[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 122 (Tuesday, September 24, 2002)]
[Senate]
[Pages S9065-S9073]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
TRIBUTE TO SENATOR STROM THURMOND
Mr. DASCHLE. Madam President, I join my colleagues today in this
special presentation to acknowledge the distinguished Senator from
South Carolina for his decades of service in this Senate.
America has changed in many ways in the 48 years since James Strom
Thurmond was first elected to the Senate. But some things have not
changed. Among them are Senator Thurmond's fierce determination to do
what he regards as the right thing for the people of his beloved South
Carolina.
While Senator Thurmond and I often reach different conclusions and
cast different votes, I admire his devotion to his State, to our
Nation, and to this Senate. In recent years, fulfilling that obligation
has seemed at times to require an extraordinary exercise of will or
love or both.
Someday another Senator will sit in Senator Thurmond's seat, but it
is hard to imagine anyone ever filling his shoes. He is, as I have said
before, an institution within an institution.
He has been alive for almost half the history of the United States.
Theodore Roosevelt was President when he was born. He was 17 years old
when American women secured the right to vote. He is one of only a few
Americans alive who received votes from Civil War veterans. He has
lived through the term of 18 of America's 43 Presidents and served as a
Senator under 10 of them.
His long and distinguished career is remarkable for its many
successes, both in and out of the Senate.
In 1996, Senator Thurmond became the oldest person ever to serve in
the Senate.
In 1997, he became the longest serving Senator.
In 1998, he became one of only three Senators, in addition to our
colleague, Senator Robert Byrd, ever to cast 15,000 votes in this
Senate.
In addition, Senator Thurmond has served as a senator in the South
Carolina State Legislature and as Governor of that great State. He has
been a senior member of both the Democratic and Republican parties and
a Presidential candidate of a third party. There is not another
American, living or dead, who can make that claim.
He has also served our country in uniform. Senator Thurmond entered
the U.S. Army for the first time in 1924. Twenty years later, he
volunteered for service in World War II, and on June 6, 1944, at the
age of 43, he took part in the first wave of the D-Day invasion, the
airdrop of American troops on Normandy Beach.
I am told that Senator Thurmond wanted to parachute into Normandy
Beach, but another officer who clearly did not know with whom he was
dealing, decided Senator Thurmond was too old to jump out of an
airplane. So Senator Thurmond piloted a glider instead, landing, with
the rest of his company, behind enemy lines.
Senator Thurmond is today a retired major general in the Army
Reserves, the President pro tempore Emeritus of the Senate, a member of
the South Carolina Hall of Fame, and a recipient of more honors and
awards than any of us can name, including the prestigious Presidential
Medal of Freedom.
Simply said, we will never see another like him.
I join my colleagues this morning in our heartfelt expression of
gratitude to Senator Thurmond for his decades of service. We wish him,
his family, and staff our very best in his future, whatever life may
hold beyond the 107th Congress.
I yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Mississippi.
Mr. LOTT. Madam President, today the Senate takes time to celebrate
the life and career of one of its most outstanding Members who, though
always a loyal son of South Carolina, has become, indeed, a nation's
treasure. It is not enough to say Senator Strom Thurmond has lived his
life well. It has been an extraordinary life.
Again and again today, we will hear points made about various
accomplishments in his life. Senator Daschle has already noted many of
them, but there is so much that can be said about this particular
Senator that words are almost inadequate.
As I was thinking about him over the weekend, I thought about his
life and what he has done and what he has seen and the little acts he
does on a human personal basis.
First, when one thinks about it, his is a life that has included
being an educator, a judge, a soldier, yes, a general, Governor, a
Presidential candidate--in fact, when I was 7 years old, Senator
Thurmond was already running for President and carried my State as well
as four others, I believe--and a U.S. Senator where he has served so
admirably as chairman of the Judiciary Committee, chairman of the Armed
Services Committee, and President pro tempore.
I remember in my first couple of years in the Senate, Senator
Thurmond
[[Page S9066]]
was managing a bill on the floor. I believe it was a crime bill. I
remember he got right out in the center aisle and gave a fantastic
speech, with energy, all the enthusiasm one would expect from a much
younger man, but then he was young in spirit, and he made us all feel
good about what we could do as the years went by.
He has been a philanthropist. He has practiced what he has preached.
The record is replete with scholarships and examples of generosity from
this Senator, what he has done for others on a financial basis but,
more importantly, at times, on a very personal basis, and I will talk
about that in a moment.
Obviously, he has achieved the ultimate in life also as a proud
father. Watching him with his sons and his daughters is a marvelous
experience for all of us.
He truly has achieved the rank of statesman. Some serve their country
as teachers, jurists, or as State or local officials, but Senator
Thurmond has been all of those and so much more: A counselor to
Presidents, a warrior in the cause of freedom, not to mention a
humanitarian, a staunch patriot, and a faithful friend. I do not think
we will ever see a life in history such as that of Senator Strom
Thurmond; he has served his country in so many ways.
His public career spans the days of Franklin Roosevelt and the
present President, George W. Bush. Senator Thurmond knew the veterans
of the greatest war. He was there. He saw it in real time. He knows the
soldiers of our current war on terrorism, and today, as a member of the
Armed Services Committee, he works to make sure they have what they
need to do the job because he understands the importance of their job
in the defense of freedom.
When I was born 60 years ago, Senator Thurmond was already a judge
and well on his way toward a governorship and his candidacy for
President. Yet here we are today as colleagues in this great
institution. I know I am not alone in feeling humbled by his presence.
In the days to come, the newspapers will emphasize his extraordinary
political career, but the epic that is Strom Thurmond is far too grand
to be summed up as an enduring politician and to leave it at that. No,
we know better. After all, it is not many of us who have a room in this
Capitol named for us while we are still here to use it.
Another Senator from South Carolina, John C. Calhoun, in his time was
described this way:
As a Senator, he was the model of courtesy. He listened
attentively to each one who spoke, neither reading nor
writing when in his seat.
At one time or another, I believe every Senator in this Chamber has
been touched by Senator Thurmond's courtesy, and we will honor him if
we continue to follow his example in that regard. Hardly a day goes by,
when Senator Thurmond is on the floor, that he does not call me over
and offer support and offer a piece of candy for my beautiful wife. He
reassures me what a beautiful lady she is and what a credit she is to
this Senator from Mississippi.
I wonder sometime, too, if we all appreciate and even our pages
realize that a great man of history walks among us every day, but he
does it in such a humble way and such a generous way. How many of us
have taken the time to not only acknowledge these pages who are seeing
history in the making and are working for us to make the institution
look better, but taken the time to bring them to the dining room for a
meal?
I always loved it when I was in the dining room and Senator Thurmond
came with a whole string of pages right behind him treating them to
lunch. It was like a hen with her biddies behind her, a beautiful
sight--a little thing, but typical of Senator Thurmond.
There are the calls he has made when friends have had trouble in
their family or illnesses or deaths. There are stories of Senator
Thurmond calling people or even going to the house of one of his former
staff members after she had had a baby. Knocking on the door, he came
to congratulate her and to get a look at this newborn baby. Over and
over, that is the kind of man he has been.
So while he has had these great achievements, he has kept that common
touch. In fact, I think the greatest story about Senator Thurmond is
not list of achievements but the fact he has never wavered in
defending, protecting, and working for the principles he believes in
and the importance of keeping that human touch, that personal touch.
Senator Thurmond is a different case in many ways. He is, of course,
of a different generation and he exemplifies its strengths just as he
has worked to leave behind its shortcomings. During his last Congress
with us, it was sometimes difficult to remember that at the start of
World War II, a mere youngster of 39, he actually resigned his office
as a judge. He was with the 82nd Airborne Division and landed in the
Normandy Invasion on D-day.
Half a century ago, GEN Douglas MacArthur addressed the Congress and
delivered his famous line about old soldiers:
They never die, they just fade away.
Well, Senator Thurmond decided to do neither. He resolved to keep
working for his country, devoting all of his experience, all of his
wisdom, all of his energy to that task. We have been blessed and
enriched by his determination. He has been here every day, and I have
not checked the record, but I think he has been here for every vote
this year, which is typical of the sheer iron will that has been the
example of his great life.
He has seen the defeat of nazism, the collapse of communism, and the
bringing down of the Iron Curtain. He has been an important part of
making all of that possible. He has worked with Presidents repeatedly
to support their efforts to do what needed to be done for our country.
It has been 213 years since George Washington was inaugurated as
President and the first Congress assembled to write laws for the new
Nation. Senator Thurmond has seen more than 99 of those years. It
reemphasizes the fact we are still a young country. This great Republic
is still very young in the annals of history, and this one man has seen
almost half of those years. He is an institution, a senior statesman,
but he is much more than that. He is a patriot. He loves this country
of ours in an old-fashioned way, a simple and deep way that seemed to
have gone out of style a few decades ago but a way we have relearned
during this past year.
Our centennial Senator's life is a part of the rich rolling tapestry
that is America's history. This soldier who fought at Normandy, this
cold war warrior who helped Presidents overcome communism, has lived to
witness a new enemy of freedom strike at us and all that we hold dear.
He saw the tragedy last September that still tears at our hearts, but
he saw, too, the resurgence of what he cherished most: Pride in
America, devotion, honor and sacrifice for America. I do not know of
any other Senator who will earn this title, but it seems to be
appropriate to refer to Senator Thurmond as our centennial Senator. He
could have very easily been an inspiration perhaps for that great quote
that is attributed to Teddy Roosevelt back in 1910 that sums up, I
believe, the greatness of this Senator.
It is not the critic who counts, not the man who points out
how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could
have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is
actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat
and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes up short
again and again, who knows the great enthusiasms, the great
devotions, and spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the
best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement and
who, at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring
greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and
timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.
Senator Thurmond has been in the arena. He has been dusty and sweaty
and, yes, probably even bloody, but he still stands, the rock from
South Carolina, a great Senator, a great man, a great friend. The
Senate will not quite be the same when we convene next year, but we
will all be better because of the Senator from South Carolina.
Senator Thurmond, you are the best. You are an institution, but more
than that you are a great friend. We love you and we wish you many more
happy days in your next career.
Mr. THURMOND. Thank you very much.
Mr. LOTT. Madam President, I yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from South Carolina.
Mr. HOLLINGS. Madam President, the distinguished minority leader has
noted Strom's comment about the beauty of his wife Patricia. Strom has
also done that to my wife Peatsy. I think the record ought to be made
here
[[Page S9067]]
that for Strom Thurmond, all women are beautiful.
Madam President, as the longest serving junior Senator in the history
of the Senate, it is my distinct honor and privilege to pay tribute to
the longest serving senior Senator and the longest serving Senator in
the history of the Senate. The story is told about a Washington matron
at one of these evening receptions, how she rushed up to a Spanish
Ambassador and allowed:
Mr. Ambassador, this bull fighting, the No. 1 sport in your
country, I think it is revolting.
After a pause, the Ambassador turned to the matron and said:
Madam, you are mistaken. Bull fighting is our No. 2 sport;
revolting is our No. 1.
That has been the record of J. Strom Thurmond in the field of public
service. He has definitely been a revolutionary with respect to public
service. At age 29, he served as the youngest county superintendent of
education in the history of our State; thereupon, being elected as the
youngest State Senator from his home county; thereafter, as the
youngest circuit judge presiding, being elevated there in the year
1938.
When Germany declared war, just a few days after December 7--Germany
declared war first on us before we declared war on Germany--Strom
Thurmond, as a presiding circuit judge, took off those robes and
volunteered for service in World War II. He was exempt from service
under our judiciary rules in the State of South Carolina, but he didn't
hesitate. And as has been noted here, made the invasion on D-day, June
6, 1944, in Europe and served in five campaigns with valor and courage,
coming back to retire as a major general in the U.S. Army.
In 1948, he organized the only really successful third party movement
in this country as a States Rights Party, and as a candidate for
President he carried South Carolina, Alabama, Mississippi, and
Louisiana--he carried four States.
Thereafter, in 1954 he was the first--and I take it the only--Senator
ever elected to the Senate as a write-in candidate. Then, in 1964,
having been a Democrat, he changed parties. He saw the future of the
State of South Carolina and the South in the Republican Party, and he
has led the move ever since.
There is no question in my mind that he has had the most
distinguished of service up here, serving as the chairman of the
Judiciary Committee, chairman of the Armed Services Committee, chairman
of the Veterans' Affairs Committee, and the President pro tempore of
the Senate. But I think people back home know Strom best of all for his
constituent service. Whether it is the job found for a constituent, or
helping a family get a relative admitted to the hospital, or sending a
letter to the deceased's family, or helping when the soldier is brought
back home, or whatever it is, you can count on Strom. I can tell that
to you right now. He has made his fame looking out for the people of
his home State.
It has been noted that Strom was born when Teddy Roosevelt was
President. Elihu Root, who was the Secretary of State for Teddy
Roosevelt, once remarked that:
Politics is the practical art of self government and
someone must attend to it if we are going to have self
government.
And he made the cogent observation:
The principal ground for reproach against any American
citizen is that he is not a politician. In representative
America, every citizen counts.
Heaven knows, Strom Thurmond of South Carolina has counted at every
particular turn, during illustrious service of some 70 years. I think
he is the living example that the best politics is no politics. It is
my privilege to pay tribute to him now. I am sure I am going to have
the opportunity many times hereafter as we both move along. But it has
been a distinct pleasure to serve as his junior Senator.
I yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from West Virginia.
Mr. BYRD. Madam President, I have listened attentively to every word
that has been spoken today about this colleague of ours. Those words
have been true. I well remember when I first came to the Senate, I
remember Strom Thurmond's late wife used to sit in the gallery up here
and listen to the debates. She was a beautiful woman. I remember very
well the day she passed away. I remember coming to the Senate and
seeking out Strom Thurmond, and here he was, sitting in the back row. I
walked up to his desk, and he stood, and I said:
Strom, I'm so sorry to hear about your great misfortune.
And he stood with that stoic way of his and thanked me and sat down.
I also remember when Erma and I lost our grandson Michael. It was 20
years ago. I remember the funeral service, and I remember who was
there. I recall who came to share in the greatest sorrow of my life.
Some of my colleagues were there. Howard Baker was there, the
majority leader. The then-Governor of my State of West Virginia, Jay
Rockefeller, was there. Who else? Who else? No other Senator, with the
exception of one--Strom Thurmond. He came.
I have seen him at funeral homes of others who were the relatives of
Senators and some who were not relatives of Senators. I have seen Strom
Thurmond there.
I shall never forget when Strom met with tragedy in his life not many
years ago when he gave up the prized possession, a daughter. I went to
South Carolina to be with Strom and to share his sorrow.
Then, just a few days ago, a message came into my office. Strom had
called my wife. She had an operation--appendectomy. Who called to
express concern for her and to wish her an early recovery? That man--
Strom Thurmond.
'Tis the human touch in this world that counts,
The touch of your hand and mine.
Which means far more to the fainting heart
Than shelter and bread and wine.
For shelter is gone when the night is o'er
And bread lasts only a day,
But the touch of the hand and the sound of the voice
Sing on in the soul alway.
Strom Thurmond, in a few more weeks, will be the first sitting United
States Senator to become a centenarian.
What an amazing record. What an amazing man. In his 100 years on this
Earth, he has been a teacher, a coach, an attorney, a judge, a
Governor, a soldier, a college professor, an author, a lawmaker at both
the State and Federal levels, a delegate at six Democratic National
Conventions and six Republican National Conventions, and a U.S. Senator
who has served 47 years in this Chamber and cast more than 15,000
votes.
That is more votes than soldiers that Flaminius lost at the Battle of
Lake Trasimeno in the year 217 B.C.
Senator Thurmond was born into the Old South, His hometown of
Edgefield was the home of the cane swinging Representative Preston
Brooks, who gained a place in history for beating a northern Senator
who had insulted his family and his state. Senator Thurmond's
grandfather, George Washington Thurmond, was with General Lee at
Appomattox when Lee surrendered to Grant. His father, Judge J. William
Thurmond was a lieutenant of the legendary South Carolina Senator
``Pitchfork'' Ben Tillman, whom I used to read about before I came to
the arena of politics. A product of the Old South, Senator Thurmond
emerged to become an important leader in the New South.
Senator Thurmond's amazing life has spanned twentieth century
America. When he was born, the Wright brothers had yet to make their
historic, heavier-than-air manned flight. He has lived to see manmade
vehicles reaching the outer limits of our universe. What a change in a
single lifetime. Perhaps an even greater, more monumental change took
place right here in the U.S. Senate. When Strom Thurmond was born, on
December 5, 1902, U.S. Senators were not elected by the people of their
states, but selected by their state legislatures. The Senate had no
permanent office buildings; Senators had no professional staffs. Boy,
what a change Strom Thurmond he has lived to see here.
Even more amazing is how his life and career have mirrored so much of
the history of twentieth century America.
In 1928, Strom Thurmond, a Democrat at the time, was elected to his
first political office, superintendent of schools, Edgefield County,
South Carolina--when Calvin Coolidge was president. Those were the days
of mechanically-sliced bread.
In 1932, he was elected to the State Senate of South Carolina--that
was the
[[Page S9068]]
year Franklin Roosevelt was elected President of the United States.
How well I remember the days when the coal miners of West Virginia
marched--over 100,000 strong. John L. Lewis, the leader of that great
United Mine Workers Organization, had his picture in every miner's
home. Strom Thurmond was there.
It was Roosevelt's Administration that marked the emergence of the
Democratic Party as the majority party. I remind my colleagues that
Senator Thurmond was a Democrat in those days.
In 1942, Strom Thurmond volunteered for service in World War II--the
war that marked the emergence of the United States as a superpower. I
might point out that Senator Thurmond could have stayed safely on the
sidelines of that conflict. He was beyond draft age and, as a judge, he
held a draft-exempted status. Yet he volunteered to put himself in
harm's way and heroically served his country.
On June 6, 1944, paratrooper Strom Thurmond took part in the D-Day
invasion that began the Allied liberation of Europe from Nazi tyranny
and the defeat of worldwide fascism.
In 1946, like so many other World War II veterans, including Richard
Nixon and John F. Kennedy, Strom Thurmond returned home to a career in
public service. While Mr. Kennedy and Mr. Nixon were elected to
Congress that year, Mr. Thurmond was elected governor of his beloved
South Carolina.
In 1948, Governor Strom Thurmond ran for president as a States Rights
Democrat, carrying 4 states and winning 39 electoral votes. This means
that President Harry Truman's great upset victory over Thomas Dewey in
the 1948 presidential election included the defeat of Strom Thurmond.
In 1954, Strom Thurmond was elected to the Senate as a write-in
candidate. Imagine that. No other Senator was ever elected as a write-
in candidate to this body. This made him the first and only person in
U.S. history elected to the Senate in this manner. He is the only
person ever elected to any major office in the United States in this
manner.
In 1957, Senator Strom Thurmond set a record for the longest
individual speech ever delivered in the Senate--24 hours and 18
minutes, from August 28 to August 29, 1957.
In 1964, Senator Thurmond switched from the Democratic Party to the
Republican Party--our loss, your gain--a move that marked the beginning
of the ``southern strategy'' that has reshaped the Republican Party.
In 1981, when Ronald Reagan became President, Senator Thurmond was
chosen as Senate President pro tempore, placing him third in the line
of succession to the Presidency. And in the early days in the history
of this country, it would have been the Vice President and then Strom
Thurmond, because he would then have been second in line of succession
to the Presidency.
On March 8, 1996, Senator Thurmond, at the age of 93, 93 years and 94
days--oh, to be 93 years again--93 years and 94 days, became the oldest
person ever to serve in the Senate.
On May 25, 1997, he became the longest serving Senator in the history
of the Senate, surpassing the record of 41 years and 10 months held by
Carl Hayden.
He is a man with whom I have never had a cross word in this Senate--
never.
On December 31, 1997, Senator Thurmond's colleague, Senator Ernest
Hollings, became the longest serving junior Member of the Senate, 31
years and 53 days, surpassing the ``junior'' record of Senator John
Stennis.
In 1998, Senator Thurmond became the second Senator ever to cast
15,000 votes.
As I have said, what an amazing life. What an amazing life. What an
amazing career. There is none other like it.
But I am pleased and I am proud to point out that throughout it all,
Senator Thurmond has always remained a man of his word, a devoted
father, and a Senator ready to defend his State, his country, and his
values, as a distinguished leader, who is revered in his home State of
South Carolina--a State that has built statues in his honor, a State
that has named buildings in his honor, a State that has named roads and
dams and lakes in his honor.
Foremost, Senator Thurmond has remained a southern gentleman of the
first order: charming, polite, optimistic, friendly, courteous, and
enduring.
May God bless you, Senator Thurmond. May God bless you always.
This is a man. Whence cometh another?
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Alaska.
Mr. STEVENS. Madam President, I am sort of humbled to be following my
great friend from West Virginia and the statement he has just made.
When I came to the Senate 34 years ago, this true southern gentleman
was among the first to make me welcome. I came from a fairly new State.
Senator Thurmond had already served for 14 years as a Senator when I
joined the Senate. He was generous with his time, helping this young
Westerner to become familiar with the traditions of the Senate, sharing
his knowledge of procedures, and some of the pitfalls, and emphasizing
the importance of maintaining a sense of dignity.
I soon learned that the gracious Strom Thurmond was extending to me
friendship, which is part and parcel of this man. His courtly manners
and his helpfulness were legendary even then.
Today, all these years after he gave me that first crushing
handshake, he remains the dignified, gallant gentleman of whom I became
a friend in 1968. He continues to demonstrate the spirit that has given
him the courage to beat the odds, overcome obstacles, and deal with
some of life's toughest challenges.
As he prepares to leave us, after almost a half century of serving
the people of South Carolina and our Nation, I just want to take a few
moments to look back on the personal relationship I have had with
Senator Thurmond.
While we share a bond of serving in the military during World War II,
Senator Thurmond far surpassed any of my experiences. He landed, as
people have already said, on D-day in Normandy. He served in both the
European and Pacific theaters. And he earned an astounding 18
decorations, including the Legion of Merit and the Bronze Star for
Valor.
When my first wife Ann died in a plane crash that I survived, Strom's
helping hand was there, ready to assist always. The counsel and support
he offered were born from the experience of his own tragedy 8 years
earlier, when he lost his wife Jean. While he understood the importance
of dealing with my grief, he lobbied me to find a new partner in life,
as he had done.
When Catherine and I were married, Strom made sure she had a great
welcome as the Senate's newest spouse. And when our Lily--now a senior
at Stanford, who visited the Senate from time to time when she was a
toddler--returns to these halls, she always makes sure to see Uncle
Strom. As a matter of fact, there is not a day goes by that Strom does
not ask me: How is Lily? And last night, Madam President, Lily, now a
senior at Stanford, sent me an e-mail. I would like to read from it. I
quote:
When I think about some of my earliest memories, I always
come back to images in my head of entering the big white
Capitol to see you and your friends. Because, of course, I
didn't know anything about the important roles of the people
I knew or the grandness of the Capitol. What I really
remember is going to see friends like ``Uncle Strom'' and
running in circles around the patterns of the tiles by the
entrance to the floor. I can't think of how many times I saw
Strom's familiar face and ran to give him a big hug, hearing
his voice calling, ``Lily, look how big you've grown,'' or,
``Miss Lily, you're such a pretty girl!'' Seeing Uncle Strom
was always a highlight of my trips to the Capitol, and once I
got to know Julie, being with her also made some long nights
of political gatherings much more fun! Julie, like her
father, is such a generous, caring, and warm person, and I
feel lucky to have gotten to know her, Nancy, and Uncle
Strom.
Madam President, Lily had a great many birthday parties here in the
Senate. At that time, I was the whip, the assistant leader, and Uncle
Strom was always at the top of her guest list, which she prepared
herself.
I think we can all testify to Strom's sweet tooth. He never saw a
birthday cake or a scoop of ice cream he did not like.
I will leave it to others, who will also pay tribute to Strom today,
to tell of his many accomplishments. They will note he has many titles
in his 100 years: From teacher to coach to superintendent of education;
from second lieutenant to general; from attorney at law to judge; and
from Governor to
[[Page S9069]]
Senator. Those titles were all earned through dedication and hard work,
and they are hallmarks of his distinguished career. I respect those
titles. But there is one that is more important to me than all the
others, and that is the title I used first: Friend. We are all the
richer for having Strom Thurmond in our midst. To be able to count him
as a friend is the greatest privilege of all.
So I am here today, Senator Thurmond, to say thank you for your
dedication, your patriotism, your generosity of spirit, but, most of
all, on a very personal basis, for your friendship.
Thank you, Strom.
Thank you, Madam President.
Mr. BOND. Madam President, there are some times even in the Senate
when enough words cannot be said. Senator Thurmond has probably made
more history than many of us will ever see. He has experienced more
history than most of us will ever know. Every member of the Senate
would be proud to tell our grandchildren that ``I served with Strom
Thurmond.'' Because the senior Senator from South Carolina has been
such a force in politics for over 50 years, I would like to tell my
grandparents that I served with Strom Thurmond.
He always did his duty and he spent the better part of a century
shaping the greatest nation on earth.
There isn't a history teacher alive who wouldn't like to bring their
class to Senator Thurmond's office to see a portrait of history laid
out on his walls. One would think that to live and perform at the ripe
young age of 99, one would be wise to pace oneself. Instead, Senator
Thurmond has put in a professional marathon, but at the pace of a 100-
yard dash. He is the Lance Armstrong and Cal Ripken of pubic service
with over 15,000 votes. Alternatively, I would rather say that Cal
Ripken is the iron man Strom Thurmond of Major League Baseball.
In his book, ``Great Political Wit,'' our former colleague Bob Dole
described Senator Thurmond's 90th birthday. At that festive event,
Senator Thurmond noted that, ``all evening, people had been coming up
to him to express the hope that they would be present for his 100th
birthday. To which Senator Thurmond replied, ``if you eat right and
exercise regularly, I don't see any reason why you shouldn't be around
to see it.''
In terms of ethics and duty, he remains old fashioned. He believes
that the real ``woman's place'' is sitting next to him testing his
charm, and his grip.
If there is a more extraordinary resume in a Congress full of honor
and achievement, I cannot imagine. In his career, he has responded to
the titles of: teacher, coach, Lieutenant, Counselor, superintendent
Judge, General, Governor, Senator and President Pro Tempe.
When Ted Williams set down his bat to go defend his country during
World War II, Judge Thurmond set down his gavel, at age 40, to join the
82nd Airborne that landed on Normandy Beach. Before he returned to the
bench he had battled his way across France, Belgium, Holland,
Luxembourg, Czechoslovakia, and Germany and finished in the
Philippines.
Few in the history of this country have dedicated so much energy on
behalf of the country they loved. And through it all, it seemed that
the senior Senator had energy in reserve.
I had my staff dig up the Senator's first floor statement which
occurred on January 28, 1955. He spoke directly after Senators Long and
Humphrey. He was speaking eloquently but directly and succinctly on the
need to meet the threat of communism head on. This was in relation to
an authorization of force to protect Formosa, requested by President
Eisenhower. Let me read his final paragraph: ``Our earnest prayer is
for peace. If war should come, it would not the result of any
aggressive act on the part of the United States. But war might come as
a result of any display of weakness, of disunity, or of heslitation. I
shall cast my vote on the side of firmness, for unity and for
decision.''
As near as I can tell, his approach to and commitment to the security
of free people has not deviated since that first floor statement.
We are all grateful for the distinguished tenure of Senator Thurmond;
grateful to the people of his State for sending him here, and grateful
to his family for sharing him. His retirement is well-deserved and I
hope he now has more surplus time to build up his pushups and pull ups
so he can return to fighting shape again.
Additionally, after 36 years in the Senate, some of us are getting
tired of calling Chairman Hollings ``junior.''
It is my high honor and privilege humbly to thank our still young-of-
heart Strom and wish him a busy retirement.
The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Corzine). The Senator from Texas.
Mrs. HUTCHISON. Mr. President, after hearing the remarks of the
Senator from Alaska, I have to say I am very sorry that my children,
Bailey and Houston, will not have the chance to have birthday parties
with Strom Thurmond since he will be leaving this year. I know it was a
rich part of Lily Stevens' heritage and probably why she is a student
at Stanford today. She had such an upbringing and she learned a lot
throughout her early life.
It is a privilege to be able to add to the accolades to Senator Strom
Thurmond. So much has been said already today, but it is fitting that
the first retiring Senator in this cycle who does get floor tributes be
Senator Strom Thurmond. There is no one like him. There never has been,
and there never will be.
On December 5, Strom Thurmond will celebrate his 100th birthday. To
give you some perspective, Strom Thurmond was born the same year as
Thomas Dewey, Charles Lindbergh, and the nation of Cuba, which gained
its independence from Spain. Strom was 14 when Lenin overthrew Czar
Nicholas in Russia. Strom was 15 when a young, left-handed pitcher
named Babe Ruth led the Red Sox to their last World Series victory.
Strom was 17 when women earned the right to vote, and now he has served
with 24 of the 31 women to ever hold a seat in the Senate.
On November 3, 1954, Strom became the only Senator ever to be elected
as a write-in candidate. He is the oldest sitting and the longest
serving Senator in U.S. history. I doubt his record will be broken in
the near future--maybe never.
During my own tenure in the Senate, a mere 9 years by comparison, I
have been touched by Strom Thurmond's presence. South Carolina and
Texas hold a rich heritage together. Strom often reminds me that
William Barret Travis, a Texas hero who commanded the forces at the
Alamo, hailed from Strom's home county in South Carolina.
Another South Carolinian who made his way to the wild west of Texas
was Thomas Jefferson Rusk. Thomas Rusk was the first Senator from Texas
to hold my seat. He was one of the heroes of the battle of San Jacinto
which liberated the Republic of Texas. Senator Rusk's family was living
in a rented home in South Carolina when he was born. The home, which
belonged to John C. Calhoun, would later become the site of Strom's
alma mater, Clemson University.
An even more important connection is our States' contributions to the
Nation's Armed Forces. I have been proud to stand side by side with
Strom in supporting our men and women in uniform and ensuring that they
have every available resource to do the job we ask them to do.
In his almost 50 years in the Senate, Strom Thurmond has accomplished
a great deal. But his greatest legacy is his enduring support for those
who serve in uniform. I was privileged to work with Strom when he was
chairman of the Armed Services Committee. He focused on a host of
important issues, such as military health care and quality of life for
service members and their families. In 1998, we named the Defense
authorization bill the Strom Thurmond Defense authorization bill in
recognition of his lifelong commitment to the defense of our Nation.
When the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, Strom was a 40-year-old
circuit judge who would have been forgiven most certainly if he had
decided to spend the duration of the war guarding the homefront. Not
Strom. Even though he was exempt from the draft, he volunteered for
combat and went on to become a highly decorated officer.
At the age of 42, LTC Strom Thurmond became the oldest man to help
take the beach of Normandy on D-day.
[[Page S9070]]
His unpowered glider was shot down behind enemy lines, and he survived
by taking shelter in an apple orchard.
Given the casualties on that dreadful day on Normandy's beach, Strom
Thurmond probably considered a long and fruitful life to be measured in
days, not decades. Soldiers who survived the horrific days at Normandy
or Guadalcanal or Iwo Jima often say that every day thereafter is a
free day.
Fifty years later, in defiance of every insurance actuary who ever
built a calculator, or more aptly a slide rule, Strom Thurmond skipped
the 50th anniversary celebration of that brief but memorable flight. I
remember because I was here at the 50th anniversary of Normandy. There
was a huge celebration of the Members of Congress who had participated
in that particular part of our war effort. But, there was one Senator
missing from that 50th anniversary at Normandy. It was Strom Thurmond.
Strom Thurmond, who was 92 at the time, missed the 50th anniversary
because that was the weekend of his son's graduation from high school.
Think about it.
Strom has always known what matters. He has always focused on what is
important. He continues to do that today.
He continued to serve after the war in the Reserves, rising to the
rank of major general. His whole life has been a tradition of service.
From World War II to the Governor's mansion and ultimately to the halls
of the Senate, he has always made public service his top priority.
In the final scene of the movie ``Saving Private Ryan,'' the movie's
namesake returns 50 years after that battle to the grave at Normandy of
the captain who gave his life to save Private Ryan. In one of the
movie's most touching scenes, Ryan tells the long-dead captain that he
has tried to honor his sacrifice by living a good life. That scene
captures the essence of what we as a nation owe to those who have
fought for our country and our freedom: to honor their sacrifice by
trying to lead a good life and by doing everything we can to keep our
country free and at peace.
Strom has truly honored his comrades who fell that dreadful day and
all those who have worn the uniform since. He has been good, as he has
also been great. He has led the Senate to keep our military strong
through the generations.
For those of us who have served with Strom in the Senate, he has been
the senior Senator from South Carolina during our entire careers,
including of course, Fritz Hollings. Fritz must be the oldest, longest
serving junior Senator in the history of the Senate. That will surely
change.
And that change is going to take some getting used to. Having Strom
Thurmond gone, will make this a different place for all of us,
particularly the Senate pages. Strom Thurmond has always been
particularly attentive and sweet to the Senate pages, probably
throughout his career. I have seen it time and time again where he has
taken the pages for lunch or for ice cream to talk to them so that they
can ask him questions. I truly believe if you ever took a poll of the
Senate pages, their favorite Senator would always be Strom Thurmond.
He is a legend. He is an institution. More important, Strom Thurmond
is the heart and soul of the Senate. We honor him today.
Mr. ALLARD. Mr. President, I rise today to honor my good friend and
colleague, Strom Thurmond. I am proud to be his colleague and friend.
What a great American. After my election to the Senate, he was there to
greet me.
When we think about institutions, we think about established
organizations that are dedicated to public-service and advancement of
science or culture. Institutions are created not by single people, but
rather by the collective group that share ideals and values which are
inherent to their cause. But while institutions are defined by the
ideas that created them in the first place, it is individuals that
truly identify the institution.
Just as John Glenn personifies the achievements of NASA, just as
Martin Luther King Jr. embodies the Civil Rights movement, just as
Albert Einstein represents the science of physics, the U.S. Senate is
symbolized by Senator Strom Thurmond. Today we honor the gentleman who
has spent nearly half his life in the Senate, a man who people cannot
help but mention whenever the Senate is brought up in conversation.
While his accomplishments in this body merit enough attention, what
took place before his foray into national politics is just as
noteworthy. From graduation at Clemson University, to becoming a State
Senator in South Carolina followed by confirmation as Circuit Judge,
Senator Thurmond dedicated his life to public service. After signing an
age waiver so that he could parachute onto the beaches of Normandy,
Strom continued service in the U.S. Army as a reservist to eventually
gain the rank of Major General after 36 years in the military. Somehow
he even found time to run for governor of South Carolina and serve for
6 years.
We have ceremonies for men who were veterans in World War II and were
involved in the D-Day invasion in France. We have ceremonies for former
Governors who are elected and serve their states with distinction. We
even hold ceremonies for those fortunate enough to serve in the armed
services for 36 years. And today we hold a day of celebration for a man
who accomplished not one but all of these feats, and then was elected
as a write-in candidate on his way to serving in the U.S. Congress
longer than any other human being. Yet many of his past accomplishments
are overlooked because of his remarkable service in his nearly 50 years
in the Senate. It is a testimony to his nature and the impact he has
had on American politics that we sometimes fail to mention the first
part of his life.
As we honor Strom Thurmond today, I would like to thank him
personally for not only his dedication to serving the people of South
Carolina, but also for his leadership in the Senate and for being a
friend. It has been a privilege to serve on the Armed Services
Committee with Mr. Thurmond, and we all know about his hard work and
commitment to our military that he has displayed over the years. Thank
you also, Senator Thurmond, for your dedication to this institution
that we serve in today, an institution that will bare your mark for
years. But more importantly, thank you for your service to the United
States; you certainly are a centenarian for the ages.
I suggest the absence of a quorum.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
The assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
Mr. SPECTER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order
for the quorum call be rescinded.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
Mr. SPECTER. Mr. President, I have sought recognition to join in
paying tribute to Senator Strom Thurmond. Senator Thurmond will
celebrate his 100th birthday on December 5 and has the most remarkable
record of longevity in the Senate of any Senator in history.
I was disappointed when Strom decided not to run for reelection last
year, but I can understand his views on the subject. He has been really
a paragon of agility and sturdiness, taking steps two at a time, coming
up to the Senate Chamber--until very recently. Strom continues to have
a very firm handshake and he continues to have an agile mind and he
continues to make all the votes. So that is one of the reasons why I
questioned his decision not to run for reelection. I had watched
Senator Thurmond over the years, and when I was elected to the Senate
in 1980, I looked forward to meeting him. But I did not have to await
my arrival in the Senate to have my first contact with Senator Thurmond
because one day late in November, I was sitting in my den and the phone
rang. There was a deep southern voice: I would like to speak to Senator
Specter.
I said: This is he.
He said: This is Senator Thurmond.
I said: What a great pleasure to hear from you, Senator Thurmond.
He said: I called to ask if you would be willing to support me for
President pro tempore.
I said: Senator, I thought the position of President pro tempore was
automatically the senior member of the party in power, and I know that
is you, sir.
He said: That is true, but I do not like to take anything for
granted.
[[Page S9071]]
I said: Senator Thurmond, you may be assured I will support you for
President pro tempore. And I did.
I would like another chance to do that. Maybe we will have a chance
to support him for President pro tempore after the November elections.
When I joined the Senate, I selected the Judiciary Committee, which
is right in line with my own training and interests. Senator Thurmond,
of course, was the chairman of the Judiciary Committee. Regrettably,
when there were efforts to form a quorum, members were usually very
late. I made it a point to arrive on time. When I did that the third
time in a row--the chairman has to arrive on time--when I did that the
third time in a row, Senator Thurmond asked what I was doing there on
time. Then he thanked me, congratulated me, and said I might even start
a precedent.
In 1982, when there were two Pennsylvanians up for confirmation,
Judge Mansman and Judge Caldwell, I was there to present them to the
committee. Senator Thurmond was presiding as chairman. He asked them a
question. He said to them: If confirmed, do you promise to be
courteous? I thought to myself: Why would he ask the question, If you
are confirmed, do you promise to be courteous? Not surprisingly, both
nominees said yes.
Then Senator Thurmond said: Because the more power a person has, the
more courteous a person should be. I have not heard a more profound
statement in my 22 years in the Senate. Not that there is a whole lot
of competition for profound statements around here.
When Senator Thurmond does not appear at Judiciary Committee
hearings, I ask the question. I have had many nominees comment to me
after a number of years how they thought that was a very significant
question. If any judge is listening now, that is the hallmark of a
judge. Judges have a lot of reasons to be out of sort with lawyers who
are not prepared, or witnesses who are unresponsive, but there is
enormous power in that black robe with a lifetime appointment, and
Senator Thurmond had his finger right on it.
There are a lot of vignettes I could tell, but Senator Allen has come
to the floor, so I will limit myself to a couple more.
When Senator Howard Baker was the majority leader, we used to have
all-night sessions, a very stark contrast from now when we hardly have
day sessions. One evening we had a finance bill before us. It was 1982.
It was 11:45 p.m. The floor was crowded with Senators. Nobody had any
appointments left at 11:45 p.m. Senator Baker stood behind that podium
and said: Amendments, like mushrooms, grow overnight, so we are going
to stay and finish the bill. I have consulted with the chairman--
Senator Dole of the Finance Committee--and we worked through the night.
There were maybe three, four rollcall votes, a lot of amendments taken,
a lot of amendments dropped. We walked out at 6:30 in the morning into
the sunshine with a complete complex finance bill.
If we did that tonight, we would finish homeland security by morning.
In any event, that is one of the occasions I went down to the
restaurant, which was kept open. I made it a point to find Senator
Thurmond's table and have a bowl of soup and to hear great stories
about Senator Thurmond's career in Washington, DC. He talked about
Lyndon Johnson as a Senator, and that young fellow, John Kennedy, who
came to the Senate, about the heroes and the legends of the Senate,
because he has seen them all.
One story he told, which I thought was especially interesting, was
about the inaugural parade on January 20, 1949. Senator Thurmond had
run for President and had carried four States and almost threw the
election into the House of Representatives. In the parade, after
President Truman was elected and Vice President Alben Barkley was
elected, Strom came down with his wife riding in an open-top car,
probably dressed in a cutaway. I am not sure about that. Maybe I will
ask Strom to yield for a question here. When he passed the reviewing
stand, he stood up and tipped his hat. Vice President Alben Barkley
started to raise his hand and, as Strom told the story, Truman grabbed
his hand and pulled it down and said: Don't you wave to that SOB. I
might be more explicit but somebody might want to have it stricken from
the Record as being an inappropriate statement.
One more short story. In a Judiciary Committee hearing on one
occasion, Strom did not want to see a quorum reached because he did not
want legislation to be passed out of the committee. So he stood right
outside the Judiciary Committee door over in 226. He wanted to be right
there poised to go into the room in the event there was a quorum so he
could obstruct whatever it was he did not want to happen.
Ralph Yarborough, a Senator from Texas, came up and grabbed hold of
Strom and tried to pull him into the hearing room. Strom--I do not know
exactly what the wrestling maneuver was, but Yarborough ended up on the
floor in a Strom Thurmond scissor. Strom did finally agree to release
Senator Yarborough with Yarborough's promise he would not go into the
hearing room.
As the story goes, Yarborough went into the hearing room. Strom
should never have released him. He probably would still be there if
Strom had not been so generous.
Senator Thurmond has been an example in many ways as his political
philosophy has advanced. He is a great advocate for African Americans,
constituents--the wall of his office ought to be memorialized and left
intact. He has so many plaques and commemorative memorabilia.
It has enabled me to tell a story on the stump which has been
somewhat useful both from a political and humorous point of view, and
that is, when running for reelection, I say: If I am reelected in 2004
when I am next up and decide to run again 6 years later in 2010, and
decide to try again 6 years after that in 2016, and run again in 2022,
and then run again in 2028, at that point, I will be younger than
Senator Strom Thurmond is today.
People are always amazed at the thought of running in 2028. So they
think it is not too bad to run in the year 2004 for a fifth term. They
are always very much impressed by Senator Strom Thurmond.
So, Strom, I join my colleagues in saluting you for a fabulous career
and wish you 100 more years of continued good health.
I yield the floor.
Mr. BINGAMAN. Mr. President, three score and 10 years ago our
colleague, Strom Thurmond, first won elective office when he was chosen
to serve in the South Carolina House of Representatives. He has been
figure of influence in--and on behalf of--his home State ever since.
The longest-serving Senator in the history of this body, he will be
retiring at the end of this Congress, and today we have the opportunity
to recount our own experiences with this American legend.
Senator Thurmond had been in the Senate 26 years when I arrived in
1983, a brand-new member of the Armed Services Committee. He never
treated me as the neophyte, just-learning-the-ropes newcomer that I
was. From the start, I was his colleague, and he was mine. His long
history of work on national defense is based on his love of this
country, and his own experiences on the battlefield. Somebody thought
he was too old to be a paratrooper for the Normandy Landing. It is part
of his extraordinary resume that he got an age exemption, and
parachuted in on D-Day.
There is no one quite like him. I have appreciated his friendship
from my first day here, and, with my colleagues, will feel a great pang
of loss when the new Congress opens in January and he will not take his
seat as a Senator from South Carolina.
I think all of us recall those lines from ``Hamlet'' when we think
about our friend and his remarkable life. ``He was a man, take him for
all in all/I ensure shall not look upon his like again.''
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Virginia.
Mr. ALLEN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that I be allowed
to speak for as much time as I may consume. I estimate I will need 10
minutes.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
Mr. ALLEN. Mr. President, I join my colleagues in saluting the senior
Senator from South Carolina, Mr. Thurmond, as he prepares to celebrate
his 100th birthday. James Strom Thurmond is not just a man who is loved
by
[[Page S9072]]
the people of South Carolina, who elected him to a remarkable eight
terms to the Senate, but he is a man who is respected and admired by
this body and institution in which he serves.
Others who have spoken, who are much more senior to me, have
recounted his distinguished careers, stories, the elections, the
changes in our country over the years, and also the positive changes in
Senator Thurmond as he has moved forward with America and the times, in
making sure that all Americans have opportunities in education, to
compete and succeed in life.
I find it interesting that he was the first person in 1954 to ever be
elected to a national office by a write-in vote. The people of South
Carolina elected Strom Thurmond to the Senate by a write-in vote. At
that time, I was not paying too much attention to politics since I was
only 2 years old when he won that election.
There are a lot of stories to tell and a lot of impressions have been
made in the short time I have been in the Senate. I knew I had come to
a very special place when the first meeting of the Republican Senate
caucus was singing happy birthday for Senator Thurmond's 98th birthday,
and I was thinking of all the stories of Strom Thurmond, this living
legend. That day we also had a very rancorous debate on different
positions, the policy chairman, the Senate Republican chair. There were
people giving nominating speeches and seconding speeches, and it was
tough to choose among friends, but we finally decided who the policy
chair was and the Republican Senate chair. There were all of these
contests and seconding speeches.
At the end, Leader Lott said: We have to also elect the Senate
President pro tempore and, of course, that is going to be Strom
Thurmond. There were no nominating speeches and no seconding speeches.
Everyone rose and said ``aye.''
Strom then stood up, and this was the extent of Strom's speech: Thank
you all. You are darn smart people. And that is how Strom was easily
elected.
There are so many memories of Strom Thurmond in the Allen family. I
remember my mother always talking about dancing with Strom Thurmond.
Whenever we bring up the Senate, she says: I danced with Strom
Thurmond. She says it every time I bring up the Senate, and this was
back in the 1970s. I know there are a lot of ladies' hearts that have
fluttered over the years with the wonderful privilege of dancing with
Strom Thurmond.
My wife's family, the Brown family, is from South Carolina. Of
course, he is revered as a hero in South Carolina, as he is all across
the country but especially in South Carolina. Any time any of that
family in South Carolina had a wedding, a birthday or a birth, Strom
Thurmond was there congratulating them on that wonderful event.
I also have the privilege of being assigned to an office in the
Russell building that is in the same hallway as Strom Thurmond. I see
Strom as he makes it to every vote. I see him on the elevator as we go
to the trolley to get to the Chamber. He is always smiling. He is
always cheerful. He is always in a good mood.
This year we all were blessed with those good South Carolina peaches
to make sure we are all getting a good healthy diet. I was commenting
about the great peaches and I said, most of my staff took those
peaches, and Strom said: Well, get that boy another bag of those South
Carolina peaches. So our family was able to enjoy those wonderful
peaches.
Last year, we had the national D-day memorial in Bedford County, VA,
which had the highest per capita loss of life in the D-day invasion. It
was a wonderful event. The President was there. The Ambassador from
France was there. It was a wonderful ceremony. Strom Thurmond was
there. Strom Thurmond was one of those brave soldiers who obviously
stormed those beaches and fortunately survived the Normandy invasion on
D-day. I will say the President received a slightly bigger cheer, but
every single person who was there, those thousands and thousands of
people loved seeing Strom Thurmond, a true American hero, in Bedford
for that celebration and dedication of the national D-day memorial.
The point is, Strom Thurmond is an inspiration to many of us for many
different reasons. While we all aspire to achieve such longevity, we
admire Strom Thurmond for a life lived fully and in the advancement of
public service. As Senator Thurmond reaches his centenarian status
later this year, on behalf of all the good people of Virginia, I offer
my best wishes to him, his family, and his constituents.
There will never be another Strom Thurmond. Nevertheless, I hope and
pray God will continue to bless America with people who have Strom
Thurmond's cheerfulness and devotion, and I surely hope we are blessed
with people of his character.
It is great to be a Senator from Virginia, but it is truly an honor
to serve with Senator Thurmond. I shall always and forever cherish the
memories of your smiling, twinkling eyes which reveal your happy heart.
You have been a great soldier, a great Senator, and a great leader. I
thank God for blessing us with people of your character.
I yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Kentucky.
Mr. McCONNELL. Is consent required to make my remarks?
The PRESIDING OFFICER. It is.
Mr. McCONNELL. I ask unanimous consent that I be allowed to proceed
for 7 minutes in my tribute to our retiring Senator, Mr. Thurmond.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, what is perhaps more amazing than Strom
Thurmond's record length of service in the Senate is how he made it
here in the first place.
Strom Thurmond was the first and only American ever elected to the
Senate as a write-in candidate. The dizzying prospect of waging a
write-in campaign strikes fear into any aspiring or incumbent
politician. After all, getting voters to the polls is one thing.
Getting voters to go the extra mile and write in a name not listed on
the ballot is a wholly different beast.
So once one knows that in 1954, Strom was able to inspire a majority
of South Carolina voters to write him into the Senate, and into the
history books, it makes perfect sense why he also ended up as our
Nation's longest serving Senator.
Today, of course, it is Strom's record-setting tenure that has
captivated American political and popular culture. Turn the page of any
magazine or the dial of any radio and, eventually, you will find
Americans holding up Strom as the benchmark to near-immortality.
For years, Senator Thurmond has attributed his age-defying
achievements to ``diet, exercise, and an optimistic attitude.'' Well, I
dug a little deeper reading old clips on the advice he has given to
friends and colleagues so I could try and piece together a more
specific and exhaustive answer.
After sleuthing around a bit, here is the ``simple'' formula I can
pass along: Begin your mornings with 20 minutes of calisthenics, 50
pushups, 10 minutes of weightlifting, and 20 minutes on a exercise
bike. Oh, and swim a half mile twice a week; eat half of a banana, four
prunes, a handful of grapes, blueberries, peaches, egg whites, a glass
of Orange Juice, and a glass of prune juice; inherit good genes;
abstain from fried or fatty foods. But eat lots of chicken, fish, and
all kinds of seafood; abstain from caffeine; abstain from sugars;
abstain from smoking.
But beneath all the rubble surrounding ``Strom's Secrets,'' one
ingredient stands out above all others. In an editorial celebrating the
Senator's 99th birthday, the Rock Hill Herald revealed Strom's secret
to longevity as ``his determination to serve South Carolina as long as
he's able.''
I believe that this sentiment more than the prune juice or the push-
ups best explains Strom's record-setting service to South Carolina,
from a small-town school superintendent among the peach groves of tiny
Edgefield, SC, to almost a half a century in the Senate.
Mr. President, as I said, the year Senator Thurmond came to this body
on a write-in--a most astonishing thing because no other Senator in
American history has ever been elected to the Senate by a write-in--I
was playing Little League baseball in Augusta, GA, across the Savannah
River from Senator Thurmond's hometown of Aiken. I confess I was not
following politics all that carefully at age 12, but
[[Page S9073]]
I do remember my parents talking about Senator Thurmond's astonishing
accomplishment right across the river in South Carolina, having been
elected to the Senate on a write-in ballot.
As I grew older and began to pay attention to Government and politics
in America, I began to realize Strom Thurmond was something quite
special. When I came to the Senate in 1984, 40 years after my parents
telling me about Senator Thurmond winning on a write-in, I knew
instantly I was in the presence of a legend, as we all have been who
have had the privilege of being a Member of this body at the same time
as the senior Senator from South Carolina.
There will literally never be another American like Senator Thurmond.
We all know he was too old for World War II, he did not have to go, but
at age 42, as Senator Allen just made reference to, Senator Thurmond
was there on D-day. In fact, he was in one of those gliders the night
of D-day. Last year, we had an opportunity to see ``Band of Brothers''
on HBO about the 101st and its experience from D-day through the end of
war. I watched every segment of that. In addition to what I was viewing
on the television screen, I thought mostly about our colleague and his
harrowing experience of going in the night of D-day on a glider. He did
crack up, and as we all know, he was able to walk away and survive the
crackup and survive the war and become an American hero.
Not many of us are ever going to be legends, and almost none of us
are going to be legends in our own time. The Senator from South
Carolina has lived long enough to observe his own legendary status,
which is a truly remarkable thing. We will never, ever, see another
Strom Thurmond. He is unique in the annals of American history.
I want to say to you, Senator Thurmond, as a son of the South myself,
somebody who was born in Alabama and then migrated north to Kentucky--
most people think of Kentucky as south, but for us it was north--and
having lived in Georgia when you were first elected on a write-in, I
want to say to you that you have been an inspiration to me and an
inspiration to many of us in the deep South who have been so proud of
you and your enormous accomplishments over the years.
I extend my congratulations to Senator Thurmond on his pending
birthday, reaching 100 years of age. In fact, I had the Today show on
this morning and Willard mentioned you, Senator Thurmond. He is working
up to celebrating your 100th birthday in December and, of course,
finishing up your term. You have had a truly remarkable career that
will never be equaled in this body. My congratulations to you and our
best wishes for the future.
So, Senator, today I raise my voice--joining the chorus of so many
other voices--to pay my fondest farewell to your tireless and timeless
dedication to serving the families of the great Palmetto State.
I yield the floor.
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