Mr. President, I rise today to honor a great American hero, General Eric Shinseki, the Army's 34th Chief of Staff. General Shinseki, a native of Hawaii, attained the Army's highest position as the Army's Chief of Staff in June 1999 and retired in June 2003.

Ric Shinseki graduated from the United States Military Academy, West Point, in 1965. He served two combat tours in Vietnam and was wounded twice in combat. Throughout his 37 years of service to this country, he has given his personal best, serving with great pride and dignity. His legacy to this nation will live on for years to come.

Over the span of his career, I've watched his progress as a soldier and was privileged to participate in his promotion ceremony to Colonel. At that time, I thought he had a stellar career as a "soldier's soldier." I was very proud to witness his four years of service as the Army's Chief of Staff. He was the perfect soldier to lead our Army into the 21st century.

This remarkable man and distinguished decorated soldier set a new standard for the Army. With extraordinary vision, he transformed the Army into an agile, lean, flexible, and lethal fighting force. This man of honor, integrity, and courage set a higher standard for all to follow, all while embodying the spirit of aloha. With his deep sense of pride and dedication to service, he made our Army stronger, one able to achieve swift victories during Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom.

As I quoted in the Senate Resolution, President John F. Kennedy once said, "When at some future date the high court of history sits in judgment of each one of us - recording whether in our brief span of service we fulfilled our responsibilities, we will be measured by the answers to four questions - were we truly men of courage...were we truly men of judgment...were we truly men of integrity...were we truly men of dedication?" When history looks back at the Army's 34th Chief of Staff, it will be clear that this was truly a man of courage, judgment, integrity, and dedication.

General Shinseki is to be commended for his patriotism, unwavering commitment to this nation, and his meritorious service to this country.