[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 17 (Tuesday, February 11, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E211-E212]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      TRIBUTE TO WILLIAM J. PERRY

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JOHN P. MURTHA

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, February 11, 1997

  Mr. MURTHA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to William J. 
Perry, who retired on January 24, 1997 as our 19th Secretary of Defense 
of the United States.
  Dr. Perry has a long and distinguished record of serving his country. 
In the 1970's and 1980's, Bill's work on stealth technology for the 
Defense Department earned him the title ``father of stealth.'' We all 
know how important this technology has become to our military and to 
our Nation. Bill was at the forefront of many other technology 
breakthroughs as well that today give America's forces the ability to 
dominate any potential adversary on the field of battle.
  But I think crowning achievement came in quite a different arena than 
the scientific laboratories and high technology factories of this 
country. Beginning on ``day one'' of his tenure as Secretary of 
Defense, Bill Perry became a tireless advocate for the people who are 
the heart and soul of America's military might. He has led the fight 
for better pay, better housing, better health care, decent retirement 
benefits, and maintaining the highest standard of training for our men 
and women in uniform. This is not cheap and it is certainly not easy to 
accomplish given the competition we have for limited funds in a 
declining defense budget.
  But Bill Perry has been true to the principle he so often recites: 
``Take care of the troops, and they will take care of you.'' Bill 
understands the lesson history tries to teach us again and again, but 
some never learn. That is, you can have the best military equipment in 
the world, but if you don't have well trained and well motivated people 
to operate that equipment, you don't have much. During his tenure Bill 
Perry put the men and women in

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uniform first, and those men and women have taken care of this country.
  Over the years, some who don't know Bill well have misunderstood his 
quiet and studious manner to mean that he might waver on certain 
issues. Nothing could be further from the truth. Bill has been a rock 
when it came to fighting for this administration's core defense 
policies. After 3 years of holding the reins at the Pentagon, he has 
left no doubt in anyone's mind that the readiness of our forces and the 
qualify of life for the men and women who serve would come first, and 
he followed through on those convictions. For this I salute him.
  Secretary Perry has had other important achievements as well. I know 
he is especially proud of his efforts to reduce the nuclear danger, 
particularly in Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, and Kazakhstan. Under 
Secretary Perry's steady hand, the sometimes foundering Cooperative 
Threat Program got off the ground to help these countries destroy over 
4,000 nuclear warheads aimed at the United States and dismantle more 
than 800 bombers and ballistic missile launchers. This program also has 
been instrumental in helping the former Soviet nuclear states put 
tighter controls on nuclear materials such as highly enriched uranium 
to keep them from finding their way into the global marketplace.

  These are real, measurable national security accomplishments that 
have made the world safer, and Bill Perry deserves to be proud of his 
record.
  Mr. Speaker, Bill Perry made a difference throughout his many years 
of service to our country. On behalf of the Congress, and on behalf of 
the citizens of our great Nation I want to say to Bill and his family: 
``Thank you for a job well done, and Godspeed''.
  The most suitable closing to this tribute I can think of is in Bill's 
own words. I ask unanimous consent to enter into the Record Secretary 
Perry's farewell address delivered at Ft. Myer on January 14, 1997. His 
words are eloquent and poignant.

   William J. Perry, Secretary of Defense Farewell Address-Ft. Myer, 
                            January 14, 1997

     I shall be telling this with a sigh.
     Somewhere ages and ages hence.
     Two roads diverged in a wood, and I--
     I took the one less traveled by.
     And that has made all the difference.
                                                    --Robert Frost
       Four years ago, America faced a choice; a choice between 
     two roads that diverged. One road led to isolation and 
     apathy, the other road, to engagement and action. This 
     century has taught us that the road of isolation and apathy 
     leads to instability and war.
       President Clinton chose the road of engagement and action. 
     He strove to bridge the Cold War chasms; to reduce its 
     nuclear legacy; to reach out to former adversaries, to 
     prevent the conditions for conflict, and to create the 
     conditions for peace. And that, as Robert Frost has said, has 
     made all the difference.
       It has made all the difference in Europe, where, by 
     establishing the Partnership for Peace we have replaced an 
     Iron Curtain which divided the nations of Europe with a 
     circle of security which brings them together.
       It has made all the difference in our own hemisphere, where 
     all nations, save one, have chosen democracy, and by 
     establishing the Defense Ministerial of Americas we have 
     forged new links of trust and cooperation.
       It has made all the difference in the Asia Pacific, where 
     by establishing a Framework Agreement we froze the North 
     Korean nuclear program and prevented a nuclear arms race; and 
     where, by strengthening the Security Agreement with Japan, we 
     have ensured America's security presence--the oxygen that 
     fuels the region's prosperity.
       Choosing the right road has made all the difference around 
     the world. By executing the Nunn-Lugar program, we have 
     dismantled 4,000 nuclear weapons that once targeted America's 
     cities. Today, the threat of nuclear holocaust no longer 
     hangs like a dark cloud over the heads of our children.
       Four years ago, the Department of Defense faced a choice. 
     One road was well-traveled and easy to follow, but it would 
     have allowed our forces to atrophy as we completed the post-
     Cold War draw down. The other road was less traveled by, 
     twisting and bumpy with hard choices--hard choices to ensure 
     that we had strong capable military forces ready to respond 
     in a world of new dangers.
       Twice before in this century when faced with that same 
     choice, we chose the well-traveled road of neglect. And we 
     paid the price--in Korea with Task Force Smith, and after 
     Vietnam with a Hollow Army. This time we chose the road less-
     traveled by--the road of readiness. We established training 
     as our highest priority. Training designed to make the 
     scrimmage tougher than the game. We established the iron 
     logic that quality of life for our forces meant quality 
     people in our forces. We reformed our acquisition system to 
     give our quality people the most effective technology. 
     Technology that enables them to dominate the battlefield; 
     to win quickly, decisively, and with minimum losses. And 
     that has made all the difference.
       It made all the difference wherever we sent our forces to 
     prevent, deter, or defeat aggression. In Haiti, where we 
     restored democracy. In the Arabian Gulf, where we contained a 
     brutal dictator. In the Korean Peninsula, where we stood firm 
     with an ally. In Bosnia, where we have stopped the killing 
     and brought to a war-ravaged people the blessings of peace. 
     The readiness road ensured the success of each of these 
     missions. Readiness made all the difference.
       Four years ago, I faced a personal choice between a well-
     traveled road to a quieter life, centered around family and 
     friends; and a less-traveled road that led to turmoil, 
     tension, and tough decisions. But it also led to an 
     opportunity to serve our nation, to support the troops I 
     cared for, and to achieve the dreams I cherished.
       I thought long and hard upon that choice and took counsel 
     from sage friends. I questioned my wisdom, my patience and my 
     ability to endure. But the courage to meet the test came from 
     the advice of a tough sergeant major: ``Take care of the 
     troops,'' he said, ``and they will take care of you.''
       I have followed that advice, and that, for me, has made all 
     the difference.
       It made all the difference every time I advised the 
     President on when and how to use military force. It made all 
     the difference when I negotiated with ministerial colleagues, 
     when I met with Presidents and Kings. It made all the 
     difference when I decided on force levels, mission goals and 
     rules of engagement every time we put our troops in harm's 
     way. It made all the difference when I met with soldiers, 
     Sailors, airmen and Marines, in distant lands, on domestic 
     bases, on training fields, ships at sea in cargo planes, or 
     fighter jets. It made all the difference when I shared 
     Thanksgiving meals with them in Haiti, in Macedonia, in 
     Bosnia.
       That advice--``Take care of the troops, and they will take 
     care of you''--has made all the difference as I learned from 
     my mistakes, as I took pride in my achievements.
       Today I say farewell to the President who honored me by 
     asking me to serve as Secretary. I say farewell to my 
     colleagues in the administration who worked with me to 
     achieve common goals. I say farewell to my friends in the 
     media, and in the Congress, and to the wonderful friends I 
     have made in the embassies.
       And I say farewell to our military leaders who have served 
     our country so brilliantly. They have prepared our forces for 
     war, but they are dedicated to peace. Elie Wiesel has said, 
     ``Peace is not God's gift to mankind. It is our gift to each 
     other.'' And for the last four years peace is the gift we 
     have given the American people.
       But the hardest farewell to say is to the troops who have 
     served me and whom I have served. Words cannot adequately 
     describe my pride in you. So my farewell to you is a simple 
     benefiction:

     May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord cause His 
           face to shine upon you, and give you peace.

                          ____________________