[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 69 (Thursday, May 13, 1999)]
[Senate]
[Page S5259]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            THE PASSING OF REAR ADMIRAL JAMES ``BUD'' NANCE

  Mr. THURMOND. Mr. President, Admiral Bud Nance, the Staff Director of 
the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, passed away earlier this week 
and I rise to pay tribute to him and the service he rendered the 
nation.
  Few others amassed the impressive record of public service that Bud 
did. He served the United States during times of war and during times 
of peace, and none can challenge that he was a man who loved the nation 
and who worked to protect her interests, security, and most 
importantly, citizens.
  Born 77-years-ago in the ``Tarheel State'', Bud Nance became involved 
in public service at an early age, attending and graduating from the 
United States Naval Academy. It was 1944 when Bud Nance became an 
ensign, and World War II was still a year away from ending, so the 
young officer was posted to the Battleship North Carolina where he 
began what was to be a long and illustrious career. Though many would 
point to his achieving the rank of Rear Admiral as a demonstration of 
his abilities as an officer, I would counter that it was his command of 
the aircraft carrier USS Forrestal that serves as the best illustration 
of his professionalism and abilities as a sailor and leader. Simply 
put, there are few more coveted or more selectively assigned duties 
than that of captain of a carrier.
  I am sure that when Bud stowed his seabag at the end of his final 
tour and retired from the Navy, he thought his days of hard work, low 
pay, and government service were behind him. Nothing could be further 
from the truth. As is common with all those who enter public service, 
even more so with the World War II generation, devotion to duty and a 
desire to make a difference was at the core of what made Bud Nance 
``tick''. I doubt that he hesitated for a moment when Senator Helms 
called him in 1991 and asked him to become the ``skipper'' of the 
Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
  For the past eight-years, Bud Nance has worked tirelessly to promote 
American foreign policy and he made many important and significant 
contributions to international relations during his tenure as the staff 
director of the Foreign Relations Committee. Bud, more than most, 
understood that the policy and directives that emanate from Congress 
can have a powerful impact on the world beyond the Beltway. He knew 
from firsthand experience that there is a tremendous difference in how 
the world looks from the Senate Chamber and a foxhole in some remote 
part of the world. The advice and guidance that Bud gave Senator Helms 
and other members of the Foreign Relations Committee was based on a 
lifetime of experience and a world view that was unique and insightful.
  Bud leaves behind many who cared for and admired this man, not the 
least of whom is his widow, Mary. I know that each of us sends our 
deepest condolences to her, as well as the children and grandchildren 
of the Nances, for their loss.
  Mr. President, with the passing of Admiral Bud Nance, the Senate has 
lost a dedicated and selfless staffer, the nation has lost a true 
patriot, and many of us--especially Jesse Helms--have lost a good 
friend. I join my friend from North Carolina in mourning this man, and 
I wish Admiral James ``Bud'' Nance fair winds and following seas on his 
final voyage.

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