Madam President, I am pleased to join the senior Senator from Georgia, my friend Saxby Chambliss, to pay tribute today to Robert Collins. This naming of a post office is most appropriate in Tyrone, GA, and it is most appropriate because of the great sacrifice of this young man, whose story, as Senator Chambliss says, is compelling. One interesting point I wish to make is that he was the son of two lieutenant colonels retired from the U.S. military. His mother, LTC Sharon L.G. Collins, and his father, LTC Burkitt ``Deacon'' Collins, spent more than 20 years in the U.S. military. His mother said: We never asked him to follow us into the family business--being the military--but he did follow us into the family business in large measure because of what happened on 9/11/2001. Following that tragic day in American history when he watched the terrorist attacks on the Twin Towers, he expressed to his parents a desire to join the U.S. military. His mother responded, along with his father, by making an appointment for him to visit West Point. They dressed him up in his very best outfit and took him to West Point. Upon leaving Tyrone, one of his friends stopped him before he got in the car to go to West Point and said: Why are you dressed up so well? He said: Because my mom and dad are colonels. That is the kind of young man he was--respect for his parents, the U.S. military, and the greatness of our country. He applied to West Point.…
Share & report
More from Johnny Isakson
Mr. President, 4 years ago, about this time of the night on a Monday, I made a speech about Woody Woodside. Four years later, I make another speech about Woody Woodside. Four years ago, I acknowledged his 30 years of service to the people…
Madam President, I wasn't going to come over here today--I just got off an airplane a little while ago--but I am here because of what I have been hearing. What I have been hearing is that we need to be talking about the shutdown and not…
Madam President, I appreciate the remarks of the majority leader. If he would wait 1 minute, I just want to make a little offer to him. I am not going to get into an argument with him, but he brought up more things than I like to bring up…
Mr. President, I rise for a couple of moments in morning business to pay tribute to the Senate and what we have done this past year. We think we are easing towards going home. We think we are easing towards finishing the year, and…





