Remarks at the Dedication of the Carl Vinson Hearing Room in the Rayburn House Office Building.

Mr. Speaker, Mr. Vinson, Mr. Secretary McNamara, Dr. Graham, Mr. Chairman, and Members of the committee:

I appreciate so much your asking me to come here this morning to the Hill that I love, to the people that I have known the best, and to the scenes of my boyhood, in the presence of my former chairman who is going to be my houseguest over the weekend, and who is sitting in the Security Council with me this afternoon, and who will give me, in my present job, the benefits of his wisdom and direction that he has the Nation.

I am tempted to spend the morning reminiscing. I always feel that way when I come back to the Hill. I cannot take your time to do that, though. I should take a course which is much more familiar, in words when I was a member of the Naval Affairs Committee, that the flowers are much more numerous, the pictures--[viewing painting of former Chairman Dewey Short]--are much more attractive. I don't know how we do that and still keep our budget under $100 billion.

But I remember when I first came to this committee I sat here silently for more than 4 years. I came in 1937. In 1941 we had a big authorization bill come up and Admiral Moreell had told me that he thought that the site of the Naval Air Base should be at Corpus Christi, Tex. As he was going down the line, and nearly all the Members asked questions, I presumed to address a question to Admiral Moreell. Before I could finish-why, Mr. Vinson said, "All right, now, come on, let's get out of these local ideas," and "Come on, let's go on to the next item."

It was a pretty important proposition to make, and I said, "Now, Admiral, how many men do you expect to be located at Corpus Christi if we authorize this Naval Air Station." And before he replied, Mr. Vinson said, "Come on, the House is going to meet in a few minutes; let's go on with this bill."

About that time I realized that I should make a little better record and I said, "How much do you expect to spend the first year after we authorize this?" And Mr. Vinson said, "Admiral, now you supply those details for the record later for the committee, but come on, we have to go to the floor of the House."

I finally got my Irish up and my dander up and I said, "Mr. Chairman, I have been on this committee 4 years and I think that on a matter which concerns a Member as this concerns me in my district, in my area of the State, I think I am entitled to ask at least four questions, one a year."

"Well," he said, "that's all fight, you asked three, and you got one more to go. Come on, let's go."

I think that that explains some of the strength of the Nation we enjoy today, and this man's concern is for the broad national interest and the strength of the United States of America.

I remember one time--after I had been here many, many years--he appointed me as chairman of a subcommittee, and after I served on the subcommittee a number of years, why, we had a very serious problem come up that involved the naval oil reserves. And my committee was unanimous, and we asked Mr. Forrestal to provide us with the detailed memos of exchange back and forth between the White House and the Navy Department. And Mr. Forrestal's lawyers told him that he ought to assert executive privilege, and he didn't have to supply that, and it would be a terrible mistake for the executive department to start turning over its documents and submit them to a committee and spreading them out to headlines in the paper and all this kind of stuff. So I had respect for a great lawyer on my staff, Mr. Cook--[inaudible]

So I think the great reason for this man's powerful influence and greater leadership over the years was that he understood human beings and his sole and only and personal first loyalty was always to the Nation. He was not a deep partisan. He felt that our future depended upon our strength, and he gave us direction, leadership, understanding for more than 50 years.

And as one who was privileged to be the beneficiary of that, and still am, I can testify that the Nation is stronger, the people are happier, and the world is freer because Carl Vinson came our way.

It is with great pride, honor, and respect that I come here in this House of Representatives, to this committee room, to dedicate this room in honor of one of the greatest Members who ever served in the Congress.

Now, I pronounce this room as the Carl Vinson Hearing Room, and admonish all future chairmen and members of the committee to follow in his footsteps.

Stub Cole said to me one time, "You know, Lyndon, if we could ever get a Secretary of Defense that got to work as early as Carl Vinson we would have all of our preparedness problems solved." And the only man in my Cabinet that I can get at 7 o'clock in the morning at his desk is Bob McNamara. So evidently you have influenced that Republican Secretary of Defense.