Harry Reid: “2 days ago, the Senate passed by unanimous consent H.R. 672, a bill to rename Guam South Elementary and Middle School…”

“2 days ago, the Senate passed by unanimous consent H.R. 672, a bill to rename Guam South Elementary and Middle School after CDR William McCool, the pilot of the Columbia Space Shuttle. Guam has a unique tie to LCDR William McCool. He lived on Guam and attended Dededo Middle School and John F. Kennedy High School in the 1970s while his father served as a Navy and Marine pilot, a veteran of the Vietnam conflict. His father, Barry, is a Las Vegas resident, as is his mother, Audrey. Commander McCool's mother is dean at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. His dad, Barry, after retiring from the military, teaches and is a graduate student at UNLV. Willie was an exceptional student and a talented athlete in high school. He graduated with good grades in high school, of course, and went to the U.S. Naval Academy. He graduated with a 4.0 grade point average at the Academy in Annapolis, but only finished second in his class because one person had a better grade point average. After he graduated from the Academy, he received advanced degrees in computer science and engineering and became an elite pilot. He had more than 400 carrier landings and almost 3,000 hours of flight experience in the Navy. Willie McCool was a dedicated father and husband. Due to the tragedy in space, he left behind his wife Lani and their three sons, Sean, Christopher, and Cameron. As I indicated, Nevada also has a tie with Willie McCool because of his parents.”