[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 73 (Monday, May 5, 2008)]
[House]
[Pages H3038-H3039]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                            CHARLTON HESTON

  Mr. CLAY. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the 
resolution (H. Res. 1091) honoring the life,

[[Page H3039]]

achievements, and contributions of Charlton Heston and extending its 
deepest sympathies to the family of Charlton Heston for the loss of 
such a great generous man, husband, and father, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
  The text of the resolution is as follows:

                              H. Res. 1091

       Whereas the United States of America has lost a great 
     patriot with the passing of Charlton Heston;
       Whereas Charlton Heston first became beloved by the Nation 
     as a great actor and portrayed many heroic figures, including 
     Moses, Michelangelo, Andrew Jackson, John the Baptist, Mark 
     Antony, and El Cid in epic movies of the 1950s and 1960s, and 
     won the 1959 Best Actor Oscar for the lead character in 
     ``Ben-Hur'';
       Whereas Charlton Heston was a leader in many areas of life 
     outside of acting, including serving as President of the 
     Screen Actors Guild, which he helped to integrate with Ronald 
     Reagan and was Chairman of the American Film Institute;
       Whereas Charlton Heston was an active supporter of the 
     civil rights movement, including protesting the showing of 
     his film at a segregated movie theater in Oklahoma City and 
     participating in and leading the Arts Group in the 1963 civil 
     rights march on Washington;
       Whereas in the last major public role of his life, Charlton 
     Heston was President of the National Rifle Association from 
     June 1998 until April 2003;
       Whereas as President of the National Rifle Association, 
     Charlton Heston was a stalwart advocate of the position that 
     the 2nd Amendment gave citizens the right to keep and bear 
     arms;
       Whereas Charlton Heston was an active promoter of wildlife 
     management through hunting;
       Whereas, in 2003, Charlton Heston was awarded the 
     Presidential Medal of Freedom, the Nation's highest civilian 
     honor;
       Whereas Charlton Heston was born in Illinois on October 4, 
     1923, and his parents moved to St. Helen, Michigan, where he 
     grew up;
       Whereas, in 1943, Charlton Heston enlisted in the Army Air 
     Force and served as a radio-gunner in the Aleutian Islands of 
     Alaska, and in 1947, he was discharged from the Army;
       Whereas, in 1944, Charlton Heston married the love of his 
     life, Lydia Clarke, to whom he had been married 64 years at 
     his death;
       Whereas the Hestons were the parents of two children, 
     Fraser Heston and Holly Heston Rochell; and
       Whereas Charlton Heston passed away on April 5, 2008, and 
     the contributions he made to his family and his Nation will 
     not be forgotten: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
       (1) honors the life, achievements, and contributions of 
     Charlton Heston; and
       (2) extends its deepest sympathies to the family of 
     Charlton Heston for the loss of such a great generous man, 
     husband, and father.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Missouri (Mr. Clay) and the gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Shays) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Missouri.


                             General Leave

  Mr. CLAY. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may 
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Missouri?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. CLAY. Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the House Committee on Oversight 
and Government Reform, I present for consideration H. Res. 1091, which 
seeks to recognize the life of Charlton Heston for his accomplishments 
both and off the big screen. Not only did Heston command an 
overwhelming presence in theaters, but his actions in support of the 
civil rights movement during the 1960s and on behalf of other social 
causes throughout his life deserve recognition. For example, Charlton 
Heston joined Martin Luther King, Jr., in the march on Washington, D.C. 
in 1963, and was an early civil rights activist long before Hollywood 
found it fashionable.
  H. Res. 1091 was introduced by Representative Don Young of Alaska on 
April 8, 2008, and was considered by and reported from the Oversight 
Committee on April 16, 2008, by voice vote after being amended by the 
panel.
  The measure has the support of well over 100 Members of Congress and 
is evidence of a wide, national appreciation for the enduring legacy 
that this great American citizen left behind.
  Heston was born on October 4, 1923, in No Man's Land, Illinois. In 
1944, Heston enlisted in the U.S. Air Force, spending 2 years of his 
life as a B-25 radio operator and gunner in the Alaskan Aleutian 
Islands.
  In August of 2002, after a long and illustrious acting career, Heston 
publicly announced that he was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. In 
2003, Mr. Heston was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 
commemoration of the positive impact he has had on our culture and 
country.
  In memory of his life of greatness and activism, I urge swift passage 
of H. Res. 1091.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. SHAYS. Mr. Speaker, rather than my making a statement, I would 
like to yield to the sponsor of the resolution, our very distinguished 
veteran, Mr. Young from Alaska, and just advise him I am going to yield 
him such time as he may consume, letting him know that the former 
chairman of the Rules Committee would like some time as well.
  (Mr. YOUNG of Alaska asked and was given permission to revise and 
extend his remarks.)
  Mr. YOUNG of Alaska. Mr. Speaker, I thank my chairman of the 
subcommittee and Mr. Shays and the chairman of the full committee.
  It is indeed an honor that I will speak on Charlton Heston today. We 
have already heard some of the roles that he played in ``Planet of the 
Apes,'' ``Julius Caesar,'' ``Antony and Cleopatra,'' ``Omega Man,'' and 
I can go on down the line. His famous roles, of course, were Moses, 
Michelangelo, Andrew Jackson, John the Baptist, Mark Antony, El Cid, 
and Ben Hur.
  Some people may not remember his role in politics. He became very 
active as president of the Screen Actors Guild. Before every actor in 
the world got involved politically, he was involved in the Screen 
Actors Guild. He was also very active and involved, as mentioned by the 
chairman, in civil rights. He marched with Martin Luther King. And one 
of my interests was that he enlisted in the Army Air Force in World War 
II and served 2 years as a B-25 gunner in the Aleutian chain, a God-
awful place it was, but part of my great State of Alaska, and defended 
against the enemy at that time with great honor.
  He had two children. He married the love of his life, Lydia Clarke, 
in 1944, and was married to her for the rest of his life.
  He was the president of the NRA from June 1998 until April 2003, and 
was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Bush.
  I have to say I knew him personally. I never called him Chuck or 
Charles, it was always Mr. Heston or Mr. President because he was 
president of an organization which I am very proud of, and that is the 
NRA, the National Rifle Association. He probably did more to protect 
the freedoms of America in his actions as president of that 
organization than any other individual. And that may not be proper with 
certain people in this body, but he did guarantee us, through the 
second amendment, the right to protect ourselves, the right to protect 
the castle which we live in, the right to be able to protect those that 
we love against those who would do us harm. He believed in it, as I 
believe in it. It is very, very important.
  If America were to recognize one individual who probably contributed 
most to our individual freedoms, it would be Charlton Heston.

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