[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 124 (Thursday, September 26, 2002)]
[Senate]
[Page S9414]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 TRIBUTE TO U.S. SENATOR STROM THURMOND

  Mr. INOUYE. Strom Thurmond will go down in the history of our Nation 
as an extraordinary citizen and an extraordinary patriot.
  Few people can match his record of achievements:

       He was commissioned as an officer in the United States Army 
     Reserve nearly 80 years ago. In 1959, he retired as a major 
     general after serving 36 years in reserve and active duty.
       On D-day, June 6, 1944, Lieutenant Colonel Thurmond boarded 
     an Army CG4A glider and flew behind enemy lines into 
     Normandy.
       He served as Governor of South Carolina. Later, he was a 
     candidate for President of the United States, receiving the 
     third-largest independent electoral vote in U.S. History.
       In 1954, he was elected to the U.S. Senate as a write-in 
     candidate. Today, he is the oldest and longest serving Member 
     of the Senate.

  I have been privileged to know and work with Senator Thurmond for 
nearly 40 years. I wish to thank him for his wealth of wisdom. I will 
always cherish his friendship.
  But Senator Thurmond is not only my colleague and friend, he is also 
my brother-in-arms. During World War II, anti-tank gunners from my 
regiment, the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, assaulted southern France 
in 1944. Like Senator Thurmond, they went into battle aboard gliders 
without armor. Glider-borne assaults were extremely dangerous and 
risky; some would even say they were suicidal missions. However, they 
were a necessary component of the United States' invasion and 
liberation of Nazi-occupied France.
  Senator Thurmond demonstrated rare courage, patriotism, and 
leadership as gliderman of the 82nd Airborne Division. Most glider 
descents were ``controlled crashes,'' and that was the case when 
Senator Thurmond's glider landed in Normandy. Although he was injured, 
he managed to safely lead his men to the 82nd Airborne Division 
headquarters at daybreak. The 82nd went on to accomplish its difficult 
objective of seizing and securing key positions in enemy territory.
  I am pleased to report that Senator Thurmond's distinguished military 
service will be honored with the naming of a new section of the 
Airborne and Special Operations Museum in Fayetteville, NC. The 
Thurmond Wing will house an exhibit dedicated to the courageous combat 
gliderman of World War II.
  As a Senator, Strom Thurmond has often taken positions that were not 
universally supported. Yet one could always be certain that his 
decisions were honest. He is passionate in his beliefs, and his 
commitment to serving his constituents has been exemplary. At the end 
of our service in the Congress, we, his fellow Senate Members, can only 
hope that we will be able to say we have served our people with the 
diligence and devotion that Senator Thurmond has served his people. 
Indeed, Senator Thurmond can leave this Chamber and say, with 
confidence and without hesitation, that he has faithfully served the 
people of South Carolina.

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