Dick Durbin: “in this week of Veterans Day, I would like to take a few moments to speak about a very brave marine who was a great…”

“in this week of Veterans Day, I would like to take a few moments to speak about a very brave marine who was a great friend of mine and a true champion of America's veterans. Congressman Lane Evans of Illinois passed away last Wednesday. He was only 63 years old. Lane had been battling Parkinson's disease for nearly 20 years. A few years ago, another illness, Lewy body disease, began attacking his memory. One cruel disease ravaged his body as the other assaulted his brain. But his spirit and his quiet courage remained unbroken to the end. Lane Evans and I were both elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1982, two surprised Democrats who were elected in traditionally Republican, conservative, downstate congressional districts. We were both sons of blue-collar families. We both learned our values from our parents, our neighbors, the nuns and priests at school. We both learned from politicians who were leaders in our State, such as Senator Paul Simon. Lane and I worked closely together in Congress. Parkinson's forced Lane Evans to retire from Congress in 2007, long before his time. We remained friends. I used to visit him. When I did, we would share our favorite stories about political adventures. Lane Evans was a kind and good person. He was funny, with a razor-sharp intellect, and he was courageous. He joined the Marines 2 weeks after graduating from high school. It was 1969. Lane was 17 years old. Military service was a tradition in the Evans family.…”