[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 10]
[Senate]
[Page 13233]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                           HONORING BOB HOPE

  Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I take a moment to honor a great American 
who is celebrating his 100th birthday. Bob Hope was born one of six 
boys in a London suburb on May 29, 1903. His family made their way to 
America when he was 3, and they settled in Cleveland, OH. We can only 
be grateful to the Hope family for making that journey.
  Growing up, Bob Hope was a shoeshine boy, butcher's mate, stock boy, 
newspaper boy, golf caddie, shoe salesman, and even a prizefighter--all 
of these things before he became one of America's most beloved and 
successful entertainers.
  As a performer, Bob Hope had the rare and miraculous gift of being 
able to touch our common humanity. His famous road pictures with Bing 
Crosby and Dorothy Lamour were the quintessential expressions of the 
adventure of being an American.
  But he is most loved, of course, for the thousands of hours and 
millions, literally millions of miles he spent in selfless devotion to 
our troops. World War II, South Korea, Vietnam, from the Far East to 
Northern Africa, the Indonesian peninsula to the heart of Europe, in 
refugee camps, on Air Force bases, Navy ships, jungles, forward bases, 
demilitarized zones, Bob Hope went wherever we needed him, and he 
conveyed to our troops the commitment and love of the American people.
  The front rows would be filled with soldiers injured in battle, limbs 
destroyed, bodies wrapped in bandages. And he would manage to make them 
laugh. He was able, for those moments while he was on stage, giving his 
best to our best, to lift those young men and women out of their war-
torn bodies and help them forget the fatigue, the fear, and the 
loneliness of battle.
  Bob Hope is a giant. Bob Hope is a national treasure. We will never, 
ever forget his service to the United States of America.
  Happy birthday, Mr. Hope.
  Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent the order for the 
quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

                          ____________________