[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
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TONGRESS.#13
PROCEEDINGS
before the
COMMITTEE ON ARMED SERVICES
U.S. House of Representatives
March 5, 2012
U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE
WASHINGTON : 2012
73-567
_______________________________________________________________________
For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing
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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
_______________________________________________________________________
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THE PORTRAITDo 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