[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 84 (Thursday, June 17, 2004)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6993-S6994]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           ROBERT A. RIESMAN

  Mr. CHAFEE. Mr. President, I rise today to honor the life of Robert 
A. Riesman, who, sadly, passed away on June 2 in Providence, RI.
  Robert Riesman was a Renaissance man and a prominent Rhode Islander, 
who succeeded in and devoted himself passionately to all aspects of his 
life. He was a decorated soldier, a successful businessman, and a 
leader in Rhode Island politics. He was a philanthropist, a dedicated 
man of faith, and a devoted father and husband.
  But my own words cannot fully convey the value of Bob Riesman's 
character and achievements. This can best be expressed by Mr. Riesman's 
close friend and my esteemed colleague, Senator Jack Reed, whose 
eloquent eulogy of June 6 describes Mr. Riesman in the most human 
terms.
  Therefore, Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that Senator Reed's 
eulogy be printed in the Record.

                     In Memory of Robert A. Riesman

       Last Thursday, Richard Licht and I spoke. We quickly 
     concluded that, outside our own families, Bob Riesman was the 
     finest man that we had ever met. Then, we also quickly 
     concluded that we tend to give our families a little extra 
     credit.
       Bob Riesman was my hero.
       He lived his life heroically. He lived with honor and with 
     a commitment to high ideals. He pursued wisdom. He cherished 
     family and friends. He set an example of decency and 
     integrity and modesty. He time and time again entered the 
     arena to be part of the great issues that shaped his 
     generation and shaped our lives. But, he never forgot that 
     life is little things, too: acts of kindness, moments of 
     humor, sharing life's joys and disappointments with family 
     and friends.
       He was an American hero.
       He joined the Field Artillery at Camp Ethan Allen in 
     Vermont many months before Pearl Harbor. He had just 
     graduated from Harvard. Bob was always very proud of his 
     Harvard diploma, but declared that he was educated at the 
     Boston Latin School.
       He served with the First Infantry, his beloved ``Big Red 
     One''. He fought through North Africa and Sicily. His 
     soldiers admired his fearlessness and his authenticity. For 
     his courage under fire, he was awarded the Silver Star. For 
     his wounds, he was awarded the Purple Heart. Because of these 
     wounds, he had to leave the First Division and he became an 
     intelligence officer with the First Army. The last days of 
     the war found him as a staff officer in Paris.
       We always spoke together about the Army. Every conversation 
     in some way or another touched on our youthful and lifetime 
     devotion to the Army. Bob seldom, if ever, talked about the 
     difficult moments. He recalled the camaraderie. He spoke of 
     his admiration and respect for Sergeant Vic Lister and the 
     other American soldiers that he led. He spoke about the 
     leaders that he admired and those he found lacking. We both 
     reveled in those memories of soldiers and soldiering, he 
     knowing far better than I the terrible cost of war.
       Bob Riesman saw the horror of war but refused to surrender 
     his spirit to its brutality. And having seen that horror and 
     bearing the memory forever of those young soldiers who never 
     returned, Bob's return was not simply an occasion for 
     celebration. It was an opportunity and an obligation to 
     engage in another struggle; the struggle of a committed 
     citizen to build a just and decent society in America and to 
     be a force for peace and justice around the world.
       And, Bob never wavered from that commitment.
       Bob Riesman was a man of great faith and great tolerance.
       His parents taught him to cherish his Jewish faith and act 
     on this faith to serve his neighbors and his community and 
     his country. Bobs faith was more than just a theological 
     exercise. It was for him a summons, not just to reflection, 
     but also to action.
       Bob Riesman was my friend.
       To sit by him and to feel the comfort of a kindred spirit, 
     to listen and learn, to trace and retrace the days of our 
     lives, to share good wine and good conversation, to know the 
     feeling of unqualified support and affection was a precious 
     and enduring gift to me.
       On one memorable evening, we rode together, just the two of 
     us, back from West Point. We had been up for the day to visit 
     the newly dedicated Jewish Chapel at West Point. Bob and I 
     attended services with the Cadets and then had supper with 
     them. It had been a splendid day for the both of us, but a 
     special day for Bob, uniting both his faith and his Army. In 
     the nighttime drive, we spoke of many things. At one point, 
     we began to discuss William Butler Yeats. Bob, as he often 
     did to my amazement, began to recite from memory passages not 
     only from Yeats, but W. H. Auden's famous lines:

     Earth receive a honored guest
     William Yeats is laid to rest

       Today, earth receives another honored guest.
       Bob taught me so much and, along with my Father and Mother, 
     set an example of what, on my best day, I might hope to be.
       His approval meant the world to me. I recall those times 
     when we spoke and he was particularly pleased by something he 
     had read or heard about me. He would say ``my boy, you are a 
     credit to the Regiment.''
       In a life of extraordinary achievement, Bob's greatest 
     achievement was his marriage to Marcia and their wonderful 
     children and grandchildren. Marcia and Bob were best friends 
     as well as husband and wife. To watch them was all you needed 
     to know about respect and commitment and deep and abiding 
     love.
       Bobby and Jeanie are their parents' pride. Whenever I asked 
     about either of them, Bob's eyes would light up and his voice 
     would resonate with uncontained joy and pride. This reaction 
     was only exceeded when we spoke about Abe and Clare.

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       At this moment, I know we all wish for one thing, to have a 
     few minutes again with Bob, to be with him before the fire on 
     Freeman Parkway or watching the sun set in Middletown, to 
     feel the comfort of his presence, to know that in a life that 
     can mean there was at least one who was noble. But, that 
     cannot be.
       And knowing this, our hearts would surely break save for 
     one thing. Bob made us stronger and better by his life. He 
     has given us the example and the ability to carry on. And, we 
     will.
       Dear friend, I shall miss you.
       Dear friend, ``you have been a credit to the Regiment.''

                          ____________________