Zach Nunn: “I rise today to note the passing of and to pay tribute to Michael Rhode, Jr., of South Carolina. Mike Rhode died after a…”

“I rise today to note the passing of and to pay tribute to Michael Rhode, Jr., of South Carolina. Mike Rhode died after a brave bout with cancer in May, only too briefly after he retired from his position as Secretary of the Panama Canal Commission. I only recently learned of Mike's death. I first met Mike when he served as Chief of the Army's Senate Legislative Liaison Office in the early 1970's when I was a newly elected Member of the U.S. Senate. Mike, who had combat experience in Korea and Vietnam, literally took me under his wing and played a major role in my education about the capabilities of the U.S. Army and the other services. He accompanied me on my official travels, particularly to the territory of our NATO allies. Mike was extremely knowledgeable about NATO and my first-ever report to the Armed Services Committee on NATO specifically cited Mike's invaluable assistance and expertise on NATO matters. I continued my association with Mike when, upon his retirement from the Army after 26 years of dedicated service to our Nation, he became the Secretary of the Panama Canal Commission in 1980.”