[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 97 (Thursday, July 10, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Page S7207]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     RETIREMENT OF BRIGADIER GENERAL DAVID ``BULL'' E. BAKER, USAF

  Mr. McCAIN. Mr. President, ``Patriot'' is a word best grasped through 
example: a life lived or service rendered in defense of our country's 
interests and values. I rise today to recognize an Air Force officer 
whose service to this nation offers us a splendid example of 
patriotism.
  Brigadier General David ``Bull'' E. Baker will soon retire from the 
U.S. Air Force. Duty and sacrifice have been the standards of an 
exemplary career that has bridged our Nation's most recent conflicts. 
Bull Baker flew for his country in the skies over Southeast Asia, 
northern Europe and Iraq. Over Cambodia his OV-2A was shot down and he 
was held a prisoner of war by the Viet Cong. In February 1973, General 
Baker became the only United States Air Force prisoner repatriated from 
Cambodia.
  By all accounts, Bull Baker is an exceptional pilot. He was one of 
the first F-15 Eagle pilots as well as the flight commander for the Air 
Force's first female jet pilots. During Operation Desert Storm, General 
Baker flew 21 combat missions in the F-15E Strike Eagle.
  This experience as a pilot and a commander has helped him excel in 
his current position. As the National Reconnaissance Office's Deputy 
Director for Military Support, General Baker ensures that our 
intelligence satellites are there to support military commanders. Some 
4,000 flying hours and the force of his personality have proven far 
more formidable than any bureaucratic obstacle, and he has been able to 
provide our warfighters a unilateral advantage through timely, critical 
intelligence. Our military forces' ability to successfully execute 
complex, simultaneous operations from Bosnia, to the Middle East, and 
to the west coast of Africa is a testament to General Baker's ability 
and dedication.
  In Bull Baker's career and accomplishments, a word overshadows a 
thousand pictures. He has placed integrity first, offered service 
before self, and excelled in all he was called to do. I ask my 
colleagues to join me in recognizing a patriot.

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