Political Quotes

“I come to the floor today to mourn the passing and celebrate the life of Thomas Horace Porter, my good friend and a man who could put a smile on my face even in the toughest times, on one of the most painful days of my life, while I was recovering at Walter Reed. Among the peer visitors at Walter Reed Hospital, two of the most beloved were Tom and his wife Eleanor. Tom was a gentle giant--a tall, smiling, then-74-year-old veteran who showed up at my bedside while I was still sedated to talk with my husband and mother and who came to visit again soon after I regained consciousness. As a young Army lieutenant in the Korean war, Tom had lost both his legs in a landmine explosion. His heroic actions saving his men on that day earned Tom both the Silver Star in addition to the Purple Heart for his combat injuries. During his months of recuperation back in the States, Eleanor--or El, as we all know her--an Army second lieutenant herself, had been one of his physical therapists. The couple ended up married for more than 50 years. Tom continued to serve our Nation--this time as a civil servant, achieving the rank of Senior Executive Service in the Department of Agriculture. When Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom began and the wounded began flooding the wards at Walter Reed, Tom and El decided that they needed to help.…”