[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 14]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 20151]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                 IN MEMORY OF GENERAL WAYNE A. DOWNING

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. IKE SKELTON

                              of missouri

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, July 23, 2007

  Mr. SKELTON. Madam Speaker, it is with deep sadness that I inform the 
House of the death of General Wayne A. Downing.
  General Downing was born May 10, 1940, in Peoria, Illinois, son of 
Francis Wayne ``Bud'' and Eileen Downing. He graduated from the U.S. 
Military Academy at West Point in 1962 with a Bachelor of Science 
degree. In 1971 he received a Master's degree in Business 
Administration from Tulane University.
  General Downing served with the 173rd Airborne Brigade as an infantry 
officer in Vietnam. Later, he served a second combat tour in Vietnam 
with the 25th Infantry Division.
  During the 1989 operation JUST CAUSE in Panama, General Downing 
commanded the special operations of all services as a general officer. 
Additionally, during Operation DESERT STORM he commanded a joint 
special operations task force behind the Iraqi lines.
  General Downing spent time at Fort Bragg, N.C., serving as Commanding 
General, United States Army Special Operations Command.
  In May of 1993, General Downing received his appointment as Commander 
in Chief of the United States Special Operations Command, headquartered 
at MacDill Air Force Base, Florida. In this position, he was 
responsible for the readiness of all special operations of the Army, 
Navy and Air Force. In 1996, after 34 years in service, he retired from 
the military.
  General Downing was appointed by the President soon after his 
military retirement to assess the 1996 attack on the U.S. base at 
Khobar Towers in Saudi Arabia. He served on the National Commission on 
Terrorism from 1999-2000. As Deputy National Security Advisor for 
combating terrorism, he served the White House in 2001. Two years 
later, General Downing was appointed as the Chairman of the Combating 
Terrorism Center at West Point.
  General Downing's awards and decorations include two Distinguished 
Service Medals, two Silver Stars, four Legions of Merit and the Purple 
Heart.
  Madam Speaker, General Downing was an incredible leader who served 
our country with outstanding dedication. I know the Members of the 
House will join me in extending heartfelt condolences to his family: 
his wife, Kathryn Bickerman Downing; two daughters, Elizabeth Revell, 
and Laura Downing; six stepchildren; his mother, Eileen Downing; a 
sister; and four grandchildren.

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