[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 25 (Wednesday, March 8, 2000)]
[Senate]
[Page S1310]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       TRIBUTE TO CHESTER M. LEE

 Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to a 
truly incredible American and resident of McLean, Virginia for the past 
35 years, who has passed from this world.
  Chester M. Lee--known as ``Chet'' to family and friends--was born on 
April 6, 1919. After graduating from the U.S. Naval Academy Class of 
1942, Chet Lee went directly into service in World War II. Chet was 
involved in a number of battle engagements during World War II and 
survived a Japanese kamikaze attack on his ship, the USS Drexler, off 
the coast of Okinawa in 1945. Chet Lee spent 24 years in the U.S. Navy, 
serving his country with great honor both in and out of battle. Chet 
helped pioneer the Navy's use of ship radar, was instrumental in 
development and testing of the POLARIS missile program, and commanded 
two Navy destroyers and an entire destroyer division. Chet Lee moved to 
Northern Virginia in 1964 to serve the Secretary of Defense at the 
Pentagon and achieved the rank of Captain before retiring from the Navy 
in 1965. He continued to be affectionately referred to by Navy and non-
Navy colleagues as ``Captain Lee,'' and remained an avid Navy football 
fan throughout his life!
  In 1965, Captain Lee requested to be retired from active duty in 
order to answer the call at the National Aeronautics and Space Agency, 
which was deeply involved in the Cold War space race. At NASA, Chet 
spent 23 years providing instrumental leadership during our nation's 
most exciting and pivotal space years. Captain Lee served as Assistant 
Mission Director for Apollo Missions 1 to 11 and then Mission Director 
for Apollo Moon Missions 12 to 17. He was Director for the Apollo/Soyuz 
space-docking mission, perhaps one of the most significant precursor 
events to the melting of Cold War barriers between the U.S. and then-
Soviet Union. Captain Lee's impressive NASA career continued as he 
played an integral role in the development, operation and payload 
management for the U.S. Space Shuttle program.
  In 1987, Chet Lee continued advancing U.S. aerospace leadership in 
the private sector, joining SPACEHAB Inc., a company dedicated to 
pioneering U.S. space commerce. He ascended to the position of 
President and Chief Operating Officer in 1996. Chet was instrumental in 
guiding the company's participation in the joint U.S.-Russian Shuttle-
Mir program, and his tenure at SPACEHAB included 13 Space Shuttle 
missions, including the mission that returned Senator John Glenn to 
space. Captain Lee became Chairman of SPACEHAB's Astrotech commercial 
satellite processing subsidiary in 1998 and served on SPACEHAB's Board 
of Directors. At the age of 80, Chet Lee continued to work full-time on 
SPACEHAB and Astrotech projects up to his last days here on Earth.
  Chet Lee was a tireless public servant, a devoted husband, father and 
grandfather and mentor to countless in the aerospace community. I am 
proud to have had Chet as a constituent, and my blessings go out to his 
family and friends during this time of mourning. I ask my colleagues to 
pay tribute today to Captain Lee's memory and to honor him for his 
contributions to this great country.

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