[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 82 (Thursday, June 5, 2003)]
[House]
[Pages H5037-H5039]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  TRIBUTE TO GENERAL ERIC K. SHINSEKI

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from California (Mr. Lewis) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Speaker, I have before me an outline of 
information regarding General Eric Shinseki, Chief of the United States 
Army, who is on the verge of his retirement. The material before me 
involves much more than the 5 minutes that is available to us at this 
moment, but the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Murtha) and I want to 
make sure that all of this is in the Record.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a genuine American hero, 
our retiring Chief of Staff of the United States Army, Eric K. 
Shinseki. After leading the Army during successful campaigns against 
terrorism in Afghanistan and Iraq and putting the Army on an 
irreversible track towards transformation, General Shinseki is stepping 
down as Chief of Staff of the Army next week.
  Mr. Speaker, there is many a thing that I would say, but most of us 
in the House have come to know and be spellbound by the story of 
General Shinseki's life. Indeed, Hollywood could not have written a 
better story that would reflect an Horatio Alger kind of hero during 
our very age.
  Mr. Speaker, when I first met General Shinseki, I was a newly elected 
chairman of the Subcommittee on National Security of the Committee on 
Appropriations. Shortly after assuming that responsibility, I was asked 
to go to the swearing-in of the new Army Chief, meeting a general whom 
I had really not known at all for the first time, the beginning of a 
very deep and growing friendship.
  Eric Shinseki, upon being sworn in, was introduced; and in that 
introduction I learned for the first time when he was born, Rick 
Shinseki was born a foreign alien, for he was of Japanese dissent, born 
in Hawaii, and World War II was raging. So a foreign alien. Think of 
that and think of the reflection and what that says about our country 
that some years later that same individual rises to be the Chief of the 
United

[[Page H5038]]

States Army. It is a fantastic reflection of this country's strength 
and what it means in terms of service and opportunity for those who 
will but serve.
  Another piece of that introduction and the Chief's speech says an 
awful lot about this guy Rick Shinseki. I will never forget his words. 
Turning to the audience, he said, I want all of you who are here 
present to know I would not be here today if it were not for the 
Shinseki women, and he pointed out some two dozen of those women who 
were in the audience, his grandmother, his mother, wife, daughters, et 
cetera. With that, he went on to outline his vision for the future of 
the Army relatively near term, and for the first time I heard in a 
meaningful way an outline by a military leader that involved the term 
transformation. He was about transforming the American Army and making 
sure we found ourselves on a pathway that would allow the Army to lead 
this free country as the only remaining superpower for the decades 
ahead.
  As he discussed the fact that the Army needed to be lighter and 
quicker and stronger, I heard a fellow just behind me who also had 
stars on his shoulders, I heard him gasp, what does this guy think the 
Marine Corps is for, although the terms he used in expressing that 
sentiment were a little stronger than I have used here. But, 
nonetheless, a clear illustration that there continues to be 
competition between our branches, which is good, but there also 
continues to be a great need for transformation throughout the 
Department of Defense. And the first guy out on the point regarding 
that transformation is this great Chief who is now retiring, Eric 
Shinseki.
  The gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Murtha) and I have had a chance 
to work very closely with the Chief. We have had a chance to play a 
role in developing ideas of his such as the future combat system, to 
talk out loud about what that future battlefield might look like and to 
talk about the fact that we are responsible for by far the largest 
budget in the Congress, those moneys that flow on behalf of our 
national defense and allowing America to be the voice for freedom. 
Indeed, in those conversations time and time again, the General and I 
come back to this thought:

                              {time}  1700

  That is the thought that the reason we spend these moneys is not 
because we are about to wage war but because America is the force for 
peace and we appropriate these dollars and work with the Army and the 
rest of our forces on behalf of peace in the world. So as General Eric 
K. Shinseki goes on to a new part of his life, we thank him for his 
great and wonderful service, and we all are in his debt.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a genuine American hero--
our retiring Chief of Staff of the United States Army, General Eric K. 
Shinseki. After leading the Army during successful campaigns against 
terrorism in Afghanistan and Iraq and putting the Army on an 
irreversible track towards transformation, General Shinseki is stepping 
down as chief of staff next week.
  Many of us in the Congress have come to know, and be spellbound by, 
the story of General Shinseki's life. Indeed, Hollywood couldn't have 
written a better Horatio Alger story. General Shinseki, as we've all 
come to know, was born during World War II to Japanese-American parents 
at a time when the fears of war created a regrettable episode in our 
history--the internment of American citizens and loyal immigrants. 
Between then and now, much has changed in the world and in this 
country. General Shinseki has been a positive force for some of that 
change, even as his incredible professional accomplishments are a 
symbol of that change.
  Indeed, I remember so well the first time I heard the Shinseki story. 
It was during the introduction at his swearing-in ceremony as the 
Army's Chief of Staff. That story moved me, but I was also struck by 
General Shinseki's own remarks that followed. He spoke eloquently and 
forcefully on a broad range of topics--it was during these remarks that 
I first heard the term ``transformation.'' General Shinseki shared with 
us his powerful vision for change and I was intrigued at how clear his 
transformational ideas were, and how resolute and determined he seemed 
in bringing this about. I also remember what he said about his family--
just how important they were to him. He singled out, as he called them, 
the dozen or so ``Shinseki women,'' in the audience--his grandmother, 
mother, sisters, wife, and daughters--saying he wouldn't be where he 
was today without them. His sincere humility and gratitude on this his 
big day, was inspiring. It was a moving set of remarks on a propitious 
and portentous day, an event that remains fresh in my memory even now.
  With the guiding hand of loving parents, Ric Shinseki matured into an 
extraordinary young American with rock-solid values and with a calling 
to serve--``Duty, Honor, Country.'' This West Point graduate is a 
decorated combat veteran and an accomplished peacemaker. He is a fierce 
warrior-leader with a Master's degree in Literature--a true Renaissance 
man. His story is an inspiration for us all. He has lived the 
``American Dream'' rising to become the 34th Army Chief of Staff.
  As a young junior officer, Ric Shinseki served valiantly and 
selflessly in Vietnam, where he was wounded twice--once so severely his 
troops were convinced he would not survive. His valor and courage under 
fire won him three Bronze Star Medals for valor and two Purple Hearts.

  A ``soldier's soldier'' who has commanded at every level, General 
Shinseki is also a reflective and intellectually gifted leader. In 
addition to West Point, General Shinseki has attended the National War 
College and Duke University. Those of us in the Congress involved 
extensively with defense issues have come to know him as an insightful 
thinker and inspirational speaker and writer. He is someone we all 
trust and respect.
  Nearing the pinnacle of his Army career, General Shinseki spent 15 
months as the commander of the NATO Stabilization Force in Bosnia in 
1997. He led this force with remarkable skill, helping that land begin 
to heal the wounds of years of war. His abilities as a warrior-diplomat 
subsequently helped the Army prepare for and execute its peacekeeping 
responsibilities in Kosovo.
  General Eric Shinseki became Army Chief of Staff in June 1999--just 
six months after I took the job as chairman of the House Defense 
Appropriations Subcommittee. Over the past four years, we have spent a 
lot of the time together, professionally and socially, and I have 
always come away from those meetings inspired and thoughtful about the 
general's visionary ideas.
  In many ways his early performance in Vietnam revealed the true 
measure and character of this man. This is a tough man who sticks to 
what he believes is right, even when it is unpopular, controversial, 
and sometimes even when it is against his own interests. True courage. 
And we have seen more of this during his tour as Army Chief of Staff.
  After only a few months into his tenure as Army Chief, General 
Shinseki unveiled his comprehensive plan for transformation, the vision 
for which, as I mentioned earlier, he introduced at his swearing-in 
ceremony. This town is indebted to him for bringing our collective 
attention to this important mandate. Transformation is now a very 
popular phrase in defense circles, with many proclaimed authors, but 
in this Body in these chambers, we know where this all started and 
gained traction--with the humble and understated Ric Shinseki.

  Think about how difficult it was for this career Armor officer, a 
Tanker himself, to lead the Army in a direction away from 70-ton tanks 
towards a lighter, more strategically responsive force. Indeed, General 
Shinseki faced considerable skepticism within the naturally 
conservative institution that is the U.S. Army. An Army, after all, 
that had been tremendously successful over the past decade during major 
combat operations in Panama, the Persian Gulf, and in several other 
lesser contingencies and peacekeeping operations around the globe. Yet, 
General Shinseki knew that more than incremental changes were needed to 
get the Army ready for future requirements--it wasn't enough to look 
backwards as validation of work well done.
  After 9-11, and after devastating attacks only yards away from his 
office, General Shinseki quickly moved the Army onto a ``wartime 
footing.'' Like all Americans, I watched with pride and wonderment as 
our armed forces quickly accomplished their objectives time and again 
in Afghanistan and most recently now in Iraq. This is the legacy that 
General Shinseki leaves behind--a fabulously well trained and 
disciplined force that is helping win the Global War on Terror, while 
at the same time it is transforming itself to meet the threats of the 
21st Century.
  Throughout our time together, I have greatly valued this man's 
opinion and judgment that is always carefully arrived at and based upon 
over three and a half decades of experience and committed service to 
the nation. We haven't always agreed, in fact, we've had some major 
differences over the years, but there is not one in this town I respect 
more than our outgoing Army Chief of Staff. We will miss him sorely. 
And we will miss his lovely wife Patty, too. She has steadfastly and 
selflessly stood by her husband and the Army for over 38 years and 
today on behalf of my colleagues of the United States Congress, we say 
``thank you'' for a job well done, and may

[[Page H5039]]

God bless you with health and happiness in all future endeavors. 
Although we now end our time together as Chairman and Chief, we will 
always remain friends.
  Mr. Speaker, I greatly appreciate this very special opportunity to 
honor my friend, General Eric Shinseki--a model citizen and soldier.

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