▁development ▁of ▁the ▁US ▁Air ▁Force ' s ▁C - 5 A ▁Gal axy ▁military ▁air l ift ▁jet , ▁despite ▁huge ▁cost ▁over run s . ▁In ▁his ▁last ▁speech ▁to ▁his ▁colle agues ▁in ▁the ▁US ▁House ▁of ▁Representatives ▁on ▁December ▁ 7 , ▁ 1 9 7 0 , ▁delivered ▁just ▁before ▁he ▁depart ed ▁for ▁B irmingham , ▁Alabama ▁to ▁have ▁heart ▁surg ery , ▁he ▁stated , ▁" Wh ile ▁we ▁debate ▁the ▁question ▁of ▁maintain ing ▁our ▁military ▁cap ability , ▁the ▁Soviet ▁Union ▁for ges ▁ahead . ▁We ▁seem ▁hell - b ent ▁on ▁national ▁suic ide .... We ▁cannot ▁as ▁a ▁nation ▁afford ▁to ▁spend ▁one ▁pen ny ▁less ▁on ▁national ▁defense ▁than ▁that ▁amount ▁which ▁is ▁required ▁to ▁ins ure ▁that ▁you ▁and ▁I , ▁and ▁our ▁children , ▁can ▁conv ince ▁the ▁S ovi ets ▁they ▁dare ▁not ▁pull ▁the ▁trigger ▁when ▁a ▁Soviet ▁gun ▁is ▁placed ▁against ▁our ▁heads ." ▁In ▁that ▁same ▁speech , ▁he ▁delivered ▁the ▁quote ▁for ▁which ▁he ▁is ▁best ▁remembered : ▁" The ▁final ▁measure ▁of ▁our ▁ability ▁to ▁surv ive ▁as ▁a ▁nation ▁in ▁a ▁host ile ▁world ▁will ▁not ▁be ▁how ▁well ▁we ▁have ▁managed ▁our ▁domestic ▁resources ▁and ▁domestic ▁programs , ▁but ▁whether ▁or ▁not ▁we ▁have ▁avoided ▁and ▁fr ustr ated ▁the ▁forces ▁of ▁evil ▁which ▁would ▁draw ▁us ▁into ▁the ▁cru cible ▁of ▁war ▁with ▁the ▁Soviet ▁Union . ▁If ▁we ▁fail ▁in ▁that ▁ende avor , ▁we ▁will ▁have ▁failed ▁in