the audience did that. It is a tradition that 
    is carried on from chair and ranking member, throughout my entire 
    time here.
But as some of you might be aware, as Buck alluded to with the approval 
    rating and everything, it is not always easy to maintain 
    bipartisanship. Although you may not be aware of this, we have our 
    differences as parties. They crop up every once in a while. So you 
    have to be a very, very strong leader, and you have to prioritize 
    bipartisanship to make it work, and Ike did that time and time 
    again.
And I think that all those of us who serve on the Committee on Armed 
    Services, I think have one thing in common: We think it is the 
    greatest committee in Congress. And it is people like Ike Skelton 
    who made it that way. It has been just an incredible honor to serve 
    with him and to have him as a mentor. He personifies what public 
    service is all about. And like I said, he understood how important 
    our military was and, more important than anything, the men and 
    women who served it.
And I am honored that Ike would give me a couple minutes to say a few 
    words. And I look forward tomorrow morning to look up and seeing 
    his portrait down in our Committee on Armed Services. It is great 
    to see him. And congratulations, Ike. Thank you so much for all you 
    have done for this country.
[Applause.]
Mr. Pollard. Congresswoman Jo Ann Emerson of Missouri was Ike's 
    colleague in the Missouri delegation for 16 years. They represented 
    adjoining districts and worked together to do so much for Missouri. 
    But the real reason she is here is she has been Ike's longtime 
    personal friend.
Congresswoman Emerson.
[Applause.]

                     REMARKS OF HON. JO ANN EMERSON

                      Representative from Missouri
Mrs. Emerson. I miss Ike, and I know so many of you all do, too. I miss 
    his presence and his companionship in this House of 
    Representatives.
You know, I have lots of stories that I could tell about Ike. I don't 
    think I should tell but a couple. During the time that my late 
    husband was in Congress, he and Ike became dear, dear, dear 
    friends, and Bill used to drive Ike in to work almost every single 
    day. And when I used to live out in McLean, I would bring Ike in, 
    too, many, many times. And I will never forget--and, Ike, I don't 
    know if you remember this, but remember when President Bush was 
    calling me on the phone--we were on the George Washington Parkway. 
    Of course I shouldn't have been talking on my cell phone. But I get 
    this call, and it is from the White House, and I said, ``Ike, oh, 
    my gosh, I know the President is calling me about this particular 
    issue, and I am going to have to tell him no.'' And he goes, 
    ``Okay. Calm down.'' He said, ``Calm down. Just be very direct, and 
    be very honest, and be very gracious, and it will be fine.'' And I 
    was panicked because it would have been the first time that I 
    actually had to tell the President no.
But anyway, so he dials me, and I answered the phone. ``Hi Mr. 
    President. How are you?'' ``Fine.'' Chitchat. And then he says, 
    ``Well, I was just calling you about Medicare D.'' And it is not 
    important whether or not people voted for it or not. But anyway, 
    and he said, ``I just wanted to tell you that I really need your 
    help.'' And I said, ``Well, Mr. President, I love you, my family 
    loves you, but I can't help you now.'' And Ike is going, ``Yeah, 
    yeah, that is the right way to say it.'' But he saved me because I 
    really would have stumbled around. And so it was really interesting 
    because the President was lovely about it and said, ``Okay, well, 
    thanks anyway. Bye.'' I got a phone call later from somebody on the 
    staff who was not as gracious.
But I have to tell you one other fun story about Ike. I was driving him 
    home. This is many years ago, back when President Clinton was still 
    in office. And I was talking about how one of the legislative guys 
    was up seeing me and, I guess, the small group of us who would be 
    considered moderate Republicans. We were back really in favor at 
    that particular time in our lives.
So I was telling Ike about this meeting I had with White House staff. 
    He goes, ``Really?'' He said, ``You know, I have never met with any 
    of President Clinton's legislative staff.'' And I am saying, 
    ``Really?'' And he goes, ``Yeah.'' And I said, ``Okay. Well, let me 
    set up a meeting for you.'' And I am thinking, wait a second. But, 
    yeah, it was an interesting time. So he got his meeting, and 
    everything was great.
But needless to say, it was for me very sad when I knew that I wasn't 
    going to be able to continue serving with Ike. On those drives back 
    and forth, I mean, that is precious time that I had that other 
    people wouldn't have had.
And I learned so much from Ike, particularly about history. And I 
    realize that all of the history teachers I had had in high school 
    and professors in college couldn't teach me a thing, but I learned 
    an awful lot from Ike both from his personal experience and from 
    his historical knowledge.
And, Ike, I am sorry. I have not gotten through any of the books on 
    your top 50 list, but I want to tell you this portrait, which we 
    will get to see in just a moment, is going to mean an awful lot to 
    so many of us. It will be a significant presence in the committee 
    room. And I am so grateful for your friendship, Ike, and for the 
    leadership that you have really shown me and so many others. And I 
    hope that the many lessons that you have imparted to us are 
    remembered for a long, long time. Thanks.
[Applause.]
Mr. Pollard. Now, I was actually in Ike's office when he invited our 
    next guest speaker to speak at tonight's unveiling. And the 
    response was, ``I am honored. I will be there.'' Not ``maybe,'' not 
    ``let me check my schedule.'' And he has made a great sacrifice to 
    be with us today because, as you can see, he has on a coat and tie 
    and regular shoes. Please welcome back Congressman Gene Taylor.
[Applause.]

                      REMARKS OF HON. GENE TAYLOR

                    Representative from Mississippi
Mr. Taylor. You forgot to mention the socks.
I tell you, I am absolutely honored to be here. I am honored to be in 
    the presence of some of our former chairmen. I was lucky enough to 
    serve with six great chairmen. And I think it is a great honor that 
    both of the living former chairmen are here tonight.
Thank you for being here with us, Ron.
And, Duncan, if you are still here, thank you for a great job.
I went and visited with the staff today, trying to put my remarks 
    together, and asked them a simple question: ``Can you ever remember 
    a single time that Ike Skelton said `I'?'' Because if you think 
    about it, in all the years that I have known him, up until August 
    of 2005, it was always ``Susie and I.'' And now after Susie's 
    death, it is ``Patty and I.'' But here is a man responsible for a 
    $500 billion budget who never once said, ``I want.'' It was always, 
    ``What is best for the troops? What do the men and women in uniform 
    need? What is it that we can explain to the American people that 
    this is in their best interest?''
Ike hosted a meeting with Stephen Ambrose one day. He was up in town 
    looking for money for the D-Day Museum, and he went around the 
    room. And finally, Ike had his chance to ask him a question. He 
    said, ``Dr. Ambrose, what was it that was different about the 
    American GI?'' And Stephen Ambrose looked at him and he said, 
    ``When the Japanese came into a town, terrible things were going to 
    happen. Women were going to get raped. Kids were going to get 
    bayoneted. Old people were going to be murdered. The same thing 
    with the Nazis. But when the GIs came into a town, things were 
    going to be okay.''
For the decades that he served on the committee, when people went to 
    Ike with a problem, whether it was one trooper who deserved a 
    Purple Heart, a unit that needed a piece of equipment, a ship that 
    needed to be built, an airplane that needed to be built, health 
    care for--first for our retirees and then for guardsmen and 
    reservists, when you knew if you made a decent case to Ike Skelton, 
    things were going to be okay. He was going to make it right.
So, Ike, for your many, many years of service to our country, but, most 
    of all, for making things okay for the men and women in uniform, 
    thank you and God bless you.
[Applause.]
Mr. Pollard. No one should be in the unenviable position of following 
    remarks by Congressman Taylor, but our next guest speaker is one of 
    the few who is up to the task. We are honored to have with us the 
    distinguished Democratic Whip, Congressman Steny Hoyer of Maryland.
[Applause.]

                      REMARKS OF HON. STENY HOYER

                         House Democratic Whip
Mr. Hoyer. Thank you very much, Jack.
At 17, he attended the inauguration of Harry S. Truman. Truman, as all 
    of you know, is not here tonight, but if he were, he would be 
    saying to all of us, ``Well done, my friend from Missouri. Well 
    done.'' He would be proud of our friend.
I am sure Gavin Glakas is here.
You had an extraordinarily difficult task. sir. The quality of the 
    character of Ike Skelton. The visage, I am sure you got right. I 
    haven't seen the portrait, and I am convinced that you will get the 
    character right as well.
Ike Skelton is my brother. He and I are Sigma Chis. And we have one 
    other Sigma Chi in the audience. Missouri has been well served. I 
    love Ike Skelton. And I want to observe that I am so pleased that 
    one of Missouri's favorite sons is here to honor Ike as well, our 
    friend, the former Democratic leader and my candidate for President 
    a couple of times, Dick Gephardt from Missouri.
[Applause.]
Mr. Hoyer. Ike, I carry around our little card here that is the Jordan 
    Standard. There were seven founders of Sigma Chi, and Jordan was 
    one of the founders, and he wrote a standard of what they were 
    looking for in people to ask them to join together in this 
    fraternity. There are seven standards: A man of good character. How 
    extraordinarily well Ike Skelton and the four generations of 
    Skeltons who are Sigma Chis complied with that requirement.
A student of fair ability. Now, Ike went a little overboard with 
    respect to that, and he became a Phi Beta Kappa. There weren't a 
    lot of us in that category.
With ambitious purpose. But Gene Taylor said it right: His ambitious 
    purpose was not for Ike Skelton; it was for his country and the 
    troops who kept it free.
Always, as Gene Taylor said, a congenial disposition. My, how they got 
    it right on Ike Skelton. Never an angry word, always a listening 
    ear, always an understanding heart.
Possessed of good morals. In a time when the country is very concerned 
    about its government--not in terms of partisanship, but just its 
    government--Ike Skelton has been an example of honesty, integrity, 
    patriotism, compassion, and service.
Having a high sense of honor. My, how well that describes my friend Ike 
    Skelton.
And a deep sense of personal responsibility.
That is what the brothers of Sigma Chi were looking for when they voted 
    to accept Ike into their company. None of them could possibly 
    understand how their brother Ike Skelton would so extraordinarily 
    well represent those standards.
Ike, you have served our country well. You were blessed with Susan and 
    now blessed with Patty. Thank you. Thank you. A great American, Ike 
    Skelton.
[Applause.]
Mr. Pollard. It is now time for our final guest speaker. She has the 
    distinction of having been the highest ranking woman in the history 
    of the United States Government. It is my honor and privilege to 
    introduce the current Democratic Leader, former Speaker, Nancy 
    Pelosi of California.
[Applause.]

                      REMARKS OF HON. NANCY PELOSI

                        House Democratic Leader
Ms. Pelosi. Good evening, everyone. We always seem to have a little 
    problem with the acoustics in Cannon, and I hope that you have 
    heard everything that has been said about this great man.
It is an honor for all of us, Mr. Chairman, to be with you this 
    evening, to be with you and Patty and your family for the unveiling 
    of your portrait. It is a real testament, an eloquent statement of 
    friendship and respect and admiration that so many people are here 
    tonight. In fact, we outgrew the Armed Services room. Two former 
    chairmen, Mr. Dellums and Mr. Hunter--there he is, Duncan Hunter--
    and so many members of the Missouri delegation, including our 
    esteemed former Democratic Leader of the House.
The current chairman of the committee spoke so beautifully about your 
    bipartisanship, as did our ranking member as well, Mr. Smith. So it 
    is an honor for me to join them, to join Mr. Hoyer and others, in 
    singing your praises.
Steny mentioned that 63 years ago, you traveled from Missouri, from 
    Lexington, Missouri, to the United States Capitol to see President 
    Harry Truman inaugurated for his second term. That day President 
    Truman spoke about the importance of leading with humility. Leading 
    with humility would come to define this young man's career in 
    public service, because that young man was Ike Skelton, who 
    embodied Midwestern humility and patriotic leadership throughout 
    his 34 years in the House of Representatives.
In 1962, President Truman himself would personally urge Ike to run for 
    Congress. Though it took 14 years for Ike to take the President's 
    advice, when he ran, he won, in 1976. He did so with the 
    endorsement of Mrs. Bess Truman.
Congressman Skelton's highest inspiration in Congress was to be the 
    chairman of the House Committee on Armed Services, and how proud we 
    all were, and happy, the day he took the gavel of the committee. He 
    knew that protecting the American people is our first 
    responsibility. We take that oath of office to protect and defend, 
    and he helped us honor that responsibility every day he was here, 
    especially as chairman.
He worked against what he called the chasm between those who protect 
    our freedoms and those who are being protected. Our troops were 
    first in his mind. My colleague from Mississippi, Mr. Taylor, has 
    addressed that. As all of us who served with him knew, those troops 
    were first and foremost officially, professionally for him. But he 
    was very excited about his family, their service to our country, 
    and their barbecue sauce, which I have in my kitchen. As a 
    reminder, I could use a little more, Ike.
But back to our men and women in uniform, including his own children, 
    Ike always treated our men and women in uniform as if they were 
    sons and daughters to him. Indeed, again, his own son, Ike, Jr., is 
    a Navy captain and Jim an Army colonel.
Others have spoken about traveling with Ike, and I had that privilege. 
    And it is true, when our troops saw him, they knew they saw their 
    champion. And we have traveled abroad with him, visited our troops 
    in theater, visited them them in hospitals, in Germany, wherever. 
    But I will never forget a trip that I took with Ike--it has to be a 
    decade ago--to his own district, to Fort Leonard Wood, to Camp 
    Whiteman. And there we met the pilots, we met the soldiers, we met 
    everyone. But we met the community. They turned out by the hundreds 
    for a community luncheon, a tradition there in friendship to the 
    Army base and Camp Whiteman.
And we know how respected Ike Skelton is in the Congress. We know the 
    esteem in which he is held by everyone who served with him. It was 
    wonderful to see the esteem in which he was held in his own 
    district at that base because they knew the man had arrived. He 
    came. It was just really remarkable to see how universally 
    respected he was. He knew almost everybody on a first-name basis. 
    He took great pride in what he was able to do for the base. I don't 
    think any of them were earmarks or anything like that. But 
    nevertheless, whatever it was, he made a tremendous difference.
I don't know how they do it in Armed Services, but it was magical. And 
    our troops then were--they were flying into the theater every day, 
    weren't they, Ike, at that time? They were flying in and coming 
    right back to Missouri within 24 hours, 48 hours. So they were in 
    danger, but they were thrilled to see Ike Skelton.
So I know that I speak for all of our Members of Congress. And we have 
    acknowledged our chairman. I want to acknowledge some of the women 
    here: Susan Davis, Madeleine Bordallo, some of the women members of 
    his committee who are here to pay their respects to him as well.
I know in this case, Ralph Hall, my friend, that I can speak for 
    Democrats and Republicans alike when I say that it has been an 
    honor for each and every one of us to call Ike Skelton colleague, 
    and a privilege for some of us to call him and Patty dear friends.
Congratulations on a well-deserved honor, Ike Skelton. Congratulations. 
    Thank you.
[Applause.]

                       INTRODUCTION OF THE ARTIST
Mr. Pollard. There could have been no artist more appropriate to paint 
    Ike's official portrait than Gavin Glakas. We have all known about 
    Gavin since 1983, when his uncle Tommy Glakas began a long career 
    on Ike's staff as a military legislative assistant and later as 
    Democratic staff director on the House Committee on Armed Services.
Gavin is a native of the Washington, DC, area, but he had the good 
    judgment to pursue his higher education in the State of Missouri at 
    Washington University in St. Louis, where he received a bachelor of 
    arts with a major in history and a minor in painting. I would have 
    said ``great judgment'' if Gavin had just chosen to pursue his 
    education at a location about 120 miles west of St. Louis.
Like many of us here tonight, Gavin worked on Capitol Hill as a 
    legislative correspondent for Senator Harry Reid. But unlike most 
    of us, certainly me, he had a gift. After a serious illness, he 
    decided to develop that gift and pursue his goal of becoming an 
    artist on a full-time basis. He studied at the Slade School of Fine 
    Art in London, England, and at the Art League in Alexandria, 
    Virginia. And as his portraits and other paintings have been 
    exhibited, his reputation has grown. His portrait subjects include 
    Mrs. Harry Reid, which hangs in Senator Reid's office; and former 
    CIA Director George Tenet, also an uncle, for Georgetown 
    University.
The official portrait of Chairman Ike Skelton will be Gavin's first 
    portrait to be displayed in the U.S. House of Representatives. I 
    predict that it will not be the last. I am happy we have finally 
    reached the end of this portrait process, but I will miss Gavin. I 
    think I speak for everyone on the portrait committee and for Ike 
    when I say that he has been a delight to work with. We wish him 
    continued success in his life and his career.
Ladies and gentlemen, Gavin Glakas.
[Applause.]
Mr. Glakas. Thank you.
Thank you, Ike.
Mr. Pollard. For one time in his life, Congressman Cleaver had it 
    wrong. You probably weren't standing next to necessarily a 
    Missourian; you were probably standing next to a member of the 
    Skelton or Martin family. And Ike has asked that I recognize those 
    members of the family that are here. Two of Ike's sons are here 
    with their families: Colonel Jim Skelton and Anita Skelton with 
    their daughters Sarah and Abigail.
[Applause.]
Mr. Pollard. Page and Caroline Skelton, their son Page, Jr.
[Applause.]
Mr. Pollard. Now, not attending because he is stationed in Italy with 
    the U.S. Navy, Ike's oldest son, Navy Captain Ike Skelton, Elena 
    Skelton, and their two boys, Alexander and Conor.
[Applause.]
Mr. Pollard. Ike's brother and his family are here. I should say Ike's 
    younger brother and his family are here: John and Kathi Skelton, 
    their son John Skelton and--two of their three sons. John Skelton 
    is here, Major Steve Skelton, and Steve's wife Amanda.
[Applause.]
Mr. Pollard. And we also have Ike's cousin and his wife, Dr. Earl and 
    Francesca Skelton.
[Applause.]
Mr. Pollard. From Patty's family, we have four daughters, two sons-in-
    law, and three grandchildren: Julie Sheerman, Cathie Martin, Mary 
    Kozlowski and Jim Kozlowski; Robin Hanley and John Hanley, and 
    their children, Patty Hanley, Carly Hanley, and Jay Hanley.
[Applause.]
Mr. Pollard. Now for the big moment. Patty, if you will take your 
    position with Ike, and we will unveil this great portrait that 
    Gavin painted.
[Whereupon, the portrait was unveiled.]
[Applause.]
Mr. Pollard. Well, that was the moment we all were waiting for, but now 
    is the moment Ike has been waiting for. I get to recognize him for 
    a few remarks.
If we had a Hall of Fame for members of the House Committee on Armed 
    Services, Ike Skelton would be in it, even if he had never had the 
    opportunity to be chairman. His accomplishments, many of which are 
    listed in our program, and all of the things our speakers said, 
    they make that very clear. But there is no such Hall of Fame; all 
    we have are these portraits you see on the wall in room 2118 in the 
    Rayburn Building. And the rules are clear: You don't get a portrait 
    unless you have been chairman of the committee. So I am very 
    thankful Ike was able to become chairman. Not only did our Nation 
    get his leadership of this important committee for 4 years, but we 
    also get to have this wonderful portrait to recognize his service.
Those of us here tonight, those of us who worked for him or with him, 
    indeed everyone who knows him, will long remember Ike and all that 
    he has done. But now future generations will be able to see this 
    portrait, and maybe they will ask, ``Who is that? What did he do?'' 
    And the hope is that they will take the time to learn about this 
    man, his remarkable career, and a life well lived.
Ladies and gentlemen, the person we are all here tonight to honor, Ike 
    Skelton.
[Applause.]

                      REMARKS OF HON. IKE SKELTON
Mr. Skelton. Thank you, Jack, and ladies and gentlemen. The famous 
    Roman orator once said that gratitude is the greatest of all 
    virtues. And this evening I am so grateful for this singular honor 
    of unveiling this portrait to the Committee on Armed Services.
I thank my former colleagues, Emanuel Cleaver, Buck McKeon, Adam Smith, 
    Jo Ann Emerson, Gene Taylor, Steny Hoyer, Speaker Pelosi--it is 
    good to see my old friend Dick Gephardt, once again--for their 
    overly generous remarks as well as for their friendship through the 
    years.
My brother John, who is with us here this evening, would agree with me 
    that were our parents still with us, our mother would believe 
    everything my colleagues said, and my father would be amused.
And, Speaker Pelosi, our family will always be grateful to you for your 
    thoughtfulness in planting a tree on the Capitol grounds in memory 
    of my late wife Susie.
[Applause.]
Mr. Skelton. To Jack Pollard, Terry Turner, and Tami Plofchan, thank 
    you for your hard work in putting this event together and for 
    overseeing this portrait from its inception.
Patty and I are pleased to welcome each one of you to this memorable 
    evening, friends from congressional days, neighbors from Missouri, 
    and family. All of you are making this evening so remarkable to 
    remember.
The young artist Gavin Glakas did a superb job. And I told him 
    initially that I wanted to resemble a movie star like Clark Gable 
    of ``Gone with the Wind'' fame. And Gavin remarked that he would be 
    pleased to put a moustache on the painting. That ended that 
    conversation. I predict that years ahead, Gavin Glakas will have a 
    lifetime's worth of portraits throughout Washington.
Gavin, thank you.
Mr. Glakas. Thank you, sir.
[Applause.]
Mr. Skelton. A special appreciation also goes to my Missouri neighbors 
    who elected me to the House for 17 terms, to my dedicated and loyal 
    personal staff, and to the incredibly able professional staff of 
    the House Committee on Armed Services. It is daunting to realize 
    that my portrait will be hanging with all of the outstanding 
    chairmen of this committee who have served since the committee's 
    inception in 1947.
I first joined the Committee on Armed Services in early 1981 thanks to 
    my mentor and my friend, Missourian Dick Bolling from Kansas City. 
    At that time our country's military was reeling from the failed 
    Desert One hostage rescue attempt in Iran. I visited some military 
    installations and several ships, and found our military personnel 
    to have low morale, and to be undertrained and underequipped.
During my years on the Committee on Armed Services, we did some good 
    things. We provided excellent training and equipment, family 
    housing, world-class ships and planes, and better personnel and 
    vehicle protection. We passed the Montgomery GI bill. We increased 
    the authority and stature of the Special Forces. We passed the 
    Goldwater-Nichols Act, which restructured the Joint Chiefs of Staff 
    and required jointness across the services. We required the war 
    colleges to increase their rigor and to instruct in jointness, and 
    we reformed the acquisition system.
Our committee was productive and helped our military to be the world's 
    finest. Our counterpart in the other body, the Senate Armed 
    Services Committee, was an excellent partner in this endeavor, 
    especially with the leadership of Sam Nunn, John Warner, Carl 
    Levin, and John McCain.
In anticipation of this evening's event, truly a milestone, I reflected 
    on the good fortune and ironies of my life. I was a high school 
    sophomore at Wentworth Military Academy in my hometown of 
    Lexington, Missouri. It was my dream to attend West Point and to 
    have an Army career. That dream was shattered later that year by a 
    serious illness that landed me as a patient in Warm Springs, 
    Georgia. The irony is that as a Member of the Congress, I nominated 
    cadets to West Point, and I was on the committee that had West 
    Point and the entire military within its jurisdiction.
As a young teenager, I was fascinated with airplanes, and my first job 
    was at the old Lexington airport. My duties included raking the 
    dirt hangars; washing the airplanes, mostly Piper Cubs. My interest 
    with airplanes continued as a Member of Congress, and I 
    successfully urged the Air Force and Secretary of Defense Caspar 
    Weinberger to station the new B-2 wing at an airport near my 
    hometown of Lexington, Whiteman Air Force Base.
After graduating from law school, I asked two people to sign my 
    application to become a Missouri bar member, my lawyer father and 
    the highly respected dean of the Lexington lawyers, Horace 
    Blackwell. Horace Blackwell had a son, Menefee Blackwell, who was 
    raised in Lexington and attended Wentworth Military Academy. 
    Menefee went on to graduate from college and law school and began 
    his practice in nearby Kansas City, in 1939. Along came the war, 
    and he went off to the Army, returning as a major and having earned 
    the Silver Star. He founded a Kansas City law firm, which has grown 
    to a national law firm with offices here in Washington and across 
    the country. It is with this firm, Husch Blackwell, that I am now a 
    partner, ironically a firm that has its very roots in my hometown 
    of Lexington, Missouri.
Well, this is a proud moment and a humbling moment all rolled into one. 
    This portrait could well be said to be my legacy. But the work goes 
    on. The poem that came out of the First World War, ``In Flanders 
    Fields,'' contains the phrase, ``We throw the torch; be yours to 
    hold it high.'' And the torch of national defense is thrown to Buck 
    McKeon and Adam Smith and their colleagues, and I am confident that 
    they will hold it high and make us proud.
President Harry Truman would tell of the grave marker at Tombstone, 
    Arizona, which read, ``Here lies Jack Williams. He done his 
    damnedest.'' In the years ahead when all the names and all the 
    faces on the Committee on Armed Services have changed, it is my 
    sincere hope that some member of the committee, when looking upon 
    this portrait, recalling the challenges of yesteryear, will say, 
    ``He done his damnedest.''
Thank you.
[Applause.]
Mr. Pollard. Ladies and gentlemen, that concludes our portrait 
    unveiling ceremony; however, we have the room for a little while 
    longer. The photographer is still here, and Ike has agreed to stay. 
    I know I had to cut off the receiving line, so if any of you want a 
    chance to try to get a picture with Ike and Patty or at least say 
    hello, please feel free to do so. When you do leave, please be sure 
    to pick up a print of the portrait, which will fit nicely inside 
    your program.
Thank you for being with us on this special occasion.
[Whereupon, at 8 p.m., the portrait unveiling concluded.]
  

                   HOUSE COMMITTEE ON ARMED SERVICES
                      One Hundred Twelfth Congress

            HOWARD P. ``BUCK'' McKEON, California, Chairman
ROSCOE G. BARTLETT, Maryland         ADAM SMITH, Washington
MAC THORNBERRY, Texas                SILVESTRE REYES, Texas
WALTER B. JONES, North Carolina      LORETTA SANCHEZ, California
W. TODD AKIN, Missouri               MIKE McINTYRE, North Carolina
J. RANDY FORBES, Virginia            ROBERT A. BRADY, Pennsylvania
JEFF MILLER, Florida                 ROBERT ANDREWS, New Jersey
JOE WILSON, South Carolina           SUSAN A. DAVIS, California
FRANK A. LoBIONDO, New Jersey        JAMES R. LANGEVIN, Rhode Island
MICHAEL TURNER, Ohio                 RICK LARSEN, Washington
JOHN KLINE, Minnesota                JIM COOPER, Tennessee
MIKE ROGERS, Alabama                 MADELEINE Z. BORDALLO, Guam
TRENT FRANKS, Arizona                JOE COURTNEY, Connecticut
BILL SHUSTER, Pennsylvania           DAVE LOEBSACK, Iowa
K. MICHAEL CONAWAY, Texas            NIKI TSONGAS, Massachusetts
DOUG LAMBORN, Colorado               CHELLIE PINGREE, Maine
ROB WITTMAN, Virginia                LARRY KISSELL, North Carolina
DUNCAN HUNTER, California            MARTIN HEINRICH, New Mexico
JOHN C. FLEMING, M.D., Louisiana     BILL OWENS, New York
MIKE COFFMAN, Colorado               JOHN R. GARAMENDI, California
TOM ROONEY, Florida                  MARK S. CRITZ, Pennsylvania
TODD RUSSELL PLATTS, Pennsylvania    TIM RYAN, Ohio
SCOTT RIGELL, Virginia               C.A. DUTCH RUPPERSBERGER, Maryland
CHRIS GIBSON, New York               HANK JOHNSON, Georgia
VICKY HARTZLER, Missouri             BETTY SUTTON, Ohio
JOE HECK, Nevada                     COLLEEN HANABUSA, Hawaii
BOBBY SCHILLING, Illinois            KATHLEEN C. HOCHUL, New York
JON RUNYAN, New Jersey               JACKIE SPEIER, California
AUSTIN SCOTT, Georgia
TIM GRIFFIN, Arkansas
STEVEN PALAZZO, Mississippi
ALLEN B. WEST, Florida
MARTHA ROBY, Alabama
MO BROOKS, Alabama
TODD YOUNG, Indiana
                  Robert L. Simmons II, Staff Director
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