[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 206 (Thursday, December 21, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Pages S19107-S19109]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        HONORING JOHN C. STENNIS

  Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to Senator 
John C. Stennis, for whom our Nation's newest aircraft carrier is 
named. Further, I include in today's Record the excellent remarks given 
by the Secretary of Defense, William Perry, and Senator Thad Cochran, 
the two principal speakers at the commissioning of this great ship on 
December 9, 1995.
  Built with the minds, hands, and sweat of thousands of workers at 
Newport News Shipbuilding, and manned by the men and women of the most 
powerful Navy in today's world, this ship serves as an symbol of peace, 
that will stand guard night and day on the seven seas deterring 
aggression. As a former sailor in World War II, Secretary of the Navy, 
and now a senior member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, I know 
well the awesome capabilities of these magnificent ships.
  In my brief remarks to an impressive audience of over ten thousand 
people who braved a wintery day, I recalled how, as I worked by his 
side for over a decade, Senator Stennis would relate stories of how a 
succession of Presidents would say ``Whenever I was awakened in the 
middle of the night by a report of a crisis somewhere in the world, my 
first thoughts were always `Where is the nearest U.S. aircraft 
carrier?' ''
  Mr. President, it is fitting that this great ship bears the name of 
Senator Stennis. Senator Stennis was my friend and mentor, whose humble 
beginnings in a small working-class home and equally humble and proud 
manner in which he lived his entire life, stand in stark contrast to 
this magnificent ship that now bears his name. He was a true visionary 
and champion of our Nation's 

[[Page S19108]]
Armed Forces. When Senator Stennis left the Senate, he gave me a plaque 
which was always on his desk. While the plaque itself may be simple and 
plain, the message ``Look ahead'' has deep meaning. Indeed, even today, 
our Nation is reaping the benefits of the forward thinking Senator who 
lived by these words.
  Mr. President, during the commissioning ceremony of the USS John C. 
Stennis, attended by many Members of Congress including Senators Strom 
Thurmond, Thad Cochran, Trent Lott, Chuck Robb, Sam Nunn, and Dirk 
Kempthorne, and Congressmen Sonny Montgomery, Owen Pickett, Herb 
Bateman, Bobby Scott, and Gene Taylor, I was honored to be able to 
present the ship with that plaque, as I am sure Senator Stennis would 
have wanted, in hopes that it would inspire the gnerations of men and 
women that will serve on her.
  I ask unamious consent that Senator Cochran's and Secretary Perry's 
remarks be printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the remarks were order to be printed in the 
Record as follows:

  Remarks of Senator Thad Cochran at the Commissioning of the U.S.S. 
                      ``John C. Stennis'' (CVN-74)

       Those of us from the State of Mississippi could not be more 
     proud today. We are all honored by the career and life of 
     John C. Stennis.
       When he was elected to the United States Senate in 1947, an 
     editor of one of our newspapers said our State would ``earn 
     the plaudits of the Nation'' by choosing such ``a thoughtful, 
     purposeful, and high-minded man.''
       That turned out to be very true indeed. Integrity was not 
     just a virtue with John Stennis, it was a way of life. For 
     that he was greatly admired.
       With all his good personal qualities, he had an enormous 
     capacity for hard work and endurance. His personal toughness 
     as well as his courage and determination was greatly tested 
     when he was shot by robbers in 1973, and then later when 
     serious health problems threatened his life.
       He not only survived, he prevailed, as William Faulkner 
     might say, and he did so without complaint or any noticeable 
     ill humor.
       John Stennis was always in good spirits, friendly with all 
     his colleagues, the epitome of decorum and courtesy. In the 
     ten years I was privileged to be his State colleague in the 
     Senate, I never heard him say a critical or unkind word about 
     anybody.
       But he was tough minded, resolute, and firm, like he had 
     been as a trial judge, insisting on order and respect for the 
     Court, and later the Senate. The judicial temperament he 
     exhibited included a strong respect for justice and fairness.
       It is no wonder then that as a young Senator he was chosen 
     to serve as the first chairman of the Committee on Standards 
     and Conduct.
       His effective work as chairman of the Subcommittee on 
     Military Preparedness gave him his first opportunity to 
     develop expertise in national defense matters. When he later 
     chaired the Armed Services and Appropriations Committees, he 
     helped authorize and fund what all now recognize as the 
     mightiest military force in the world, distinguished from all 
     others by our nuclear powered aircraft carriers.
       As the officers and crew of this fine ship carry out their 
     duties, I know that they will be challenged and strengthened 
     by the example of this ship's namesake, John C. Stennis. It 
     is the kind of ship that appropriately bears his name. It is 
     robust, well made in all respects, and ready and able to meet 
     every challenge. May it be God's will that it will do so 
     safely.
                                                                    ____


Remarks of Secretary William Perry at the Commissioning of the USS John 
                          C. Stennis (CVN-74)

       Admiral Boorda and Secretary Dalton have both rightly said 
     that the United States Navy is the most powerful in the 
     world. I want to tell you that that is not simply rhetoric, 
     it is a statement of fact. And the ship we're commissioning 
     today, U.S.S. JOHN C. STENNIS, will be the most powerful 
     warship in the world.
       Two hundred and twenty years ago, this very day, America 
     learned its first lesson on why our Nation needs a powerful 
     Navy. For on that day, only a few miles from here, the battle 
     of Great Bridge began. It was the first military engagement 
     of the Revolutionary War in the Virginia colony. American 
     forces won this battle. But, afterwards, the defeated British 
     forces proceeded to bombard the city of Norfolk, with their 
     cannons, from the sea. The American forces were helpless to 
     stop them because we had no Navy.
       Throughout that year, 1775, some members of the Continental 
     Congress had been opposed to trying to build a Navy. In fact, 
     one member, Samuel Chase, remarked, ``Building an American 
     navy is the maddest idea in the world.'' His views were 
     countered by John Paul Jones, who said, ``Without a 
     respectable navy, alas America.''
       Incidents like the bombardment of Norfolk showed that not 
     having an American navy was the maddest idea in the world. 
     So, the views of John Paul Jones prevailed over the views of 
     Samuel Chase and America did build a respectable Navy.
       By the time of the Second World War, our respectable Navy 
     had become a global naval power. And this naval power helped 
     defeat the forces of totalitarianism on two sides of the 
     globe. And all during the Cold War, our global naval power 
     contained the forces of Soviet expansionism. Today, we are 
     adding another great ship to our global naval power--a ship 
     that will help project and defend America's interests for the 
     next fifty years. The John C. Stennis is America's seventh 
     Nimitz class carrier. Both of these names, Nimitz and 
     Stennis, capture the glorious history of our Navy in this 
     century.
       Fifty years ago, Admiral Chester Nimitz commanded our 
     Pacific force. It was that war that witnessed the emergence 
     of the aircraft carrier as a powerful tool for the most 
     powerful nation. Then, through 50 years of the Cold War, 
     Senator John Stennis saw to it that America's Navy 
     remained the most powerful in the world. He has been 
     called the father of America's modern Navy, because, when 
     John Stennis said, ``America needs this ship,'' Congress 
     listened. Senator Warner has told you that one of Senator 
     Stennis's favorite sayings was, ``Look ahead,'' and it is 
     fitting that this saying has become the unofficial motto 
     of U.S.S. John C. Stennis. Because at the end of the Cold 
     War, there are some who ask why America still needs ships 
     like John C. Stennis, and the answer to their question is, 
     ``Look ahead.''
       When you look ahead, you see that America will remain a 
     global power with global interests, that America will 
     continue to face threats to its interests, and that 
     protecting these interests requires a powerful presence in 
     many places around the world. A critical way of getting that 
     presence is by having a strong Navy. And no Navy ship has 
     more presence than a Nimitz class aircraft carrier.
       Let me give you an example of what forward presence does 
     for our security. The U.S.S. Theodore Roosevelt, 
     affectionately called ``TR''--another Nimitz class carrier--
     recently led a battle group through a six month deployment. 
     When it started out, last March, it first went to the Arabian 
     Gulf to enforce the no-fly-zone over southern Iraq. Then, it 
     sailed to the Mediterranean to conduct routine exercises with 
     our allies and friends in the area--exercises that improve 
     the ability of our forces and other nations to work together. 
     At the same time, ``TR'' supported NATO's Deny Flight 
     operations--enforcing the no-fly-zone over the former 
     Yugoslavia. Then, in August, several members of Saddam 
     Hussein's family defected to Jordan and the world worried 
     that Saddam might lash out at his neighbors. To deter this 
     potential aggressor, we moved ``TR'' to the eastern Med and 
     repositioned an amphibious force in the Red Sea. These 
     forward deployed forces with credible combat power sent 
     Saddam a message, loud and clear. Soon after this crisis died 
     down, ``TR'' rushed back to the Adriatic Sea to conduct NATO 
     air strikes over Bosnia. And, as we all know, these air 
     strikes played a critical role in bringing the parties to the 
     bargaining table in Dayton.
       So, on one deployment, for six months, ``TR'' improved our 
     ability to operate with our allies; helped a friend in need; 
     deterred Saddam Hussein; and helped create an opportunity for 
     ending the deadliest fighting in Europe since World War II.
       As we look ahead, it is clear that deployments like these 
     will not be uncommon for our carriers. And, as we realize 
     this, we must also recognize that this craft is not just a 
     fast, powerful vessel with fast, powerful aircraft. Instead, 
     it is four and a half acres of American turf, off the coast 
     of any trouble spot in the world we send it to. In other 
     words, it's not just a floating runway for airplanes, it is a 
     mobile island of American power. An island we can rush to 
     anywhere our interests are threatened and use to do anything 
     needed to support our operations.
       In addition to using it for large, powerful air strikes, we 
     can use it to launch a team of Navy SEALs. We can use it as a 
     joint command and control center to shape the battlefield in 
     almost any theater. And, as Admiral Paul David Miller showed 
     us last year, when we went into Haiti, we can even use it as 
     a launching pad for the 10th Mountain Division troops and 
     Army helicopters.
       But, even with these tremendous capabilities, this carrier 
     is still only as good as the men and women who will operate 
     it. Admiral Nimitz himself said, ``There is simply no 
     substitute for good seamanship.'' A ship like this carrier 
     requires intelligent, dedicated, well trained people. People 
     like Captain Robert Klosterman, who will very soon command 
     this ship, and the officers and the crew who are handpicked 
     to join him.
       I have great confidence that the John C. Stennis is one of 
     the most capable ships in the world. I have equally great 
     confidence that this crew is one of the best groups of 
     sailors in the world. Captain Klosterman and his crew will 
     present some of the world's most sophisticated and deadly 
     equipment. They not only have to operate this equipment, they 
     also have to maintain it. There are no Maytag repairmen on 
     the open seas. And that is why it is essential for our 
     sailors to have the best training available. And once we 
     train them, we need to keep them in the Navy. To do that, we 
     need to treat them right and we must take care of their 
     families as they weather the strain of having a parent or 
     spouse away from home. And that is why the title that we 
     invest in our sailors quality 

[[Page S19109]]
     of life. Caring about our people--giving them decent pay, housing, and 
     medical care--is not just the right thing to do, it is also 
     the smart thing to do, because it is vital to maintaining the 
     quality and readiness of our forces.
       Finally, let us remember, on this holiday season, that many 
     of our servicemen and women are deployed in the 
     Mediterranean, the Adriatic, and in Yugoslavia. Still more 
     are on their way. They are all preparing to support the peace 
     Implementation Force in Bosnia. It is a tough assignment for 
     them. It is even tougher on their families. So as we 
     celebrate this year, let us all pray for the safety of our 
     soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines performing these 
     difficult missions. And let us also pray for their comrades--
     some 150,000 of them--who will also spend their holidays away 
     from their loved ones as they perform other missions for 
     peace and freedom around the globe.
       Next to my office in the Pentagon is a painting depicting a 
     soldier, he's in a church praying with his family just before 
     a deployment. Underneath this painting are the lines from the 
     Bible, in which God says, ``Whom shall I send and who will go 
     for us?'' And, Isaiah answers, ``Here am I. Send me.'' This 
     Christmas, our Nation asks, ``Whom shall I send?'' And, 
     150,000 of our military personnel answered, ``Here am I. Send 
     me.'' These military personnel are America's finest and they 
     deserve the prayers and support of all Americans.

                          ____________________