[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 58 (Thursday, May 12, 1994)]
[Senate]
[Page S]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: May 12, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                         DEATH OF LEWIS PULLER

  Mr. ROBB. Mr. President, the motto of the Marine Corps is ``Semper 
Fidelis''--always faithful. The story of Lew Puller's life is a story 
of fidelity of a son to the memory of his father, of a young marine to 
his country, and of a disabled veteran to a quest for peace.
  I knew Lew Puller well. He was frank, tough, and brutally honest. He 
emerged from the shadow of a famous father only to be challenged by 
war, crippling injury, and alcoholism. He took them all on with dogged 
determination.
  Most of us came back from Vietnam. But none of us came back 
unchanged. Lew left more behind than most. He lost both legs and parts 
of both arms to a mine. But what he kept--his intellect, his resolve 
and his mental toughness--was a match for even the very difficult 
obstacles he faced. It says volumes about his abilities and his story 
that the first time he set pen to paper, the result was a Pulitzer 
Prize.
  He is survived by an equally extraordinary woman.
  Lew touched so many lives and inspired so many who never knew him 
personally, that it may be hard to understand the man's essential 
paradox. He overcame repeated challenges and made better countless 
lives, from his two glorious children and his wife Toddy, to the 
thousands who found inspiration in the pages of his book, to the 
students that he taught at George Mason University.
  But no matter how many people he raised up, Lewis Puller could never 
quite meet his own standard. In the end, the only thing he could not 
beat was himself, and his own expectations.
  I will remember Lew for his passion and for his precision, for the 
good counsel he offered, and the insight with which he approached every 
problem or question.
  I will remember him not as a son or as a writer, but as a marine, 
strong and true. Even in a wheelchair, he stood taller than most of us. 
We lost one of the good guys yesterday, Mr. President. And like our 
colleagues, Senator Kerrey and Senator Warner, and many others in this 
Chamber who knew him, I will miss him.
  Mr. President, I yield the floor.
  Mr. BAUCUS. Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. SPECTER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. SPECTER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to proceed for up 
to 10 minutes as in morning business.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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