[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 119 (Thursday, September 21, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1805]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           A TRIBUTE TO COLONEL WILLIAM S. ``BILL'' McARTHUR

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. MIKE McINTYRE

                           of north carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 21, 2006

  Mr. McINTYRE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Colonel 
William S. ``Bill'' McArthur for his valiant service as an Astronaut 
with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Colonel 
McArthur's dedication, determination and devotion are an inspiration to 
America and particularly to the citizens of his home county of Robeson 
and all of southeastern North Carolina.
  A native of the community of Wakulla, and a graduate of nearby Red 
Springs High School, Colonel McArthur has heroically served his country 
for 33 years. After graduating from West Point in 1973, Colonel 
McArthur was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Army and 
was assigned a tour with the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg. 
Following his tour, he entered the U.S. Army Aviation School from which 
he graduated at the top of his flight class and was designated an Army 
aviator. He then served as an aeroscout team leader and brigade 
aviation section leader with the 2nd Infantry Division in Korea and 
later as a company commander, platoon leader, and operations officer 
with the 24th Combat Aviation Battalion. After receiving a Master of 
Science degree in aerospace engineering from the Georgia Institute of 
Technology in 1983, he was assigned to the Department of Mechanics at 
West Point as an assistant professor. Four years later, Colonel 
McArthur graduated from the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School and was 
designated an experimental test pilot. As a dedicated Master Army 
Aviator, he completed over 4,500 flight hours in 39 different air and 
spacecraft.
  In 1987, McArthur began his career with NASA as a Space Shuttle 
vehicle integration test engineer at the Johnson Space Center. 
Determined to be an astronaut, Colonel McArthur applied 7 times before 
he was selected by NASA in January 1990 and was officially designated 
an astronaut in July 1991. Since then, McArthur has worked in various 
positions within the Astronaut Office and has served as the Chief of 
the Astronaut Office Flight Support Branch. He has flown on four space 
flights including the Columbia in 1993; the Atlantis in 1995; the 
Discovery in 2000; and Expedition 12 in 2006 of which he was the 
Commander and International Space Station Science Officer. During his 
devoted service, Colonel McArthur has logged 224 days, 22 hours, 28 
minutes and 10 seconds in space, including 24 hours and 21 minutes of 
EVA time in space walks, and he has completed 556 orbits of the Earth.
  Mr. Speaker, in 1962 President John F. Kennedy said, ``We set sail on 
this new sea because there is new knowledge to be gained, and new 
rights to be won, and they must be won and used for the progress of all 
people.'' Colonel Bill McArthur reminds us that there is still much to 
be gained--for the benefit of all mankind--as we continue to explore 
space. On behalf of all the citizens of southeastern North Carolina and 
the United States, we thank him for all he has done to make this a 
better place. May God bless him and his family.

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