Tina Smith: “Rather than recite his vast and substantial accomplishments, I want to talk for a moment about the Mike Boorda that I…”

“Rather than recite his vast and substantial accomplishments, I want to talk for a moment about the Mike Boorda that I knew. From the first time I met Adm. Mike Boorda, I knew he was something special. My first impressions were that he was an extremely intelligent, forthright, and principled man. He would tell it like it is. He pulled no punches. He had a passion for the Navy, a real passion. He had a passion for promoting the well-being of U.S. service men and women and for defending the interests of our Nation. When Mike Boorda told you something, he looked you in the eye and he spoke from the heart. You could take it to the bank. He was a man of his word. He was a man of honor. He was a man of great courage. As a member of the Armed Services Committee, I had the opportunity to work very closely with Admiral Boorda. We frequently spoke on the phone. We met in hearings and private meetings, over dinner or just in passing. We also spent a great deal of time together during the base closure process. No one took the challenge of downsizing our infrastructure more seriously than Mike Boorda. No one fought harder to preserve essential naval capabilities. Sometimes Mike Boorda may not have agreed with the decisions that he was asked to carry out, but, like any good soldier, he carried them out. He never complained. That commitment to national security and to our naval-industrial base is well known in New Hampshire.”