Political Quotes

“I rise today to honor the life and commitment of Senator Ted Stevens to the State of Alaska and to our Nation. As we all know, Ted joined the military at a young age and served his country with honor in World War II. He earned his Army Air Corps wings in 1944 and served in World War II as a member of the Flying Tigers, for which he received the Distinguished Flying Cross. Two friends of mine from Georgia who served with the Flying Tigers knew Ted during those days. When they shared with me stories of those times, they always spoke fondly of Ted. Several years ago, I attended a funeral of a family member of one of our Senate colleagues on the west coast. A few other Senators were in attendance, but not many. One of those nights we stayed up late and started talking about life, and Ted told us he always attended the funerals of colleagues and their loved ones because when his first wife was tragically killed in a plane crash, those colleagues who took the effort to make the trip up to Alaska to attend her funeral meant so much to him. That is the type of person Ted was--he was loyal to the State of Alaska, his Nation, and to his colleagues. Ted and I also worked closely on defense issues and he was a good ally to have in those battles. He was a good friend and an esteemed colleague who served with distinction in the Senate. Ted will be remembered for his passion and his many, many years of service to his constituents.”