[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 8]
[Senate]
[Pages 10481-10482]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




              REMEMBERING LIEUTENANT ROBERT ``STAN'' LOWE

  Mr. BARRASSO. Mr. President, today I wish to honor and remember one 
of Wyoming's many World War II heroes, LT Robert ``Stan'' Lowe. On 
Friday, June 19, 2015, Wyoming and our Nation lost one its most revered 
veterans advocates. Stan lived to be 92 years old.
  In 1943, Stan chose to serve his Nation rather than complete his 
college studies and join the U.S. Merchant Marines. The Merchant 
Marines' mission was one of the most dangerous and important missions 
during World War II. The mission was critical to ensuring our 
servicemen had the resources they needed to ultimately defeat tyranny. 
While Lieutenant Lowe was keeping the sea lanes open and secure and he 
also had more than one job. Stan was a staff officer handling payroll 
and personnel matters, ran the ship store, and carried out chaplain 
duties. He even served as a tour coordinator for port calls to keep the 
young mariners out of trouble. In addition to manning their battle 
stations, this was the life of a Merchant Marine.
  When Lieutenant Lowe returned to the United States in 1946, he like 
many of his fellow veterans returned to school. He went on to get a law 
degree. Like your traditional Merchant Marine, Stan never wore just one 
hat. He was first a mariner and then an attorney. He served in the 
Wyoming State House of Representatives and as the Carbon County 
Attorney. Throughout most of Stan's professional career he served as 
general counsel to True Oil.
  Stan was the first commissioner appointed to Wyoming Veterans 
Commission. He served under two Governors and chaired the commission. 
He retired with the title of chairman emeritus. Stan never stopped 
serving our veterans or our community. Stan was a mentor and teacher to 
many of Wyoming's veterans. In every veteran he came across, he 
instilled the virtue that the oath servicemen and women take does not 
expire when you take off the uniform. He strongly believed he had 
responsibility to help his fellow veterans to honor and respect current 
servicemen and women and to serve his community.
  Stan was always very involved in his community working with the 
Casper Rotary Club and the American Legion

[[Page 10482]]

to name a few. He always worked behind the scenes for many causes 
especially for veterans. If it was the veterans' museum, efforts to 
protect the benefits of the widows of veterans, WWII Honor Flights or 
veteran license plates, Stan probably had his finger prints all over 
it. Stan also fought hard to get the Merchant Marines recognized with 
veteran status. He and Merchant Marines around the Nation finally got 
this much deserved recognition in 1988.
  For almost 30 years, on every Memorial Day, Stan would recite 
Flanders Field at the Oregon Trail Veterans Cemetery. It was always a 
humbling experience. In his later years, despite the pain, Stan would 
rise from his chair like a maestro stepping up to a podium. With a 
quiet tone that could reach the back of the chapel, Stan would begin by 
reciting the poem. His voice would draw you into a moment in time 
reminding you of the silence of peace. Children and adults alike would 
hang on his every word and Stan's voice, like a lullaby, reminded us of 
soldiers who were loved and paid the ultimate price for freedom. For 
that moment, you felt warm and secure in their remembrance. As gently 
he begun he would end and quietly sit. The only sound you could hear 
was the breathing of the crowd.
  Stan was preceded in death by his wife Anne ``Pat'' Kirtland Selden 
Lowe, and is survived by his two children Robert J. Lowe and wife 
Lanette and Meganne L. Acres and husband Craig, sister-in-law Ruth 
Selden Sturgill, brother-in-law George L. Selden, grandchildren Parker 
and Dalton Lowe, Hannah and Ben Acres, niece Lauren and husband Bill 
Gasmick, nephew John Lefferdink and Lanette's father Jerry Kelly.
  Stan epitomizes the service and sacrifice of our men and women in 
uniform and service to our communities. It also epitomizes the Rotary 
motto ``Service Above Self.'' People like Stan Lowe do not come around 
often so we thank him for all he has done to make our Nation safe and 
Wyoming a better State.
  Stan, my friend, as they say in the Merchant Marines, ``fair winds 
and following seas.''

                          ____________________