Kay Bailey Hutchison: “I thank you for presiding at this very important morning of celebration. We are here to talk about someone who is truly…”

“I thank you for presiding at this very important morning of celebration. We are here to talk about someone who is truly remarkable--our distinguished colleague, the President pro tempore of the Senate, the Senator from South Carolina, Strom Thurmond. Pablo Picasso once said it takes a long time to grow young. This is one point on which Strom and Picasso would agree. Picasso was still a painter at the age of 92, and of course, we all know what Strom Thurmond is doing today. He is leading our Nation. Strom often reminds me that Col. William Barrett Travis, the commander at the Alamo, was from Strom's home county in South Carolina. Although Strom missed the Battle of the Alamo by a few years, he has displayed the spirit of the Alamo time and time again--the sense of duty and commitment to freedom that made Colonel Travis such a hero at the Alamo. He was commissioned in the Army in 1924, and though he didn't need to, he volunteered for service in World War II at the age of 40. He wanted to. He served in both the Pacific and the European theaters and landed in a glider on the beach at Normandy on D-day. He earned 18 decorations, including the Legion of Merit, the Purple Heart, and the Bronze Star for Valor. He remained in the Army Reserve. He retired at the rank of major general, following 36 years of active and reserve military service, nearly 40 years ago.”