[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 146 (Monday, September 11, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4350-S4351]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       REMEMBERING FRANK SULLIVAN

  Mr. REED. Mr. President, it is my privilege to honor a request from 
the former chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Senator Sam 
Nunn.
  I request unanimous consent that the following statement by former 
Senator Sam Nunn regarding the passing of Mr. Frank Sullivan, who was 
staff director of the Senate Armed Services Committee and the Senate 
Committee on Appropriations, be printed in the Record. I also ask 
unanimous consent that Mr. Sullivan's obituary be printed following 
Senator Nunn's statement.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

                  Statement by Former Senator Sam Nunn


                      IN MEMORY OF FRANK SULLIVAN

       I have lost a close friend and a wonderful colleague who 
     made major contributions to the effectiveness of the U.S. 
     Senate and its key committees and to our nation's security 
     for many years. Frank Sullivan loved his wonderful wife, 
     Patricia, and their family, and he loved his country.
       Frank, who passed away on August 16, was a champion of the 
     role of the United States Senate under our constitution. He 
     was the trusted Staff Director of the Senate Armed Services 
     beginning in the mid-70's, until he joined Senator John 
     Stennis at the Senate Appropriations Committee, where he 
     served as either Minority Staff Director or Majority Staff 
     Director from 1980-1989. Frank made an indelible imprint on 
     U.S. national security--beginning with his service in the 
     United States Army and continuing through his time in the 
     Senate and his work on behalf of the John Stennis Center for 
     Public Service.
       I met Frank when I joined the Senate Armed Services 
     Committee shortly after my election in 1972. We were both new 
     to the Committee, and my lucky break came when Senator 
     Stennis designated Frank to work with me on issues related to 
     the NATO alliance and the wind-down of the American presence 
     in Vietnam. This was the beginning of a long and productive 
     partnership and a close friendship.
       In early 1973, Senator Stennis was tragically shot in a 
     robbery attempt in front of his home. While he was undergoing 
     a long recovery, his ability to travel was limited, and he 
     asked me to lead a fact-finding mission to visit our NATO 
     bases in Europe and report back to the Committee with our 
     findings and recommendations. Senator Stennis asked that 
     Frank and I pay particular attention to our troop levels in 
     Europe and the morale of our men and women in uniform as we 
     were withdrawing from Vietnam. He also asked us to pay close 
     attention to the level of contributions to our joint defense 
     efforts by our European allies.
       Frank helped me undertake the necessary homework for this 
     important trip. I recall that we spent at least 100 hours 
     preparing for it, including meetings with military and 
     national security experts.
       After we returned from our European trip, Frank and I were 
     partners in writing the resulting report: ``Policy, Troops, 
     and the NATO Alliance.'' The report ``startled specialists 
     with its freshness and command,'' wrote Steve Rosenfeld in a 
     column for The Washington Post. This was during the final 
     stages of U.S. withdrawal from Vietnam. Soon after our trip, 
     the Senate was set to debate a legislative effort to bring 
     our troops home from around the world, including a very 
     significant portion of our Army, Navy and Air Force personnel 
     stationed in Europe. During an intense debate on the Senate 
     floor, Frank's wisdom and advice played a pivotal role in the 
     Committee's success in providing a constructive alternative 
     to withdrawing our troops from Europe--an alternative that 
     would not damage the NATO alliance, but pressure our allies 
     to increase their contributions. The report also pointed out 
     the need to pay increased attention to the risk and the 
     required security of U.S. tactical nuclear weapons stored in 
     Europe.
       As historian Dr. James H. Wilbanks wrote later, ``Although 
     it would not happen overnight, the subsequent buildup of U.S. 
     forces and its NATO partners no doubt contributed greatly to 
     the fall of the Berlin Wall, the demise of the Warsaw Pact 
     and the shortening of the Cold War.'' When Senator Stennis 
     gave me the responsibility of chairing the Subcommittee on 
     Manpower and Personnel, Frank was assigned as my lead 
     professional staff member. He cared deeply about the morale 
     and well-being of our men and women in uniform and worked 
     tirelessly to understand and improve their lives throughout 
     his entire career.
       Frank was a key player in all of the Senate Armed Services 
     Committee's legislative activities and was instrumental in a 
     range of important work conducted by the Committee, 
     including:
       --The report ``Vietnam Aid: The Painful Options'' (1975) 
     about the hard choices in continuing U.S. aid to Vietnam;
       --The report that I co-authored with Senator Dewey Bartlett 
     on ``NATO and the New Soviet Threat'' (1977);
       --The Nunn-Warner legislation in 1980 which restructured 
     military pay, benefits and incentives to move the All-
     Volunteer Force to a sound footing;
       --The shaping legislation that modernized the Defense 
     Department's officer personnel management policies--a four-
     year effort.
       These are the ones where Frank and I worked together 
     directly. He made many more contributions to a sound and 
     effective national security policy.
       In the Senate, Frank was known for his intellectual 
     curiosity, his analytical thought process, his unquestioned 
     integrity, and his profound knowledge of the Senate process. 
     He never sought the spotlight, but he usually deserved it.
       Above all, he was an outstanding public servant who served 
     his country with great effectiveness. We will always cherish 
     Frank Sullivan's memory and his indelible contributions to 
     our nation's security.
       We thank Frank's wife Patricia and their five children, 
     eight grandchildren and two great-grandchildren for sharing 
     him with us and with our nation over so many years.


                   FRANCIS ``Frank'' JOSEPH SULLIVAN

       Francis ``Frank'' Joseph Sullivan, a dedicated family man 
     and public servant, died on August 16, 2023 in Alexandria, 
     Virginia.
       Frank was born on October 8, 1932 in Boston to Otilly and 
     Francis Joseph Sullivan. Frank is survived by the love of his 
     life, Patricia Hogan Sullivan, his wife of 68 years, as well 
     as his five children: David Sullivan, Kathy (Lee) Terry, 
     Martha (Robert) Jones, Patrick (Teresa) Sullivan, and Peter 
     (Sheila Herriott) Sullivan. He was also the beloved ``Papa'' 
     to eight grandchildren: Syd (Larkin Parker) Terry, Elizabeth 
     (Ryan) Dolan, Sarah Terry, Christopher Jones, Carolyn 
     (Jonathan) Rhea, Cathryn Jones, Nicholas Sullivan and 
     Kathleen (Travis) Jones and two great-grandchildren Patch 
     Dolan and Audrey Rhea. Besides his wife and family, Frank 
     loved fishing, the Boston Red Sox (his first employer) and 
     everything Irish. Frank was a lifelong Catholic with great 
     faith in the hope of eternal life.
       Frank attended Boston Latin School and received a Bachelor 
     of Arts in Mathematics from Boston College. His lifelong 
     service to his country started with the U.S. Army, followed 
     by work on the first use of military digital computers at 
     Western Electric. Frank continued his public service with the 
     U.S. Army Management Logistics Center, the Department of 
     Defense and the United States Senate. He retired from Capitol 
     Hill in 1989 after having served as Staff Director of the 
     U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee and then the U.S. Senate 
     Appropriations Committee. He then served as a member of the 
     Executive Panel for the Chief of Naval Operations, The 
     Defense Science Board, the Defense Practices Board, the Board 
     of Directors of the Stennis Center for Public Service and was 
     a Senior Fellow with the Center for Naval Analysis. In lieu 
     of flowers, the family suggests a donation to a charity of 
     your choice.

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