Daniel Inouye: “Much has been said and much has been written about the gentleman from Montana, Mike Mansfield. Books about him have been…”

“Much has been said and much has been written about the gentleman from Montana, Mike Mansfield. Books about him have been written, and countless speeches about him have been presented. For many years to come, more books will be written, and more speeches will be made about him. This is to be expected because he was a person worthy of emulating. He was a person we all looked upon without hesitation as our leader. He was a person whose word was always good, reasoned, logical, and fair. He was a rare person, deeply religious, humble to a fault, and flawlessly honest. It is certain that he will be more than a footnote in the history of our great Nation. He helped to lead us out of the quagmire of the Vietnam conflict. His leadership assured the enactment of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and the following year, he led the fight for the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. As a former school teacher, he became the education leader in the Senate. Medicare became a possibility under his leadership. His contributions are too many to recount. Like many, I was especially intrigued and impressed by Senator Mansfield's military service record. At the age of 14, he became a sailor. When the authorities discovered the age discrepancy, he left and enlisted in the Army. After the Army, he became a Marine. He was especially proud of his title PFC Mike Mansfield. He once remarked that he preferred that title to Senator or Ambassador.”