Political Quotes

“Mr. President, this afternoon at Arlington National Cemetery, this Nation laid to rest a great American, a great patriot, an extraordinary Senator, Ted Stevens. I had the privilege of serving with Senator Stevens for 13 years. In that time, he impressed not only myself but everyone with his deep commitment to his State of Alaska, to the Nation and, in particular, to the men and women of the Armed Forces. Ted Stevens began his commitment to service above self at the age of 19, when he joined the U.S. Army Air Corps. He became a pilot and at age 20 received his wings. Then he was deployed to the China-Burma- India theater, where he undertook some of the most dangerous missions any pilot had to face in World War II. He flew over the Hump. He flew supplies to Chinese nationalist forces, and he would frequently fly behind enemy lines to deliver his precious cargo and to keep that fight going. They would fly at night, and they would have to muffle the flights--their engines--to avoid detection by the Japanese. They would land and camouflage the planes, because they were in enemy territory, and then they would take another dangerous flight out in the evening-- to return again and again. That kind of sacrifice and service and courage is remarkable. Also, typical of Ted Stevens, it was not something he boasted and bragged about a lot. He just did it. That was one of the great strengths of Ted Stevens. He just did things he thought were right.…”