S9598 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE July 19, 2007 MODIFICATION OF UNANIMOUS tales of his neighbor, a wounded com- extend my deepest condolences to Gen- CONSENT AGREEMENT—S. 1642 bat veteran of the 101st Airborne divi- eral Downing’s family, his colleagues Mr. REID. Madam President, I ask sion. It was while listening to those and friends. Our nation joins you in unanimous consent that the order gov- stories that he decided what he was your grief. I am honored to have known erning consideration of S. 1642 be modi- going to do with his life. this great patriot, GEN Wayne Down- fied to provide that at the time avail- He began his career in the Army as a ing of Peoria, IL. able under the order, 2 hours be under junior officer in Vietnam, where he f the control of the managers, with the served two tours of duty and earned two Silver Stars, the Soldiers Medal, TRIBUTE TO DORIS G. time equally divided and controlled; PETERCHEFF that time on first-degree amendments the Bronze Star with Valor and five Mr. MCCONNELL. Madam President, be limited to 30 minutes each, equally oak leaf clusters, and the Purple Heart. I wish to honor a respected Ken- divided and controlled; that relevant In 1974, he was hand-picked by his tuckian, Mrs. Doris G. Petercheff, for second-degree amendments be in order commander to help reform the famed the many contributions she has made and must be relevant to the amend- Army Rangers. to raise the political discourse in the ment to which offered, and that an ad- During Operation Desert Storm in Commonwealth of Kentucky. ditional time of 15 minutes be available 1991, he commanded 1,200 U.S. Special Doris has spent a lifetime advising for any second-degree amendments Forces. By the time he retired in 1996, Gen- and working for candidates and elected which may be offered, equally divided eral Downing was head of the U.S. Spe- officials she believes in. She is re- and controlled; that upon the use or cial Operations Command, in charge of spected for the sound judgment she of- yielding back of all the time and the the special operations forces of all the fers and the solid reputation she has disposition of all amendments, the services, including the Navy’s SEALs established. I have known Doris for Senate proceed to vote on passage of and the Army’s Green Berets. many years and am glad to call her my the bill, with no further amendments But retirement did not end General friend. in order after all time is expired, with Downing’s service to America. Two On Thursday, July 5, 2007, the Som- the other provisions of the previous Presidents called him out of retire- erset Commonwealth Journal published order remaining in effect. ment to help them confront terrorism. an article highlighting Doris’s many The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without President Clinton tapped him to lead years of service to Kentucky. I ask objection, it is so ordered. the investigation into the 1996 truck unanimous consent that the full article f bomb attack that killed 19 U.S. serv- be printed in the RECORD and that the MORNING BUSINESS icemen and one Saudi and wounded 372 entire Senate join me in honoring this Mr. REID. Madam President, I ask others at Khobar Towers, a U.S. mili- Kentuckian. unanimous consent that there now be a tary housing complex in Saudi Arabia. There being no objection, the mate- period for the transaction of morning After September 11, President Bush rial was ordered to be printed in the business, with Senators permitted to called General Downing out of retire- RECORD, as follows: speak therein for up to 10 minutes ment again to serve as his top counter- [From the Somerset Commonwealth each. terrorism advisor a post General Down- Journal, July 5, 2007] The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without ing held for nine months. A LIFETIME DEVOTED TO THE AMERICAN WAY objection, it is so ordered. There was not a man alive more (By Bill Mardis, Editor Emeritus) qualified for the job. ‘‘It’s been a great ride!’’ f Wayne Downing understood earlier ‘‘That’s how Doris G. Petercheff sums up TRBUTE TO GENERAL WAYNE than most the nature of the threat we her life in the political arena. In reality, her DOWNING face from terrorism, and he did his best life has been molded by politics. ‘‘I can’t remember when politics was not Mr. DURBIN. Madam President, I to help craft a wise and effective re- sponse to that threat. discussed in my home,’’ said Petercheff. would like to mark the passing of an ‘‘Quite frankly, it still is,’’ she added. American hero. Retired Four-Star GEN It is one of the mysteries of this life ‘‘Petercheff, owner of One Acorn and Asso- Wayne Downing, a native of Peoria, IL, that a man who has faced such formi- ciates, a political consulting firm, is slowed passed away on Wednesday. dable foes would die from a micro- by health problems, but her telephone still General Downing personified the scopic enemy: bacterial meningitis. rings with questions about how to manage a ideal that was ingrained into him and Family members say he died within 24 political campaign. ‘‘I interpret politics as people,’’ said all cadets at West Point: ‘‘Duty, Honor, hours of contracting the illness. He was 67 years old. Petercheff. ‘‘That’s one of the things we’ve Country.’’ forgotten—people. I love people. God gave He spent most of his adult life wear- I last saw General Downing on Me- me a talent in politics . to help people. I ing his country’s uniform and contin- morial Day. He was the keynote speak- never had a doubt that the Lord provided me ued to answer the call to serve even er in Peoria at the dedication of a me- a way to work for Congressman (Tim Lee) after retirement. morial to servicemembers who had died Carter so I could help people.’’ She was 5th When General Downing retired after in World War I and World War II. I had District office manager for Carter for 18 34 years of military service in 1996, he the privilege of speaking at that same years. ‘‘Petercheff was reared in a political at- was one of the country’s leaders on ter- gathering. When organizers of the dedication ap- mosphere. Her grandfather, Jacob N. rorism. Mayfield, owned and operated a country After three decades as an Army proached him about speaking, they story in the Acorn community. Ranger, he had spent more time devel- were apologetic that they could offer ‘‘Grandpa was a great patriot. He always oping and implementing anti-terrorist him only a small stipend. Before they displayed a large American flag at the and insurgent tactics than just about could finish their apology, General store,’’ Petercheff recalls. any man alive. Downing interrupted and said it would ‘‘I thought that flag was so beautiful,’’ she His devotion to service came early in be his honor to speak. said. ‘‘I went up to Grandpa and said, ‘Grandpa, what is that (flag)?’ And he pulled his life. One of the names carved into the me- morial belonged to his father. me on his lap and told me what the flag was Growing up in Peoria, his mother and how important it was. would read to him news reports from As he rose to speak that day, it was ‘‘That was my first love of politics and my the battlefields of Europe where his fa- raining. Someone tried to offer General country,’’ she remembers. ‘‘I was probably 3 ther, PFC Francis Downing, was part of Downing an umbrella, but he politely or 4 years old at the time.’’ the 9th Armored Division, leading the waved it away. He said to the crowd: Mayfield was a magistrate for many years. American charge into Nazi Germany. Many of you were infantry, and so was I. Petercheff pointed out that those were the Private First Class Downing was We didn’t have umbrellas in the infantry. days before state courts were reorganized and magistrates performed many official du- killed in March 1945 in one of the final He was a soldier’s soldier to the end ties such as marriages, signing birth certifi- engagements of World War II. and a true patriot. cates and other legal functions. As he grew up fatherless, Wayne He will be missed. On behalf of the ‘‘Everybody came to the store. We were would spend hours listening to the United States Senate, I would like to (the same as) Somerset at that time. We sold VerDate Aug 31 2005 08:12 Jul 20, 2007 Jkt 059060 PO 00000 Frm 00066 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\G19JY6.149 S19JYPT1 cnoel on PRODPC60 with SENATE_CN July 19, 2007 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S9599 everything you couldn’t grow,’’ Petercheff quarters secretary during Louie Nunn’s suc- to become a pilot with the Arkansas remembers. She said Ky. 1675, extending cessful campaign for governor; 5th District National Guard flying Black Hawk hel- from Ky. 80 to Mt. Victory, was in those days coordinator for Tom Emberton for governor; icopters. Taylor eventually reached the the main route from Crab Orchard to Sub- and state organizational coordinator for Bravo Company’s top position and limity Springs, at that time a well-known Huda Jones’s campaign for secretary of commanded the company. health resort near Mt. Victory. state. ‘‘Stagecoaches passed by here (on the way ‘‘Also, state campaign primary coordinator The second member of the flight to Sublimity Springs),’’ she recalled.