TRIBUTE TO COMMANDER WILLIE MCCOOL
Mr. MCCAIN. Mr. President, I rise to pay my respects to my fellow veterans. It is only through the leadership, dedication, and sacrifice of our men and women in uniform that we are able to enjoy the freedoms that we value so much as Americans. We cheer our veterans at homecomings and parades, and we grieve for them when they do not come home. At critical times in U.S. history, as we are facing now, we unfortunately find ourselves grieving more for our military service members, than celebrating and honoring their service. Veterans Day gives us a chance to honor and thank all of these heroes.
On this Veterans Day, I would like to share the story of one such hero who touched many American lives-Commander Willie McCool. Commander McCool was killed earlier this year as he was piloting the Columbia Space Shuttle towards home. Recently, Commander McCool's family, Naval Academy classmates, and former cross-country and track teammates participated in a ceremony at the location where a memorial will be placed in his honor. The essence of what that memorial will stand for was captured perfectly in a recent Washington Post article by William Gildea, dated October 30, 2003.
On October 2, 1982, as captain of the Naval Academy's men's cross country squad, McCool led the midshipmen to a victory over Georgetown and Syracuse Universities, while setting a personal record for the 5-mile race of 24:27. On February 1, 2003, Commander McCool and the members of his crew perished when Columbia came apart over Texas, only 15 minutes from landing.
The location of the planned memorial for Commander McCool will be 15 minutes from the finish line on the day he set his best time. The spot was chosen to commemorate Commander McCool's life and acknowledge his contributions to the country, the Navy, and the Naval Academy's cross-country program, as well as to recognize the positive impact that being a Navy runner had on his life.
Before inviting his cross-country coach Al Cantello to the Space Shuttle Columbia launch, Commander McCool sent a portrait of himself to Cantello with the following inscription: "Your coaching laid a foundation of discipline, drive and passion that has carried me across the many milestones of my life. With boundless appreciation, Willie." From that foundation, Commander McCool developed into a top-notch Naval Officer and served our country in an exemplary manner. On this Veterans Day, I humbly thank Commander McCool, and his family, for his selfless service and sacrifice for our country.
At this time, I ask unanimous consent that the October 30, 2003, Washington Post article regarding Commander Willie McCool be printed in the RECORD.
There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in the RECORD, as follows:
[From the Washington Post, Nov. 2, 2003]
THE PERFECT PLACE TO HONOR A HERO
(By William Gildea)
Sports doesn't have enough heroes, but Willie McCool is a hero. The captain of the 1982 cross-country team at the Naval Academy, he was known for smiling in the midst of a grueling race as the effort showed on the faces of the other runners. No matter the difficult, he always was happy. That really was how he showed the way in whatever he did. As his coach, Al Cantello, said yesterday morning, "Everyone should meet a Willie McCool in his lifetime."
Cantello was driving out to the Academy cross-country course to join relatives, former teammates and other friends of McCool. They gathered on the crest of the hill at 8 a.m. to honor the man they loved. McCool said from space on Jan. 30: "From our orbital vantage point, we observe an earth without borders, full of peace, beauty and magnificence. And we pray that humanity as a whole can imagine a borderless world as we see it and strive to live as one in peace."
He was the pilot of the space shuttle Columbia, which broke up as it reentered the earth's atmosphere Feb. 1.
"Isn't this a great cross-country morning-crisp, perfect for running?" Mark Patterson, the 1983 team captain, said in welcoming the people who assembled quietly on the hill. There, they plan to have a memorial built in McCool's honor. It will not be something grandiose, they said, because that would not be representative of such a modest person as McCool; it would be simple, but it would be big enough for passing runners to notice, maybe to be inspired by, something to prompt a thought.
The son of a Navy aviator, William C. McCool finished second of 1,083 in the class of 1983. He went on for two master's degrees, one from Maryland. During that time, he often returned to the rolling course where he had worked out twice a day during cross-country and track seasons. McCool was one of many who thought of that five-mile route as a special place. And he was one of those who remained grateful to the man who put him on the course where he developed some of his leadership skills. Before inviting his coach to the Columbia launch, McCool sent a portrait of himself to Cantello with the inscription: "Your coaching laid a foundation of discipline, drive and passion that has carried me across the many milestones of my life. With boundless appreciation, Willie."
For the most part, the five-mile course follows the perimeter of the Academy's golf course, across the Severn from the campus. Jimmy Carter ran it as a midshipman. So have numerous Olympians, tens of thousands of college runners, countless others. But after Saturday, when McCool's widow, Lani, and his mother, Audrey, were presented flowers at the simple ceremony, the course seemed even more special. It felt like hallowed ground.
McCool was said to be an extraordinary test pilot. He did small things well, too. He liked to make people happy. Capt. Clyde Villemez, who was the naval officer representative for cross-country in the early '80s, remembered him tenderly escorting his 8-year-old daughter onto the dance floor at a wedding reception. Villemez retains a vivid image of the two. "She was dancing on top of his feet," he said.
Ronnie Harris, who ran the 5,000 meters for Navy, missing the 1996 U.S. Olympic team by just 25 hundredths of a second, had the idea for a memorial. He was serving in Florida when he heard of Columbia's fate. He did what many former Navy runners did as they thought of their friend. "I went for a run," he said.
Now he was back on his favorite course, standing close to where the marker will go.
"This is a very beautiful spot. It's absolutely gorgeous," Audrey McCool said.
It is not just any spot. It was chosen for a reason.
The last radio communication from the Columbia was received about 15 minutes before the scheduled completion of the mission. The crew of seven was 15 minutes from home.
McCool's friends measured back 15 minutes from the finish line of the cross-country course based on McCool's fastest time, in a meet with Georgetown and Syracuse on Oct. 2, 1982. As it happened, they came to an idyllic setting, at the top of a grassy hill, on a brief level stretch before a slope leading to a narrow path through the trees.
That's where they will build the monument.
That's when he was 15 minutes from home.