John Spratt: “Mr. Speaker, while we were on recess, Floyd Spence, a native South Carolinian, a friend of us all, and a Member of…”

“Mr. Speaker, while we were on recess, Floyd Spence, a native South Carolinian, a friend of us all, and a Member of excellent standing passed away. Floyd was a star athlete, a student leader, a naval officer in Korea, a State legislator, and a pioneer Republican in a State that, at the time, was thoroughly Democratic. For 30 long, dedicated years he served here proudly, with total loyalty to this grand old institution of the Republic and to the Armed Forces of the United States, whom he effectively represented on the Committee on Armed Services for all of that time, 6 of them as a very able chairman of the committee. Many Members overcome obstructions or hurdles or suffer hardships to serve here. Few of us endure what Floyd Spence endured, a double lung transplant. At the time, he was one of the few in America ever to survive such a procedure. I can recall his recounting how after the operation every movement of his body was excruciatingly painful. Yet, even though he had reason, I never heard him complain. I never heard him express anxiety about his condition. I never heard him boast.”