[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 145 (Thursday, September 27, 2007)]
[Senate]
[Pages S12281-S12282]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    RETIREMENT OF GENERAL PETER PACE

  Mr. LIEBERMAN. Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to a true 
patriot and exceptional leader of our military, GEN. Peter Pace, 
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, for his more than 40 years of 
dedicated service to the U.S. Armed Forces and to our country.
  General Pace has devoted his life to service of his country. For him, 
duty, honor, and commitment have been more than words. They have been a 
career and a way of life. America is great because of the service and 
sacrifice of Americans like General Pace. We are deeply grateful for 
his service.
  General Pace has consistently put the military ideal of service to 
country before himself and has shown exceptional concern for the well-
being of our men and women in uniform. Indeed, if there is one trait 
that can be said to define the character of General Pace, it is that he 
has been guided in all his decisions by an intense feeling of duty to 
the soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines who defend the freedoms we 
all enjoy.
  This brave patriot is retiring October 1, marking the end of a long 
and distinguished military career.
  GEN. Peter Pace began his service to America at the U.S. Naval 
Academy. In 1968, after completing officer training at the Basic School 
in Quantico, Virginia, General Pace was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 
5th Marines, of the 1st Marine Division in Vietnam.
  In Vietnam, he served first as a rifle platoon leader and 
subsequently became an assistant operations officer. He joined the 
platoon during the battle for Hue City and was the unit's third platoon 
leader in as many weeks.
  For his service and heroism, General Pace was decorated for valor 
during his tour in Vietnam. Yet what mattered most to him were the 
troops he led, some of whom, tragically, lost their lives for the 
country we love. General Pace holds as one of his most valued treasures 
the photo of LCpl Guido Farinaro, the first marine he lost in combat. 
The lance corporal's forever young likeness is under the glass on 
General Pace's desk, each day reminding him of the impact of his 
decisions as a military leader. General Pace has often been quoted as 
saying that it is the duty of every soldier to live his or her life in 
an exemplary way and take on an extra measure of responsibility for 
those fellow soldiers who have been killed and whose families now live 
without them. This dedication to the fallen, and to the survivors, is 
characteristic of General Pace.
  Following Vietnam, General Pace was assigned to Marine Barracks, 
Washington, DC, where he served as security detachment commander at 
Camp David, a White House social aide, and platoon leader of Special 
Ceremonial Platoon.
  Over the next two decades, General Pace held command at virtually 
every level and served our country throughout the world. While a 
brigadier general, he served as deputy commander of Marine Forces, 
Somalia, from December of 1992 to February of 1993, and as deputy 
commander of Joint Task Force--Somalia from October 1993 to March 1994.

  On September 30, 2005, General Pace became the country's senior 
military leader when he was sworn in as the 16th Chairman of the Joint 
Chiefs of Staff on September 30, 2005. General Pace also made history--
he had the distinction of being the first marine to serve in this role 
and of being the first Italian American to do so.
  I know from my personal conversations with him that General Pace took 
modest pride from that last fact. And believe that General Pace--whose 
name means ``peace'' in Italian--knew full well that his was a fitting 
name for a soldier because the path to achieving peace, and to 
preserving it, is through the kind of strong and capable a military to 
which he devoted his career.
  The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs is always a challenging job but 
never more so than at a time when the Nation is at war. He has been a 
respected source of military counsel for our country's leaders. He has 
worked to help transform the military so that it will be able to 
address the myriad of global challenges during this time of

[[Page S12282]]

war. Now, he leaves his chairmanship knowing that our Armed Forces in 
Iraq have been making new progress there, thanks to a new strategy put 
in place under his watch.
  As has been his practice since he left Annapolis 40 years ago, 
General Pace has always kept the best interests of our men and women in 
uniform in the forefront of discussions. General Pace is known for his 
thoughtful manner, his sense of humor, and above all his consummate 
integrity. One Pace trademark we have all come to value is his constant 
reference to ``PFC Pace'' in all military-related discussion, his 
attempt to ensure that the President, the Secretary of Defense, the 
National Security Council, the Homeland Defense Council, and the 
Congress consider the impact of their decisions on the most junior 
members of our military. General Pace's leadership has made a 
significant contribution to improving the security of the United States 
as we wage this war to protect our Nation and our liberty.
  As Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, General Pace has had a valued 
partner in helping to improve the quality of life for the family 
members who sustain our all-recruited force. His wife Lynne has 
diligently worked with her husband to assist military families in quite 
literally every clime and place. Throughout her husband's career, at 
each duty station, she focused on working to improve their quality of 
life, both as a key volunteer, where she provided advice on family 
readiness and financial assistance issues, and as a LINKS volunteer--
Lifestyles, Insights, Networking, Knowledge, and Skills--where she was 
a mentor to other military spouses and helped them adapt to the unique 
challenges of military life. In addition to serving on the boards of 
CARE, which works to eradicate world poverty through education, health, 
and economic programs, and the Armed Services YMCA, Lynne has worked 
with the USO, Americans with Disabilities, and numerous other volunteer 
groups. She also helped to develop a curriculum for spouses that became 
an integral part of the Commanders Course.
  The Paces' proudest accomplishment undoubtedly is their two children, 
Peter, a captain in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve, and Tiffany Marie, 
who is an accountant. This is truly a family that embodies the 
greatness of our blessed land.
  General Pace will indeed be remembered as a dedicated Chairman of the 
Joint Chiefs of Staff, a true patriot, a courageous warrior, a 
distinguished general, and a dedicated leader with the highest 
integrity and compassion for all who had the distinct honor of serving 
with him.
  When General Pace was appointed to become Chairman of the Joint 
Chiefs, President Bush remarked, ``To the American people, the Marine 
is shorthand for can-do, and I'm counting on Pete Pace to bring the 
Marine spirit to these new responsibilities.'' General Pace has always 
lived his life and served his country in the Marine spirit. A grateful 
nation extends her appreciation.
  Semper Fi.

                          ____________________