Orrin Hatch: “I rise to reflect on the passing of William F. Buckley, Jr. I am aware of my limitations in speaking about Bill Buckley.…”

“I rise to reflect on the passing of William F. Buckley, Jr. I am aware of my limitations in speaking about Bill Buckley. Anything I might add to the eloquent words that have already come from his friends at the National Review and from his friend, and my friend, the Senator from Connecticut, Joe Lieberman, will seem small by comparison. Still, as someone who knew Bill, as someone who admired Bill, and as someone who learned a great deal from Bill, I would be remiss if I did not say a few words about this extraordinary man and his extraordinary life. The life of William F. Buckley, Jr., reads like something from one of his many fiction novels. Growing up in Mexico, his first language was Spanish. As a prep school student, he demonstrated that he was a real entrepreneur, typing his classmates' papers for $1 at a crack. And consistent with the writer America got to know over the years, he would charge an extra 25 cents to correct their grammar. After graduating, he spent time at the University of Mexico, studying Spanish, and he served his country in the Army, making second lieutenant. Only after serving in the Army did he go on to college, something widespread in those days--when a hot war was followed by a long, cold war--and largely unknown today with the exception of those in ROTC and benefitting from the GI bill. As a student at Yale, he distinguished himself.…”