[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 12 (Tuesday, February 12, 2002)]
[House]
[Pages H267-H268]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                A TRIBUTE TO GENERAL OMAR NELSON BRADLEY

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Hulshof) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. HULSHOF. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to one of America's 
most respected war heroes. In my congressional district, the citizens 
of Moberly, Missouri, have a lot to be proud of today as they gather to 
honor the memory of one of its favorite sons, Five Star General Omar 
Nelson Bradley. It is fitting that at this time of war, we take time 
out to remember the virtues that he exemplified: honor, dignity, 
patience, humility, and love of country.
  The son of a Randolph County school teacher, Bradley was born on this 
date, February 12, in 1893 in a log cabin near Moberly, Missouri. After 
the death of his father when he was 14, Bradley and his mother moved to 
Moberly where his formative years were spent, and it was during his 
days at Moberly High School as a star baseball player that Bradley 
began to develop the leadership skills that would later serve him as a 
leader of the Allied Forces in World War II.

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  After he graduated from high school in the spring of 1911, Bradley 
worked on the Wabash Railroad to earn money to attend the University of 
Missouri. He was determined to put himself through school until his 
Sunday school superintendent encouraged him that he might have a chance 
at receiving a nomination to attend the U.S. Military Academy. So he 
used what little money he had to catch a train to St. Louis where he 
took the competitive exams that would determine who from his district 
would attend West Point. He finished first and was sworn in as a cadet 
in August of 1911.
  During his time at West Point, General Bradley was an above-average 
student. He graduated 44th out of 164 men in 1915, a class that many 
have called ``the class stars fell on.'' Nearly 20 of the 1915 
graduates achieved the rank of general or higher during World War II. 
The academy's yearbook, ``The Howitzer,'' predicted that Bradley was 
destined for great things: ``His most prominent characteristic is 
`getting there,' '' proclaimed the yearbook, and ``if he keeps up the 
clip he's started, some of us will someday be bragging to our 
grandchildren that `sure, General Bradley was a classmate of mine.' ''
  Perhaps the best account of Bradley during his West Point days came 
from fellow classmate and future President, Dwight David Eisenhower, 
who wrote in Bradley's yearbook the following words: ``True merit is 
like a river; the deeper it is, the less noise it makes.'' The humble 
Bradley was already getting noticed by his peers for his hard work, his 
intelligence, and his ability to succeed.
  General Bradley was determined to out-think and out-prepare his 
adversaries. He challenged his troops to ``set our course by the stars, 
not by the lights of every passing ship.'' This brand of resolve, 
coupled with a Missouri down-to-earth concern and affection for his 
troops, made General Bradley extremely popular with all of those he 
commanded. During World War II, aside from the general's stars on his 
helmet, Bradley was often indistinguishable from many who served 
alongside him on the front lines. Because of his style of command, the 
famous war correspondent Ernie Pyle dubbed him ``the soldier's 
general.''
  General Bradley would demonstrate his tactical and what today we call 
``people skills'' with those he commanded, when in January of 1944 he 
was given command of the 12th Army Group. With a force of over 1.3 
million men, Brad, as he was called, established what would become the 
western front of the war of Europe, following D-Day. Fighting in such 
famous battles as the Battle of the Bulge, General Bradley won the 
admiration of the legendary General George Patton and his West Point 
classmate General Eisenhower. Eisenhower called Bradley ``the master 
tactician of our forces'' and ``America's foremost battle leader.''
  In 1948, Bradley succeeded Eisenhower as Army Chief of Staff and soon 
became the first chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; and in that 
capacity, he served both during the beginning of the Korean and Cold 
Wars. Once he was appointed to be chairman of the Joint Chiefs, Bradley 
became the last American to receive a fifth general's star.
  General Omar Bradley applied the determination, fairness, and care 
for his fellow man that he learned from his Missouri upbringing. In the 
process, he became one of our Nation's greatest war heroes, especially 
to those who served under him. The following statement from the general 
himself may shed the most light on the character of this man and the 
inspiration he was to so many, quote: ``This is as true in everyday 
life as it is in battle. We are given one life and the decision is ours 
to make up our mind on whether to act and, in acting, to live.''
  It is clear that the leadership of great men like General Omar Nelson 
Bradley over a half century ago allows us to live as we do today. And 
on this day, we are honored to show a small portion of our thanks and 
appreciation to this great citizen, soldier, Missourian, and American.

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