[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 70 (Friday, May 17, 1996)]
[Senate]
[Page S5265]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      TRIBUTE TO ADM. MIKE BOORDA

  Mr. GLENN. Mr. President, to say that a shockwave went across Capitol 
Hill yesterday when we heard about Mike Boorda's death would be an 
understatement. For those of us who knew him and worked with him very 
closely, it was not only a shock, it was an extreme shock. We thought 
of him as one of the most pleasant, smiling, outgoing, friendly persons 
that you ever dealt with across the river in the Pentagon, or anybody 
you ever dealt with on Capitol Hill as far as that matter goes. So we 
were all saddened to learn of his tragic death. He was a fine naval 
officer, who was doing a great job.
  We talk a lot about the American dream in this country, what it can 
mean, and how you can advance in this country. Mike Boorda actually 
lived it. He literally lived it. He was a high school dropout, who went 
in the Navy as a seaman second class. That is as low as you get when 
you enter at the bottom rung of the ladder. Over the years, he had such 
outstanding service that he became an officer. He was the very first 
person to go from the lowest rank in the Navy to the highest rank in 
the Navy, to his everlasting credit.
  I do not think there is anybody across the river that was more 
respected by the Members of Congress than Admiral Boorda. I worked with 
Mike for a number of years. I first got to know him, when I was 
chairman of the Personnel Subcommittee on Armed Services and he was the 
head of naval personnel. We dealt back and forth on personnel matters 
almost on a daily basis.
  If I ever knew anybody who I would term as a ``people person,'' it 
was Mike Boorda. He was so concerned with people that he would 
personally follow-up calls, not only individual cases, but about all 
the policies that were established that dealt with people. Those were 
his biggest concerns in those days, and they continued to be some of 
his biggest concerns after he became CNO, Chief of Naval Operations.
  We worked together, and he was concerned about such things as the 
promotion process, health matters, early-out legislation for people 
leaving the service, and pay and allowances for those staying in. The 
words he always would use repeatedly are, ``Well, are we treating these 
people fairly? Is this fair?'' That was a hallmark with him--to see 
that everybody in the Navy was treated fairly. I guess his enlisted 
background is what added to that concern about a sense of fairness, 
extending clear from the top to the bottom in the United States Navy.
  Less than a year ago, I flew with Mike down to Norfolk to commission 
the U.S.S. Toledo, one of our latest submarines. I remember walking 
with him, as he returned salutes to officers and enlisted personnel, 
and him suddenly saying, ``Come with me''. He broke ranks with the 
group and went over to where some sailors were standing to shake their 
hands. They were shocked that the CNO, with me in tow, would go out of 
his way to shake their hands. I cannot forget their smiles and I know 
they appreciated it very much.
  I think he did that because he had been there. He knew what it meant 
to them. He knew what it was like to grow up in the Navy. The Navy was 
more than a career to Mike Boorda, it was his home.
  Not many weeks ago, he asked me to come over and have breakfast--as 
he did with Senators and Members of Congress from time to time--to talk 
about matters pertaining to the Navy. It was the two of us, each with a 
staff person. We talked a little about Navy hardware and what they 
planned to procure for the future. But we spent most of our time 
talking about people. He was extremely concerned about the lasting 
effects of the Tailhook scandal, the problems at the Naval Academy, the 
challenges of placing women in combat roles aboard ships, and living 
conditions of his sailors and their families.
  Mike Boorda was always concerned about life in the military, and life 
in the Navy, in particular, especially for those who are required to be 
aboard ship and go out for extended deployments. He was concerned not 
only about the sailor, but also about the family at home--the wife, the 
children, who are left behind during those long deployments. I still do 
not think most people in this country realize the rigors of military 
service and give proper respect and consideration and appreciation for 
those in the military. That is particularly true in the Navy, because 
when we see a carrier abroad in the Adriatic, or a Navy ship deployed 
where there is a problem somewhere in the world, we should remember 
that the people manning that ship are people out away from their 
families, away from home. Those are the things that concerned Mike 
Boorda more than anything else--being fair and treating his people 
fairly.
  I rarely have seen anyone so dedicated to the welfare of the enlisted 
personnel of whatever service. It was the enlisted people of the Navy 
that looked to him for their representation, and he gave it heartily 
because he believed in it. He was an inspiration to everyone who served 
because he was one of them. I think he still looked at himself as an 
enlisted sailor in the ranks. I think he had a problem seeing himself 
elevated above everyone else as the Chief of Naval Operations.
  His concerns should not be forgotten. Those of us here will do 
everything to make sure they are not. We will try to represent his best 
wishes as he had expressed them through the years and make certain that 
all of his concerns for the people of the Navy are taken care of.
  I think there might be a little lesson here for all of us to learn 
from this tragedy. Things that seem important at the moment may, in the 
long term, prove to be of far less importance than the big things that 
we do in life.
  Whatever the cause of his death may have been, his memory in the Navy 
will be one of a person who was concerned about the people of the Navy, 
his loyalty to those people, and his desire to make sure that they were 
properly represented. That was his mission. Mike was a people person. 
Most of all, he was a good friend.
  Annie and I wish to express our deepest sympathy to Betty and his 
family. Our hearts go out to them and our thoughts and prayers are with 
them. We will all miss him.
  Mr. President, I yield the remainder of my time.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum and ask that the time be equally 
charged against both sides.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The clerk will call the roll.
  The bill clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. DASCHLE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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