[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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