[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 147 (Tuesday, October 28, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Pages S11288-S11289]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[[Page S11288]]
                  RETIREMENT OF GENERAL SHALIKASHVILI

  Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, on September 30, our Nation witnessed a 
changing of the guard with the retirement of the Chairman of the Joint 
Chiefs of Staff, Gen. John Shalikashvili.
  General Shali, as he is affectionately known, served this country 
with honor and distinction for 39 years, rising from the rank of 
private to the top military post in our Nation, a record that will 
inspire the next generation.
  For the past 4 years, as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, he has been 
the principal military adviser to the President of the United States 
and the Secretary of Defense during a period when we witnessed a 
proliferation of new and unknown threats throughout the world.
  Those in the Senate who have had the privilege of working closely 
with him during these years of new challenge will always remember and 
admire his honesty, his sound judgment, and--most importantly--his 
concern for the men and women of our Armed Forces and their families.
  During the traditional farewell ceremony at Fort Myer, General Shali 
was honored with the award of the Medal of Freedom and the earned 
recognition of President Clinton and Secretary of Defense Cohen. I ask 
unanimous consent that the speeches of Secretary Cohen and President 
Clinton from General Shali's farewell ceremony be printed in the 
Record.
  There being no objection, the speeches were ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

    Remarks of William Cohen, U.S. Secretary of Defense at Farewell 
   Ceremony for Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff, September 30, 1997

       Secretary Cohen: Mr. President, Mrs. Clinton, Vice 
     President Gore and Mrs. Gore, Secretary Albright, General 
     McCaffrey, members of Congress, the service secretaries and 
     service chiefs and combatant commanders and spouses, foreign 
     dignitaries and honored guests. Let me pay particular note of 
     former secretary of defense, Bill Perry and Lee, and also 
     former deputy secretary John White and Betty.
       Welcome, all of you, and thank you for joining Janet and me 
     in paying tribute to two very special people, John 
     Shalikashvili and his wife, Joan.
       Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes said, alas, gentlemen, that 
     is life. We cannot live our dreams. We're lucky enough if we 
     can give a sample of our best, and if in our hearts we can 
     feel it's been nobly done.
       Well today, we express our gratitude to a man who has given 
     more than a sample of his best, he's also lived his dreams. 
     His dreams have taken him from the streets of Warsaw that he 
     knew as a child to the corridors of Washington he has walked 
     as chairman, and none of us know how much of our lives are 
     determined by chance or choice or by the guiding hand of 
     providence.
       And John Shalikashvili, we only know that he has stood at 
     the crossroads of key moments of history. He was there, a boy 
     of three, when Hitler's tanks rolled into Poland from the 
     west. He was there, a boy of eight, when Stalin's columns 
     rolled in from the east. He was there with his family, 
     fleeing to Germany when he first met the American forces 
     that he would one day come to command.
       He was there on the free side of Berlin, the Berlin Wall, 
     when George Marshall built a bridge of help and hope across 
     the Atlantic. Well, John and his family crossed the bridge to 
     a place called Peoria, in the heart of America, and John took 
     America to heart.
       To learn the language, he turned to a legend, John Wayne. 
     Imagine this teenage boy in terms of what he saw in those 
     early movies. Perhaps a calling in ``The Sands Of Iwo Jima,'' 
     perhaps the courage of ``The Rider Of Destiny,'' perhaps the 
     character of ``The Quiet Man,'' whose words speak volumes.
       Well, this boy grew into a man who would create his own 
     legend. A man of great heart, and yes, true grit. When the 
     times called for bravery and boldness in Vietnam, Major Shali 
     was there leading his comrades against the Viet Cong, winning 
     the bronze star for valor.
       When the times called for a firm hand with a human touch to 
     help the Kurds of Iraq, General Shali was there providing 
     comfort and compassion to the sick and to the suffering. When 
     the times called for a new supreme allied commander in Europe 
     with a touch and toughness of a warrior diplomat, General 
     Shali was there reshaping the alliance to meet the demands of 
     a new era.
       And then the times called for a new chairman of the joint 
     chiefs of staff, a chairman who could marshal our forces and 
     harness them wisely in a brave new world of great expectation 
     and uneasy peace. And President Clinton wisely chose General 
     Shali, the right man for our time, but also a man with the 
     timeless qualities of military leadership set forth by the 
     first chairman, Omar Bradley.
       The qualities of firmness, not harshness; understanding, 
     not weakness; humanness, not intolerance; generosity, not 
     selfishness; pride, not egotism.
       Bradley's litany of leadership can be seen shining in 
     Shali's eyes, etched in his brow and painted in the ribbons 
     that brighten his chest and tell his epic story.
       Dwight Eisenhower once warned General Bradley that being 
     chairman was the hardest job in Washington.
       Mr. President, I'm not sure whether Eisenhower issued that 
     warning before or after he became president. But surely, it 
     has remained one of the hardest jobs in Washington. And for 
     Chairman Shali in his time it was the job of building a 
     military force that was both smaller and better that would 
     remain the best trained, the best led, the best equipped 
     force in the world. It was a job of responding to threats 
     while shaping the world for the better; bringing more 
     democracy to more nations, more stability to more regions, 
     and thus, more security to our nation.
       And the service of John Shalikashvili in the cause of 
     freedom has come full circle. The boy who fled his home of 
     Poland for freedom is helping to welcome Poland back home 
     into the family of free nations. Something that has made the 
     job a little less difficult has been the helping hand, the 
     wise counsel and yes, the deep friendship of the vice 
     chairman of the joint chiefs, General Joe Ralston.
       The president, General Shali and I rely upon Joe Ralston on 
     a daily basis. And our nation is safer and more secure 
     because of his devotion to duty.
       And another person serving at Shali's side is a hero, as we 
     have indicated, in her own right, Joan Shalikashvili.
       If being chairman of the joint chiefs is the hardest job in 
     Washington, then being married to him has to be the second 
     hardest. And Joan--through 31 years of love and dedication 
     you two have been there for our troops and their families. No 
     ship has been too far, no base too remote, no soldier too 
     junior than devoting your life to the quality of their lives.
       And so, for the miles that you've traveled and the lives 
     you've touched, we are all profoundly grateful.
       On the wall in my office hangs a portrait of Joshua 
     Chamberlain who fought in the Civil War with legendary 
     gallantry and generosity of heart. Chamberlain once spoke of 
     developing the kind of character which allows ordinary people 
     to become extraordinary or heroic. He said, we know not of 
     the future and cannot plan for it much. But we can hold our 
     spirits and our bodies so pure and so high, we may cherish 
     such thoughts and such ideals and dream such dreams of lofty 
     purpose that we can determine and know what manner of men we 
     will be whenever and wherever the hour strikes that calls us 
     to noble action.
       General Shali, long after the sound of those cannons and 
     the celebration of this day have faded, you can take comfort 
     in knowing that as a result of who you are and what you've 
     given and what all of us have received, that whenever and 
     wherever the hour strikes that calls us to noble action, the 
     men and women of America's military, following your example, 
     will always be there. And they too will give a sample of 
     their best. And like you, they will know in their hearts it's 
     been nobly done.
       Thank you.
       (Applause)
                                                                    ____


Remarks of President Clinton at Farewell Ceremony for Chairman of Joint 
                  Chiefs of Staff, September 30, 1997

       President Clinton. Mr. Vice President, Secretary Cohen, 
     Secretary Albright, Secretary Gober, National Security 
     Adviser Berger, Director Tenet, General McCaffrey, to the 
     service secretaries, the joint chiefs, the unified commanders 
     in chief, the members of Congress, the members of our armed 
     forces, to all the friends of General Shalikashvili who are 
     here today, including former Secretary Perry, former chairmen 
     and members of the joint chiefs, former officials of the 
     Department of Defense, we all come together in grateful 
     tribute to John and Joan Shalikashvili.
       This is, frankly, a bittersweet day for me. I am full of 
     pride but also some regret. For the last four years I have 
     counted on Shali for his wisdom, his counsel, his leadership. 
     He has become an exceptional adviser and a good friend, 
     someone I knew I could always depend upon when the lives of 
     our troops or the interests of America were on the line, and 
     I will miss him very much.
       General Shali is a great American with a great American 
     story. A childhood seared by war, he has given his life to 
     the cause of peace.
       From an immigrant learning English, he has become the 
     shining symbol of what America is all about. He's never 
     forgotten what his country gave him nor has ever stopped 
     giving back to it. His service to our nation spanning 39 
     years rises from the ranks of Army private to the highest 
     military officer in the land.
       Of course, the road even for him has not always been 
     smooth. I am told that after a grueling first day at Officer 
     Candidate School, Private John Shali sneaked out of his 
     barracks looking for a place to resign. Our nation can be 
     very grateful that probably for the only time in his entire 
     career, he failed in his mission.
       I am convinced that when future students look back upon 
     this time, they will rank John Shalikashvili as among the 
     greatest chairmen of the joint chiefs of staff America ever 
     had.

[[Page S11289]]

       Greatness is something that cannot be bestowed like a 
     medal, a ribbon, a star. It cannot be taught or bought. It 
     comes in the end only from within. General Shali has said 
     that the three indispensable traits of a great leader are 
     confidence, care and character. He ought to know. He embodies 
     them.
       His confidence shines in a sterling record of innovation 
     and achievement--managing the downsizing of our forces while 
     upgrading their capability and readiness; upholding the most 
     rigorous standards for the use of those forces in the world 
     where threats to our survival have faded, but threats to our 
     interests and values have not; dramatically improving joint 
     doctrine and training and taking joint planning far into the 
     future for the very first time; and of course, helping bring 
     Europe together at last in liberty, democracy and peace.
       One of the proudest moments of my presidency was standing 
     with Shali in Warsaw as we celebrated NATO's enlargement and 
     welcomed the people of his original homeland back home to the 
     family of freedom.
       And if the baseline measure of a chairman's competence is 
     successful military operations, Shali has filled a resume 
     that would turn others all a drab with envy.
       In the last four years, our troops have been tested in more 
     than 40 operations. From Bosnia to Haiti, the Taiwan straits, 
     Iraq, Rawanda, Liberia and more, our armed forces have 
     performed superbly with Shali at the helm.
       Our troops trust him because they know him, how much he 
     cares for them. They have seen that caring in his constant 
     contact with our service men and women; in the way he warms 
     their hearts with his pride in them; and the humility, the 
     honesty, the graciousness, the respect he always shows to 
     others; in the wonderful way he listens--even to bearers of 
     bad news.
       Our troops know that he never expects their gratitude or 
     applause, but he does want to sharpen their capabilities, 
     improve their welfare and lift their morale, and in his most 
     important duty, to make sure that whenever they go into 
     danger, the planning is superb, the risks are minimized, and 
     every reasonable measure is taken to ensure their success and 
     safe return.
       For Shali, caring transcends our obligations even to one 
     another. He believes in America's unique ability to help 
     others around the world, sheltering freedom, defending 
     democracy, relieving fear and despair.
       He knows that what sets our troops apart is not just their 
     courage, strength and skill, but also the ideal they serve, 
     the hope they inspire, the spirit they represent.
       As some may recall, during the crisis in Haiti, Shali 
     visited with refugees in the camps observing and listening 
     with quiet understanding, the quiet understanding of one who 
     had also been in that position. And he ordered improvements 
     to make those camps as comfortable as possible, to alleviate 
     boredom and brighten hopes and bring toys to the children at 
     Christmas.
       That story also reveals something about his character, a 
     clear sense of what is right and wrong, a man who's 
     conscience is always his guide.
       I'll miss a lot of things about Shali, but perhaps most of 
     all, I'll miss the integrity he always displayed in being my 
     closest military adviser.
       In every conversation we have ever had, he never minced 
     words, he never postured or pulled punches, he never shied 
     away from tough issues or tough calls. And most important, he 
     never shied away from doing what he believed was the right 
     thing.
       On more than one occasion, many more than one occasion, he 
     looked at me. I could see the pain in his eyes that he 
     couldn't tell me what I wanted to hear and what he wished he 
     could say. But with a clear and firm voice and a direct 
     piercing gaze, he always told me exactly what he thought the 
     truth was.
       No president could ever ask for more.
       Shali has had the support of a proud and dedicated family.
       His son, Brandt; his brother, himself a distinguished green 
     beret veteran; his sister; and of course, there are his dogs. 
     I understand that they are the only living creatures who have 
     never obeyed his orders.
       And most importantly, there is Joan. Joan, you have been a 
     terrific support for our men and women in uniform.
       They know you are always looking out for them and their 
     families, from around the corner to around the world. You 
     were the chairman's personal inspector general. When it came 
     to how families are cared for, no one had more commitment, a 
     better eye or a bigger heart, and we thank you.
       General, very soon now, you and Joan will be settling into 
     your new home in Washington State. You can tuck your uniform 
     into a drawer. You can carry an umbrella. You can even grow a 
     beard.
       Maybe you'll actually even open that hardware store you'd 
     been talking about. I don't know if you know the first thing 
     about power tools or mixing paint, but the brand you have to 
     offer is the top of the line.
       Our nation is safer. Our armed forces are stronger, and our 
     world is a better place because of your service. Thank you 
     for all you have done.
       God bless you, and Godspeed.

                          ____________________