Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize a momentous event in this Nation's history and honor the men and women who worked so diligently to make it happen. The Apollo-Soyuz test project, which took place in July of 1975, was the first international human spaceflight, a joint operation between two rivaling superpowers: the United States and the Soviet Union. The Apollo-Soyuz test project was so successful, many historians attribute the handshake in space between Apollo Commander Tom Stafford and Soyuz Commander Aleksey Leonov to be the beginning of the end the cold war. Lieutenant General Tom Stafford was born in Weatherford, Oklahoma, in 1930. After graduating from the Naval Academy, earning his wings from the Air Force in 1953, and graduating from the Air Force Experimental Flight Test Pilot School, Stafford went on to serve as a pilot on Gemini 6, a commander of Gemini 9, commander of Apollo 10, and, finally, commander of the Apollo-Soyuz test project. Thomas Stafford is a true patriot, a man who served this country in inspiring ways for over 60 years. I want to congratulate him on his accomplished service and his distinguished career. ____________________”