[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 7]
[Senate]
[Page 8895]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                    WILLIAM ``WILLIE'' McCOOL SCHOOL

  Mr. REID. Madam President, 2 days ago, the Senate passed by unanimous 
consent H.R. 672, a bill to rename Guam South Elementary and Middle 
School after CDR William McCool, the pilot of the Columbia Space 
Shuttle.
  Guam has a unique tie to LCDR William McCool. He lived on Guam and 
attended Dededo Middle School and John F. Kennedy High School in the 
1970s while his father served as a Navy and Marine pilot, a veteran of 
the Vietnam conflict. His father, Barry, is a Las Vegas resident, as is 
his mother, Audrey. Commander McCool's mother is dean at the University 
of Nevada, Las Vegas. His dad, Barry, after retiring from the military, 
teaches and is a graduate student at UNLV.
  Willie was an exceptional student and a talented athlete in high 
school. He graduated with good grades in high school, of course, and 
went to the U.S. Naval Academy. He graduated with a 4.0 grade point 
average at the Academy in Annapolis, but only finished second in his 
class because one person had a better grade point average. After he 
graduated from the Academy, he received advanced degrees in computer 
science and engineering and became an elite pilot.
  He had more than 400 carrier landings and almost 3,000 hours of 
flight experience in the Navy. Willie McCool was a dedicated father and 
husband. Due to the tragedy in space, he left behind his wife Lani and 
their three sons, Sean, Christopher, and Cameron.
  As I indicated, Nevada also has a tie with Willie McCool because of 
his parents. It is traditional in Nevada that every legislative 
session, the congressional delegation--it used to be very small, of 
course, with only three members in the Nevada congressional delegation, 
but now there are five because of our Third Congressional District. We 
always go to the legislature and speak. When I spoke this February at 
the State legislature shortly after this tragedy in space, I had his 
parents there. They traveled from Las Vegas to Carson City for this 
joint session of the legislature. I said a few things, I am sure, that 
the members of the legislature agreed and thought was OK when I 
mentioned and pointed out his parents. Everyone in the Chamber rose and 
applauded these two very sad but proud parents.
  So I am happy that there is a school in faraway Guam named after 
Willie, who pursued his dream of space with vigor and passion. Teachers 
on Guam point to his remarkable life to inspire schoolchildren to dare 
to dream big and believe in themselves and to reach for the stars.
  While he was at Dededo Middle School in Guam, young Willie wrote a 
poem that was published on the front page of the school newspaper that 
revealed his love of Guam and his early ambition to be an astronaut. 
This is a poem written by a child in middle school, but I think it 
really gives insight into this young man's dreams. This is the poem he 
wrote:

     I came to an island in the middle of the sea,
     It was so nice that I jumped for glee.
     There are palm trees, coconuts, and bananas, too
     Plus birds and fish so unbelievable but true.
     It is so nice that no one can complain.
     But he who does must be insane.
     This is such a nice and beautiful place,
     You'd think it was heaven--or outer space.

  Even back then, Willie was thinking of going into space, and he did, 
now leaving behind the proud family members and an entire Nation that 
is aware of the sacrifice he made along with those others on that 
spacecraft.
  I salute Willie McCool and his family and join in applauding and 
congratulating those school authorities in Guam who will have a school 
named after a visionary, talented American hero.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The bill clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. NELSON of Florida. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that 
the order for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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