[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 80 (Tuesday, June 10, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5438-S5439]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      TRIBUTE TO SENATOR THURMOND

  Mr. COVERDELL. Mr. President, it is with great pleasure I come to the 
floor today to speak about a distinguished colleague and dear personal 
friend, Senator Strom Thurmond. I, like so many American citizens, have 
admired the senior Senator from South Carolina for his outstanding 
service to the United States in this chamber, and for the life he has 
lived through military service in World War II to his years of 
teaching, coaching, and practicing law in the Palmetto State.
  The accomplishments and achievements which have been a part of 
Senator Thurmond's life are truly outstanding. Accordingly, his reach 
across this country, particularly the Southeast, is remarkable. One can 
go to the Georgia/South Carolina border, traveling along Interstate 20 
to Florence, SC, and be driving on the Strom Thurmond Highway. Or one 
can take a stroll through the U.S. Capitol and walk into the beautiful 
Strom Thurmond room, so designated in 1991. These are just two of the 
many facilities named for the distinguished Senator because of his 
courage and patriotism. He has set a fine example for all Americans--
from the students he taught from 1923-28 in Edgefield, McCormick, and 
Ridge Spring, SC, to the pages, interns, and staffers to whom he has 
been so gracious, friendly, and helpful since his arrival in the Senate 
in 1954.
  Senator Thurmond has served diligently on the Armed Services, 
Judiciary, and Veterans' Affairs Committees. He has not only been a 
champion for his State, supporting such vital missions as those 
performed at the Savannah River site, but also a leader on security 
issues for our Nation as a whole. There is no question that his 
knowledge, understanding, and expertise in military affairs and foreign 
policy has strengthened our national security and helped to maintain 
the status of the United States as the world's preeminent military and 
economic power.
  As a soldier, the Senator's record was no less impressive. In World 
War II, Senator Thurmond volunteered for active service on the day we 
declared war and flew his glider behind enemy lines during the D-day 
invasion with the 82d Airborne Division.
  Following these heroics, he was awarded 18 decorations, including the 
Purple Heart, Bronze Star for Valor, and the Legion of Merit with Oak 
Leaf Cluster. His military service continued as he was promoted to 
major general in the U.S. Army Reserve in 1959. This is where he 
continued to serve in distinguished fashion for the next 36 years.
  With the rest of his military and political career well documented 
and chronicled on the floor by my colleagues, I would just like to 
close now

[[Page S5439]]

by saying thank you to Senator Thurmond, as a citizen of the United 
States of America and as a colleague in the Senate. I am honored that I 
can say I served with you and called you my friend. Moreover, I know 
that many Americans will join me in commemorating the enduring record 
you have set and legacy you will leave for future generations.

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