Robert Dornan: “40 years ago, in College Station, TX--Phil Gramm country--I pinned on Air Force wings of silver. Forty years is a long…”

“40 years ago, in College Station, TX--Phil Gramm country--I pinned on Air Force wings of silver. Forty years is a long time. When my dad was in his eighties, he said, ``Son, your whole life will seem like 3 weeks when you get to my age.'' I have reflected back over my life, and as awed and as humbled as I was by being elected to this great deliberative body in the bicentennial year, it was not the greatest event of my life. Those events are marriage, 5 children, 9 grandchildren. I proposed to my wife 40 years ago tomorrow night, after driving all night to get to California. But the greatest event in my public life was these wings. Imagine serving with men, every one of them like John Glenn, John McCain, Pete Peterson, ``Duke'' Cunningham, our own ``Gary Cooper,'' Sam Johnson. I owe it to those men to go into the melee next week and explore things in Iowa and New Hampshire and at least South Carolina. Only God knows the outcome. But I am ready for what may be the toughest mission of my life. I do not know how far I will go, but I am going to give it a try.”