[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.

                          ____________________