[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 117 (Friday, August 1, 2003)]
[Senate]
[Page S10874]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          TRIBUTE TO BOB HOPE

  Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I take this opportunity to pay tribute to 
one of America's greatest performers, Mr. Bob Hope, somebody who has 
changed all of our lives in very special and individual ways. As we all 
know, he died last Sunday night of pneumonia, with his family at his 
bedside.
  The family plans an August 27 mass in Los Angeles, and a public 
memorial later that afternoon at the Academy of Television Arts and 
Sciences. Today, I wish to remember, in this humble body, Mr. Hope's 
profound contributions to American life.
  Bob Hope was born one of six boys in a London suburb on May 29, 1903. 
His family made their way to America when he was three, and they 
settled in Cleveland, OH. What a blessing for America that the Hope 
family made that journey.
  Growing up, Bob Hope was a shoe shine boy, a butcher's mate, 
stockboy, newspaper boy, golf caddy, shoe salesman, and even a prize 
fighter. All of these things, before he became what we remember him as, 
one of America's most beloved and successful entertainers.
  As a performer, Bob Hope had the rare and miraculous gift of being 
able to touch our common humanity.
  His famous road pictures with Bing Crosby and Dorothy Lamour were the 
quintessential expressions of the adventure of being an American.
  But he is most loved, of course, for the thousands of hours and 
millions of miles he spent on selfless devotion to our troops. He 
traversed 9 million miles, despite a fear of flying, to comfort and 
entertain our fighting men and women.
  World War II, South Korea, Vietnam, from the Far East to Northern 
Africa, the Indonesian Peninsula to the heart of Europe, in jungles and 
refugee camps, Air Force bases, Navy ships, forward bases, and 
demilitarized zones, Bob Hope went wherever we needed him, and he 
conveyed to our troops the commitment and love of the American people.
  The front rows would be filled with soldiers injured in battle, limbs 
blown off, bodies wrapped in bandages and he would manage to make them 
laugh.
  He was able--for those moments while he was onstage giving his best 
to our best--to lift those young men and women out of their war torn 
bodies and help them forget the fatigue, fear and loneliness of battle.
  Time magazine wrote in 1943 that ``Hope was funny, treating hoards of 
soldiers to roars of laughter. He was friendly--ate with servicemen, 
drank with them, read their doggerel, listened to their songs. He was 
indefatigable, running himself ragged with five, six, seven shows a 
day. . . . Hence boys whom Hope might entertain for an hour awaited him 
for weeks. And when he came, anonymous guys who had no other 
recognition felt personally remembered.''
  Hope narrowly escaped an attempt on his life when his hotel in 
Vietnam was bombed by enemy forces. He was waiting at the airport for 
his cue cards to be unloaded from the plane, and the delay literally 
saved him. You could say it was the only occasion he didn't have 
perfect timing, and thank goodness.
  Bob Hope's dear friend, legendary golfer and Hall of Famer, Arnold 
Palmer, said today that he believes the reason why Bob Hope lived so 
long was because he was fundamentally happy and doing what he loved. 
May we all be so blessed.
  Albert Einstein said, ``Try not to become a man of success, but, 
rather, to become a man of value.'' Bob Hope managed to become both.
  Four stars on the Walk of Fame--one for each child, a legendarily 
happy marriage of 69 years to his beloved Dolores.
  I wanna tell ya': Bob Hope is a giant and a national treasure. We 
will never forget his service to our country.
  Thank you for the memories, Mr. Hope. Godspeed.
  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I listened with great interest to the 
majority leader's comments about Bob Hope. I remember the morning after 
he died his daughter was interviewed. She said as the children were 
coming in and saying goodbye to him, one of them asked, Dad, where do 
you want to be buried? He said, ``Surprise me.''
  He had a one-liner right to the end.

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