[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 63 (Tuesday, April 28, 2009)]
[Senate]
[Page S4801]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   TRIBUTE TO ADMIRAL ROBERT E. PEARY

  Ms. SNOWE. Madam President, I rise today to pay tribute to the 100th 
anniversary of ADM Robert E. Peary's discovery of the North Pole--a 
truly exceptional accomplishment. It was a hundred years ago this month 
that Peary and his men completed their epic journey through the 
Atlantic and placed the American flag on the North Pole, marking the 
historic discovery. And as we commemorate this landmark occasion, the 
State of Maine has much to celebrate with the lasting legacy of Admiral 
Peary and all that he has done for our State, Nation, and the world.
  Born in Cresson, PA, in 1856, Peary hailed from a long line of Maine 
lumberman and spent most of his formative years in southern Maine with 
his mother, following the passing of his father. In 1877 he graduated 
from Bowdoin College in Brunswick, ME, after studying as a civil 
engineer. Commissioned as a lieutenant in the Civil Engineer Corps of 
the Navy in 1881, he went on to complete projects in Florida and 
Nicaragua, gaining an expertise that developed his love for the Arctic. 
Peary made his first expedition to Greenland in 1886 and for the next 
23 years, he honed his skills and refined a deft intellect and acumen 
for the north seas, preparing him for his quintessential journey.
  Although there are myriad contributions we could recognize, it is his 
adventure begun on July 6, 1908, that we most honor as Peary and his 
men sailed northbound in his ship, the Roosevelt whose plans he 
developed on Eagle Island in Casco Bay and which was built in 
Bucksport, ME. I might add! Having arrived at Ellesmere Island with 23 
men, 133 dogs, and 19 sleds, on March 1, 1909, Peary set off for the 
final leg of his journey. For 37 days, they rode by sledge through one 
of our planet's most hostile environments. And it was on April 6, 1909, 
when Peary achieved his lifelong dream and history was made as he and 
his five colleagues were the first to step foot on the barren North 
Pole.
  Although it may be easy to forget some of the challenges that Peary 
and everyone on his expedition endured, organizations such as the 
Friends of Peary's Eagle Island and the Peary-MacMillan Arctic Museum 
at Bowdoin College have captured this storied history, providing 
crucial educational tools for all of our citizens, young and old, as we 
seek to learn more of the expedition's triumphs on this centennial 
anniversary. Indeed, the State of Maine and her people have much cause 
for pride as we celebrate Admiral Peary's contributions this month, 
honoring a phenomenal milestone.

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