Chuck Hagel: “I, like most of my colleagues today, have listened carefully to the remarks made about our colleague, Paul Coverdell.…”

“I, like most of my colleagues today, have listened carefully to the remarks made about our colleague, Paul Coverdell. What it has been is a weaving together of a magnificent tapestry representing the life of a unique and complete human being-- Paul Coverdell. Paul Coverdell was a complete human being. We are all judged by many facets of our lives. In the end, what is really most important is: Did you leave the world better than you found it? That question has been answered rather assuredly today in the case of our friend Paul Coverdell. I found part of a speech that President Ronald Reagan gave. As a matter of fact, it was his last speech that he gave before the United Nations in September of 1988, before he left office. I think it captures, rather well, Paul Coverdell--a man who served his country in uniform, a man who served his country as head of the Peace Corps, who truly touched the world and made the world better, who served his country as a Senator, who helped all of us as a friend, and who was a faithful and wonderful and loving husband.”