[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 180 (Tuesday, November 12, 2019)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1429]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        HONORING THE LIFE OF NAVAL VETERAN, LT. HENRY ROSS PEROT

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. MARCY KAPTUR

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, November 12, 2019

  Ms. KAPTUR. Madam Speaker, I rise today during this week 
commemorating veterans in memoriam of Lt. Henry ``Ross'' Perot, of 
Texarcana, Texas.
  When I learned of Ross Perot's passing this summer, I was saddened by 
the loss of a passionate and determined American patriot.
  Ross Perot was a one of a kind American. His swashbuckling, Texas 
vintage and `can do' spirit was irrepressible. He lived the life he 
chose full steam ahead. His life of service was attributed to the love 
that he had for our great nation, and for that of his fellow service 
members who make the most honorable sacrifice to serve in our armed 
forces. He exhibited fierce loyalty to his family and friends, and his 
love of our nation was encapsulated in his famous catchphrase, ``It's 
just that simple.'' On this Veteran's Day, let us remember and honor 
Ross' military career as a Naval Officer, and the thousands upon 
thousands of people and institutions he helped throughout his life--
most often privately with no fanfare.
  From a young age Ross strove for excellence. At twelve years old he 
joined the Boy Scouts of America, and within a year of joining he 
achieved the rank of Eagle Scout. This is the most prestigious title 
achieved by very few young men who participate in the program, which 
develops character and a strong foundation toward a life in public 
service.
  A proud and grateful graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis, 
Class of 1949, Ross served as a Lieutenant (j.g.) in the Navy for four 
years. While at the Academy, Ross was elected Student Body President, 
and also aided in the development of its honor system. He was assigned 
to the destroyer USS Sigourney (DD-643), and was then later reassigned 
to the aircraft carrier USS Leyte (CVS-32).
  Ross was also an agent of action and gave tremendous support to 
veteran's organizations such as the Vietnam Prisoners of War, and the 
Son Tay Raiders. He most notably advocated for the hundreds of former 
war prisoners left behind at the end of the Vietnam war. Exhibiting the 
mantra of ``no man left behind,'' Ross fought to alleviate the 
afflictions of his brothers and strove to provide them with better 
nourishment and medical treatment. He was truly a beacon of light at a 
time of utter darkness for so many in the military.
  A man of fierce determination, Ross lived every day to its fullest. 
His candidacy in 1992 and 1996 for the presidency of the United States 
created a thunderbolt in American politics. His founding of the Reform 
Party brought new issues forward to the public--fair trade was among 
them with his firm prediction that NAFTA would create a great sucking 
sound of U.S. jobs outsourced to penny wage nations. That proved 
correct. Trade deficits with U.S. trade partners have not been balanced 
since and, on balance, have been increasingly larger every year. He 
predicted the political thunderbolt this would spawn.
  Though many pundits put forth highly critical and piercing commentary 
regarding this businessman turned presidential candidate, Ross Perot's 
persistence drew attention to America's diminishing industrial base and 
the risks posed to the nation's innate strength as to growing U.S. 
government debt. By the year 2000, his drive had helped move the nation 
to balance the annual budget and begin paying down its long-term debt. 
That is, until 9/11. In response to his critics who charged him with 
being crazy, Ross' answer was to jubilantly dance across the stage with 
his wife Margot to the great Patsy Cline's love anthem ``Crazy,'' to 
the sheer delight and spontaneous applause of his audiences.
  One cannot reflect on Ross' life without mentioning his astounding 
business prowess. He established many business ventures and cutting-
edge firms such as founding the Electronic Data Systems (EDS), which 
became a leader in record processing. He also invested in Apple founder 
Steve Jobs' NeXT computer and software company, which helped shape our 
current technological age. One of Ross' most impressive ventures was 
his namesake, Perot Systems. Perot Systems helped streamline record 
keeping for government, manufacturing, banking, insurance, and most 
notably health records by digitization and automation. Before being 
purchased by Dell, Perot grew his business to be a Fortune 1000 company 
with offices in over 25 countries, with more than 23,000 employees, and 
annual revenue of $2.8 billion.
  His business successes gave way to his unwavering support of private 
gifts of health and medical support to veterans and civilians, many of 
whom were strangers. One such instance was the National Medal of Honor 
Museum, a museum which he donated in an effort to highlight the 
sacrifice and bravery of American Medal of Honor recipients. His 
contributions to the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center 
surpassed $100 million. Perot wanted this funding to be used for the 
indigent and uninsured, or ill veterans and armed services members. He 
also donated $2.5 million in seed money to fund research for returned 
veterans after the Gulf War suffering from neurological symptoms.
  As we remember the life of Ross Perot during this Veteran's Day week, 
we remember his infectious laugh and how he was no one's fool. He will 
be deeply missed by his friends and family. My thoughts and prayers are 
with both the Perot and Birmingham families, his wife Margot, their 
five children Ross Jr., Nancy, Suzanne, Carolyn, Katherine, and their 
nineteen grandchildren. May his legacy of patriotism and service live 
on. And may he be granted eternal peace, though I suspect he is already 
rearranging heaven's accoutrements.