[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 62 (Tuesday, April 29, 2014)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E623]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




RECOGNIZING THE LIFE AND ACHIEVEMENTS OF GENERAL JOHN SHALIKASHVILI OF 
                            PEORIA, ILLINOIS

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. CHERI BUSTOS

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, April 29, 2014

  Mrs. BUSTOS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the extraordinary 
life and achievements of General John Shalikashvili of Peoria, 
Illinois, who served as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from 1993 
to 1997, and is being honored in a park dedication on May 17th.
   General Shalikashvili was born in 1936 in Warsaw to Georgian exiles. 
His family survived the German occupation of Poland and the destruction 
of Warsaw during WWII and in 1952, when he was 16, he moved with his 
family to Peoria. When he arrived, speaking little English, he would 
leave Peoria High School at the end of the day and visit the local 
movie theater to help himself learn the language. In 1958, after 
Shalikashvili graduated from Bradley University in Peoria with a degree 
in mechanical engineering, he received his draft notice. He entered the 
Army as a private before attending Officer Candidate School (OCS) and 
embarking on a distinguished career that would span almost 40 years.
   Under President George H.W. Bush, Shalikashvili served as NATO's 
Supreme Allied Commander. After the first Gulf War, he served as 
Commander of Operation Provide Comfort, the peacekeeping and 
humanitarian action in northern Iraq. In 1993, General Shalikashvili 
was appointed Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff by President 
Clinton, where he served until his retirement in 1997. He was the first 
foreign-born man to hold the position, as well as the first draftee to 
ever rise to become Chairman.
   General Shalikashvili passed away in July, 2011, and was honored by 
the Presidents he served under and his fellow military leaders. 
President Clinton remembered that ``he never minced words, he never 
postured or pulled punches, he never shied away from tough issues or 
tough calls, and most important, he never shied away from doing what he 
believed was the right thing.''
   Mr. Speaker, I'd like to commend Peoria for recognizing 
Shalikashvili's patriotism and dedicated service, and I hope those who 
visit General Shalikashvili Park continue to be inspired by his 
incredible story.

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