[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 141 (Thursday, October 3, 1996)]
[Senate]
[Pages S12324-S12325]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

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          TRIBUTE TO REAR ADM. JAMES E. FORREST, SC, USN (RET)

 Mr. McCAIN. Mr. President, today I rise to honor my friend, 
Rear Adm. Jim Forrest. He is an outstanding American, an exemplary 
naval officer, and a man who has made a very significant contribution 
to the development of our national defense.
  Over the years, the U.S. Senate has paid tribute to many people for 
their commitment to making this country great. Most of those so honored 
have in common with Admiral Forrest an extraordinary sense of 
dedication, the ability to marshall people and resources toward a 
common goal, and the good judgement to know what course of action to 
take in a given situation. Very few of them however, can match Admiral 
Forrest's record of consistent outstanding public service spanning 56 
years. For many of us on Capitol Hill, Admiral Forrest was already an 
influential force and source of excellent advice when we arrived. Over 
the years I have greatly appreciated his knowledge on defense matters 
and his wise counsel.
  As Admiral Forrest prepares to retire as executive director of the 
Naval Reserve Association, a position that he has held for the past 22 
years, he should be proud that he has established a bench mark for 
excellence for others in the Navy to follow. As you can see, his 
accomplishments speak for themselves. A native of Palms, CA, Admiral 
Forrest enlisted in the Navy in 1940 and served on the battleships 
Tennessee and Wyoming and the fleet oiler Cuyama, before earning an 
appointment to the Naval Academy in 1942. Following his commissioning 
in June 1945, he commanded three auxiliary motor minesweepers before 
transferring to the Supply Corps in l948. Admiral Forrest was selected 
for flag rank in 1971 and served for 3 years as the Auditor General of 
the Navy. His academic achievements include obtaining an MBA from 
Stanford University and graduating from the Navy Postgraduate School 
and the Industrial College of the Armed Forces.

[[Page S12325]]

  Upon his retirement from active duty in 1975, Admiral Forrest 
accepted the many challenges associated with the position of executive 
director of the Naval Reserve Association, where he made many important 
contributions to the Naval Reserve, the Navy, and our national defense. 
Most importantly, through his personal interaction with national 
leaders, Admiral Forrest brought about an increase in mutual trust and 
improved coordination between the Reserve and Active components of the 
Navy. He also increased the readiness of the Naval Reserve. In 
addition, long before we had promoted quality of life issues, Admiral 
Forest was one of the most active proponents of adequate pay and 
benefits for Active and Reserve military personnel and their 
dependents. If there was a need, he identified it and worked to fill 
the void. If there was a problem, he recognized it early, proposed the 
solutions, and worked toward resolution. In short, if I had only one 
word to sum up his actions over the past 56 years, it would be 
leadership. As a nation, we owe Adm. Jim Forrest a great deal for his 
contribution. I know I speak for the entire U.S. Senate when I say 
thank you, Admiral, for a job ``extremely well done!'' To my friend, 
Jim Forrest, who is truly a great American, ``Fair winds and following 
seas! ''

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