[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 77 (Wednesday, June 6, 2001)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1022-E1023]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           COMMENCEMENT ADDRESS AT WENTWORTH MILITARY ACADEMY

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. IKE SKELTON

                              of missouri

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 6, 2001

  Mr. SKELTON. Mr. Speaker, I had the privilege to give the 
commencement address at Wentworth Military Academy on May 19, 2001. As 
a graduate of Wentworth and a lifelong resident of Lexington, Missouri, 
Wentworth's home, it was a distinct honor. Accompanying me was General 
John Abrams, Commanding General at United States Army TRADOC, who 
commissioned 14 Second Lieutenants. My speech to that group is set 
forth as follows:

       First, let me thank General John Abrams for being with us 
     today. His participation in this event marks this as an 
     historic moment for Wentworth, but more importantly honors 
     the 14 new Army second lieutenants. This day will be a 
     treasured memory for all of us for years to come, and we are 
     truly grateful for General and Mrs. Abrams' presence this 
     morning. Thank you.
       Whenever I come to the Wentworth campus, my alma mater, 
     memories of yesteryear flood my mind--rounding the far corner 
     of the cinder track, the staccato history lectures of Captain 
     Bob Heppler, standing in formation with my fellow cadets, and 
     reading the inscription on the Administration Building--
     ``Achieve the Honorable''--and wondering what in the world it 
     meant.
       But as Kipling wrote, that was ``long ago and fer away.''
       I am honored to have the opportunity to speak at today's 
     ceremonies, but I have to confess that a graduation speech is 
     a difficult assignment. With all of the excitement, and with 
     the pride of individual and class-wide achievement that 
     surrounds graduation day, few can be expected to remember 
     what the speaker had to say. But I am not going to let that 
     prevent me from sharing a few words of wisdom that have meant 
     something to me and I hope will give you something to think 
     about as you leave here and move into the next adventure of 
     your lives.
       Graduation day celebrates the steps each of you have 
     completed to prepare for the future. It is a day to look 
     forward. I can remember when I was in school, a guest speaker 
     at an assembly told the students, ``you are the leaders of 
     tomorrow.'' At that point in my life, it was very easy to 
     shrug off that statement. It's hard to imagine your buddies 
     grown up and raising families, operating their own 
     businesses, participating in civic life, leading a platoon of 
     soldiers, or running for political office. But somehow it 
     happens. Today, with your degree, you are on the brink of 
     that tomorrow, and people will be looking to you for 
     leadership.
       Some time ago, I hosted a small breakfast for the famous 
     historian and author Stephen Ambrose. You will recall that he 
     wrote the books, D-Day, Citizen Soldier, and a book entitled 
     Undaunted Courage, which details the saga of Lewis and Clark, 
     who traversed the continent from 1804 to 1806.
       That morning, I asked Professor Ambrose what it was that 
     made America so great and so different. I was expecting his 
     answer to be something along the lines of America's frontier 
     westward movement, or our abundance of natural resources, or 
     our great diversity of people. But this was his answer.
       ``Look at Russia. Russia has more natural resources than 
     all of North America. Russia has a hearty workforce. But 
     Russia did not have a George Washington, a John Adams, a 
     Thomas Jefferson, or a James Madison, all of whom established 
     our American values.''
       So what makes America so different and so great? Our 
     values. We have been uncommonly blessed with leaders whose 
     vision has allowed America to grow and prosper for over 200 
     years. The democratic system of government that our Founding 
     Fathers set into motion has served us very well.
       It is a common creed, not common ancestral roots, which 
     binds us together as a nation. These are lasting values. They 
     do not change. These are values that were instilled in me 
     growing up in Lexington and during my time at Wentworth.
       As we approached the year 2000, a great deal of attention 
     focused on millennium celebrations all over the world. Any 
     time we

[[Page E1023]]

     begin a new century, people tend to look back nostalgically, 
     examining what life was like in the good old days. In America 
     at the turn of the last century, only one out of seven homes 
     had a bathtub, one in thirteen had a telephone. Today, every 
     home not only has a telephone, but also more than two 
     televisions per household. Undeniably, the technology that we 
     use in our everyday lives has changed a great deal over the 
     last hundred years, but I believe that the values we hold 
     dear remain constant.
       This fact was reinforced for me when I recently re-read a 
     copy of the graduation address to the Wentworth Military 
     Academy graduates of 1900. The speech was given by a then 
     prominent young Lexington lawyer, Horace Blackwell, a 
     graduate of Wentworth High School ten years earlier, a member 
     of the Class of 1890. As you may know, the junior college was 
     not added to Wentworth until 1923. From reading the speech I 
     was reminded of Mr. Blackwell's enormous talent as an orator.
       I knew Mr. Blackwell. He was successful in his profession 
     and a leader in his church and in civil affairs. He signed my 
     application to become a member of the Missouri Bar, and I was 
     a pall bearer at his funeral in 1956. I can still visualize 
     him, early in the morning at the barber shop for his daily 
     shave, wearing his black suit, his celluloid collar, and his 
     maroon bow tie.
       In Mr. Blackwell's address on that June day over one 
     hundred years ago, he advised the graduates to adopt two 
     American values that have stood the test of time and are 
     still important to us.
       The first was ``be courageous.''
       The dictionary defines courage as ``the state or quality of 
     mind or spirit that enables one to face danger with self-
     possession, confidence, and resolution; bravery.''
       Horace Blackwell said that being courageous ``is half the 
     battle.'' This institution has produced many so filled with 
     courage. From the Wentworth ranks we can find a Medal of 
     Honor recipient as well as a four-star general.
       The cornerstone of our country has been courage: Those who 
     sailed from Europe and landed at Plymouth Rock, those who 
     established the colonies, those who fought in our revolution, 
     those who moved west into the uncertainties and dangers of 
     the wilderness, those inventors and industrialists who did 
     not have the word ``can't'' in their vocabularies, those who 
     fought at Chateau Thierry, like Wentworth's late Colonel J.M. 
     Sellers Sr., in the First World War, those who stormed the 
     beaches of Normandy and Tarawa in the Second World War, those 
     who fought the spread of communism in Korea, those who braved 
     the jungles of Vietnam, those who fought the Iraqi Army just 
     ten years ago.
       The other value Horace Blackwell charged the graduates to 
     adopt was to ``be industrious''. Blackwell stressed the 
     importance of hard work, work that involves not only the body 
     but also the brain. The steady industriousness of the 
     American people has led our nation to become the bastion of 
     freedom in this world and the greatest civilization ever 
     known.
       Some students think that once they leave school, there will 
     be no more reading assignments. That's not true in my office. 
     In fact, when new staffers come to work for me, a story 
     entitled ``A Message to Garcia'' is required reading. This 
     story tells the tale of a fellow named Rowan. During the 
     Spanish American War, Rowan was asked by President McKinley 
     to take a message to an insurgent leader in Cuba named 
     Garcia. Nobody knew where in the wilderness Garcia was 
     hiding, no mail or telegraph message could reach him. But 
     Rowan took the letter, and without complaint, without asking 
     how or why, embraced his assignment and set out to find 
     Garcia, which he did.
       The story says that it isn't so much book-learning that 
     young people need, but a ``stiffening of the vertebrae which 
     will cause them to be loyal to a trust, to act promptly, to 
     concentrate their energies: do the thing-- `Carry a message 
     to Garcia!''' This persistence and industriousness will take 
     a person far in life.
       It is interesting to note that Horace Blackwell's lessons 
     on being courageous and being industrious were not lost on 
     his two sons. Both became prominent attorneys in Kansas City, 
     one of them becoming the President of the Missouri Bar 
     Association and the other a recipient of the Silver Star in 
     World War II. Both sons were junior college graduates of this 
     school.
       In addition to Mr. Blackwell's counsel which I pass along 
     to you, a new generation, I would like to give you a few more 
     words of advice.
       My friend, the late Congressman Fred Schwengel, told me 
     about meeting then-Senator Harry S Truman in 1935 while 
     Schwengel was a college student in Missouri. Truman advised 
     him that to be a good American, ``. . . you should know your 
     history.''
       Knowing the lessons of history will serve you well, just as 
     it did for Truman during his Presidency. At the end of the 
     day, we as Americans must face stark realities. The world is 
     far more dangerous than ever before. The end of the Cold War 
     has fostered instability in regions heretofore unheard of. 
     American diplomacy and the military will be called upon to 
     keep the peace, settle disputes, and defend our interests. 
     Americans will be challenged to the best that is in us.
       But America needs more than military might and diplomats. 
     America needs strength on the home front. Strength of 
     character, strength in civic affairs, and strong communities. 
     The core of America--its heart and soul--needs to be just as 
     courageous and industrious as those on the front lines of 
     international affairs. America must fulfill its potential to 
     be a great civilization that is respected by the peoples of 
     all countries.
       Your years at Wentworth have taught you American values, 
     and as you graduate and enter another phase of your life, it 
     is my hope that you will take your place as so many other 
     Wentworth graduates have, bearing the banners of courage and 
     industriousness that will pave the way for you and for a 
     brighter future for our country and peace-loving nations.
       As you go forth in life, I charge you to: take 
     responsibility for your actions; be honest and direct in your 
     dealings with others; humble in your demeanor; thoughtful and 
     considerate of others; loyal to your friends; devoted to your 
     family; determined in your endeavors; know the history of our 
     country; appreciate humor; proud of the uniform you wear; and 
     love America.
       Keep in mind one more thought. President Truman, who once 
     visited this campus in the 1950s, liked to tell the story 
     about the grave marker in Tombstone, Arizona, that read, 
     ``Here lies Jack Williams. He done his damndest.'' Missouri's 
     President always strived to do just that--to do his 
     damndest--that is, to do his best. So I charge you to heed 
     the wisdom of that epitaph by doing your damndest. By doing 
     so, your dedication will ensure that American freedom 
     continues to shine like a polestar in the heavens.
       Congratulations, and God bless.

       

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