[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 139 (Tuesday, October 1, 1996)]
[Senate]
[Pages S12130-S12132]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            SUCCESS OF THE 1996 OLYMPIC AND PARALYMPIC GAMES

  Mr. NUNN. Mr. President, I would like to take this opportunity to 
recognize the success of the 1996 Centennial Olympic games and the 
Paralympic games which were held this summer in Atlanta.
  The statement made by many that the Centennial games in Atlanta were 
the greatest ever was right on the mark. The athletes and the 
spectators who attended the events understand better than anyone the 
extraordinary success of the 1996 Olympics. In the face of pressures 
that defy imagination, ACOG staff and volunteers staged an Olympics of 
breathtaking grandeur and dignity. Our law enforcement and military 
personnel put together a security force that was unprecedented in its 
commitment, performance, and cooperation.
  I have talked to countless people who attended both the Centennial 
games and the Paralympic games, and I have talked to numerous 
individual members of the International Olympic Committee. There was 
universal praise of the extraordinary job that was done in Atlanta and 
elsewhere in dealing with events that were unprecedented in their size 
and scope.
  All in all, more than 10,000 athletes and 2 million spectators from 
around the world participated in the Olympics. In comparison, the 
Atlanta Olympic games were twice the size of the 1984 Los Angeles 
Olympics in terms of the number of participants and spectators, and 
larger than the Los Angeles and Barcelona games combined. More 
spectators attended women's events at the Centennial games than 
attended all events in Los Angeles. In addition, Atlanta hosted 
athletes from 197 countries around the globe. That is an additional 57 
countries above the 140 who participated in the 1984 Games. To give my 
colleagues a point of reference, particularly for the football fans 
among them, the Atlanta Olympic games were the equivalent of one city 
hosting six Super Bowl games each day for 17 days straight. So it was a 
Super Bowl times six, each day for 17 days. That was quite an 
undertaking.
  While much praise should be given to the many workers who contributed 
to the success of these Games, I would be remiss if I failed to mention 
some of the athletes who gave it their all in these Games. Who can 
forget the South African marathon runner, Josiah Thugwane, the first 
black South African to win a Gold Medal for the unified

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team of South Africa? Or Naim Suleymanoglu, endeared to all as ``Pocket 
Hercules,'' who stunned the world by lifting over his head nearly 
triple his weight?
  I will always remember watching Michael Johnson sprint across the 
finish line. Among America's special heroes was young Kerri Strug, who 
as you may recall, injured herself on the vault but continued valiantly 
to make a second leap to help ensure a team gold medal for the U.S. 
women's gymnastics team. I could spend all day recounting the many 
heroic and inspirational accomplishments from the Olympic games, but 
the story from Atlanta did not end there.

  Just 12 days after the conclusion of the 1996 summer Olympics, 
another sporting event of great magnitude occurred in Atlanta. The 
Paralympic games hosted more than 3,500 athletes from 119 nations, 
competing in 19 different sports. While not as large as the Centennial 
games, this was the largest gathering of people with disabilities ever 
assembled anywhere in the world. Certainly it was every bit as large as 
the Centennial games in terms of the spirit, heart, and courage of 
those who competed.
  I have been honored to work for a number of years in assisting the 
Atlanta Paralympic Organizing Committee in preparation for the 
Paralympics. I consider the opportunity I had to support these games to 
be one of the highlights of my Senate career. I also had the pleasure 
of being a spectator at many of the Paralympic events, and I know that 
the level of skill and achievement shown by these athletes was truly 
outstanding by any standard.
  The opening ceremonies offered a glimpse of what was to come, as a 
sold-out crowd of over 64,000 spectators watched 36 year old American 
mountain-climber Mark Wellman light the Paralympic Torch by pulling 
himself hand over hand up the 98-foot tower carrying the torch between 
his legs. Mark was paralyzed from the waist down after a 50-foot fall 
while mountain climbing 14 years ago. He was soon followed by Hou Bin 
of China who set a world record in the high jump on the first day of 
the track and field competition by clearing 1.92 meters, approximately 
6 feet, 3 inches. For those of you unfamiliar with Hou Bin, he has only 
one leg, but that did not stop him from winning the hearts of 
spectators from around the world as he went on in an attempt to break 
his own record. While he was ultimately unsuccessful, you would not 
have known that from the roar of the crowd.
  Yet another stunning performance was that of Troy Sachs who led the 
Australian men's wheelchair basketball team to victory by scoring a 
Paralympic record-breaking 42 points. I rank it among the finest 
basketball performances I have ever seen. Leading the American 
Paralympic team was Tony Volpentest who set a new world record in the 
100 meter dash, running a time of 11.36 seconds--that is 1.52 seconds 
shy of Donovan Bailey's record in the Olympics.
  Mr. President, I also want to take this time to recognize and honor 
all of the many people who dedicated their time and efforts. This 
effort brought together literally hundreds of Federal, State, local, 
and civic leaders, as well as thousands of volunteers. The Atlanta 
volunteers were certainly the best in history. They were simply 
amazing, and the games could not have been held without them. 
Unfortunately, time prohibits me from mentioning all of the people who 
were truly instrumental in putting on the games, but I would like to 
recognize a few of them.


                Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games

  When Billy Payne originally submitted his proposal to bring the 
Olympic games to Atlanta, many people did not take him seriously; but 
just ask them now. He is perhaps the best example of what Atlanta has 
to offer in terms of leadership and vision. His partner, former Atlanta 
mayor, Congressman, and Ambassador Andy Young, provided the key element 
of diplomacy needed to convince the International Olympic Committee to 
choose Atlanta. I should also thank A.D. Frazier, who did an 
outstanding job, as well as the entire team at ACOG.


                Atlanta Paralympic Organizing Committee

  My special thanks go to the Atlanta Paralympic Organizing Committee, 
led by its president, Andy Fleming. Andy had perhaps the most difficult 
challenge of all in leading the effort to stage the Paralympic games. 
Faced with the disadvantage of lesser name recognition and financial 
resources, the Paralympic Organizing Committee put on a world class 
event which truly met the high standards set by the Olympic games. Andy 
was assisted by the able leadership, service, and great dedication of 
Harald Hansen, chairman of First Union National Bank of Georgia, and 
David Simmons, chief operating officer for the Paralympic games.


                              DoD Support

  The 1996 Centennial Olympic and the Paralympic games were successful 
in large part due to the tremendous support of the Department of 
Defense. Without the assistance of the Department of Defense, working 
in concert with State and local public safety officials, the Olympics 
and Paralympics could not have been held. Not surprisingly, these 
events were too big for any single municipal or State government to 
ensure safety and security without appropriate help from the Federal 
Government.
  Those who won the selection of Atlanta as the Olympic venue 
understood at the beginning that they would be responsible for 
providing the cost of putting on the Games, and they raised about $1.5 
billion to do so. They could not, however, guarantee the security of 
all the athletes and the millions of visitors from all over the world. 
In the era of modern terrorism, safety for an event of this type simply 
cannot be guaranteed without help from the Federal Government. I hope 
the Congress will keep this in mind as our friends in Utah prepare for 
the 2002 winter Olympic games.
  Billy Payne expressed his appreciation for the Department of Defense 
support this way:

       Thanks to the support of the Department of Defense and the 
     soldiers, sailors, and airmen who served in Atlanta during 
     the 1996 Summer Olympic Games, the safety of the public and 
     the athletes was assured. DoD and its military forces 
     provided the safety net and back-up law enforcement needed 
     when confronted with securing the largest peacetime event in 
     history.
       From the explosive ordnance teams to the military police 
     units to communications specialists, DoD personnel performed 
     critical missions. Working in conjunction with law 
     enforcement, DoD personnel helped secure the village where 
     the athletes of 197 nations were housed. On the night of the 
     tragic bombing in Centennial Olympic Park, DoD personnel in 
     the downtown area remained calm and at their posts, 
     reinforcing the public's perception that security authorities 
     were fully prepared to deal with the situation. The ability 
     of military personnel to increase their shifts and 
     immediately provide more manpower to the streets was a clear 
     signal to the Olympic family and spectators that America was 
     prepared for all contingencies.
       All who came to the Games in Atlanta are indebted to the 
     Department of Defense for the professional and dedicated 
     effort of the troops who were part of the Summer Olympics. 
     These men and women showed the world, once again, that the 
     soldiers, sailors, and airmen of the United States military 
     are the finest in the world.

  In 1992, Congress first appropriated funds to the Department of 
Defense for security and logistical support for the 1996 Olympic and 
Paralympic games. Since that time, a multitude of DoD personnel have 
aggressively worked to ensure the success and security of this 
significant public event. The impact of DOD support to the 1996 summer 
Olympics is difficult to summarize in a short time. More than 13,000 
active duty, Reserve, and National Guard personnel were committed in 
support of the Games in Atlanta and in the other competition cities. 
These military members came from 45 states and territories and provided 
support to security operations at 44 Olympic sites.
  Of the men and women who came to Atlanta, over 9,000 National Guard 
personnel provided support in the form of roving and fixed perimeter 
security, command post support, route security, and vehicular 
inspection. More than 1,000 active duty soldiers, sailors, airmen, and 
Marines were entrusted with the important responsibility of 
transporting athletes and law enforcement personnel to the secured 
villages and venues. These drivers successfully negotiated the crowded 
streets of Atlanta more than 650 times each day. DOD provided 33 
helicopters, and military aviators flew 300 missions in support of the 
law enforcement security operations. DOD provided critical equipment to 
more than 60 Federal, State,

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and local law enforcement agencies and organizing committees. DOD bomb 
disposal experts responded to 450 calls on suspect items; and DOD, the 
FBI, and our health officials prepared for any kind of chemical or 
biological attack. A force of more than 1,300 personnel, from all 
services, was required to provide base camp support for the DOD 
personnel supporting the Olympic games.

  When the tragic explosion in Centennial Park occurred, National Guard 
and uniformed military personnel were on the scene immediately, and 
their calmness and discipline were absolutely indispensable in the 
first few critical moments. Within 24 hours, military personnel were 
able to double their security forces at select critical locations. DOD 
also provided critical transportation support for almost 500 additional 
State personnel who were activated in response to the bombing to 
supplement state law enforcement resources. The Federal law enforcement 
training center depended on DOD for transportation, housing, meals, and 
other support for more than 900 personnel they committed to the post-
bombing security operations when no other source was available.
  Let me pause here for a moment to again express my sympathy for the 
family of Mrs. Alice Hawthorne, who died during this tragic event. Her 
death has sent a powerful message throughout our Nation and the world 
about the horror of acts of senseless violence and terrorism. However, 
we must never forget that this tragedy in the context of the Olympics 
pales beside the unspeakable personal loss and grief that have befallen 
her family.
  In addition to supporting the Olympic games, DOD extended assistance 
to the 1996 Paralympic games. Over 990 active duty and National Guard 
personnel supplied transportation, medical, linguistic, logistical, and 
communications support to 17 venues in the Atlanta area. Our soldiers 
took great pride in participating in a project that assisted athletes 
of such astounding and great courage. Members of our military sadly are 
no strangers to the impact of injury or illness that some define as 
incapacitating. But the Paralympic athletes proved by their own 
performance and their tremendous courage that the definition of 
incapacitated needs reexamination by our society.
  I want to thank in particular Secretary of Defense Bill Perry, 
Secretary of the Army Togo West, Assistant Secretary Mike Walker, 
General John Tilleli, and his assistant General Bob Hicks for their 
outstanding leadership and support in assisting the Olympics and 
Paralympics. In addition to DOD personnel, I would like to thank the 
Attorney General Janet Reno, the Deputy Attorney General Jamie 
Gorelick, FBI Director Louis Freeh, Atlanta Director of the FBI Woody 
Johnson, and Gil Childers for all their hard work. Let me also 
recognize all the administration staff from the DOD and the Federal law 
enforcement agencies whom I have not named here for all of their hard 
work.

  Finally let me thank President Clinton and Vice President Gore, 
particularly Vice President Gore, whose direct personal involvement 
from the beginning was vital in keeping the Federal involvement in the 
games focused and effective. All of us in Georgia are grateful for 
their support.


                       State and Local Officials

  It goes without saying that State and local support was crucial in 
putting on these games. The State of Georgia spent more than $72 
million on Olympic security alone, including the salaries of law 
officers who were assigned to full-time Olympic security duties. Not 
counting State prison guards, some 73 percent of all State of Georgia 
employees who have law enforcement credentials were assigned to the 
Olympics. These figures obviously do not include fire and emergency 
medical personnel.
  Governor Zell Miller led the effort to ensure that the State of 
Georgia contributed the appropriate resources to help construct the 
various venues, roads, and buildings necessary for the games. Gary 
McConnell, chief of staff of the State Olympic Law Enforcement Command, 
Georgia Adjutant General William Bland, Director Buddy Nix of the GBI, 
Colonel Sid Miles of the Georgia State Patrol and Department of Public 
Safety, and Atlanta chief of police Beverly Harvard led the State and 
local security effort. Our National Guard units from Georgia and other 
States under the leadership of General Bland were superb. Special 
thanks should also go to Atlanta Mayor Bill Campbell, members of the 
Atlanta city council, and the Fulton County Commissioners whose 
leadership was instrumental in preparing Atlanta to host the games.
  In addition, I want to thank all the Georgia health officials who 
were involved in preparing for the Olympics and Paralympics and 
insuring the well being of the spectators and participants. They are 
often overlooked, but their contributions are every bit as critical.
  I would also like to thank my fellow colleagues in the Congress who 
helped with the Olympics and Paralympics, especially my fellow 
colleagues from the Georgia delegation. Most noteworthy, of course, 
were Congressman Lewis, Speaker Gingrich, and Senator Coverdell. 
Finally, I would like to thank my staff on the Senate Armed Services 
Committee and my personal staff for their assistance to me in working 
on these games.
  Mr. President, I wish I could personally thank everyone who was 
involved in preparing for these great games. This was literally a 
historic event. I am proud to have been a part of these games, and I am 
thankful for the opportunity. 

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