General Mattis told a touching story about his 94-year-old mother at his confirmation hearing
"Finally, on a personal note, I've worked at the Pentagon twice in my career," Mattis told the Senate Armed Services Committee. "A few people may know I'm not the first person in my family to do so, when, in the wartime spring of 1942, my mother was 20 years-old and working in military intelligence. She was part of the first government employees to move into the still unfinished Pentagon."
He continued:
Mattis is right about that. A neighbor and close friend of his mother in Richland, Washington told a reporter in December that she was amazed at what he had accomplished in his career, and apparently his mother said "I can't even believe he's my son."
Neither his mother nor other family members made the trip to Washington, D.C. to see the 66-year-old retired general testify. When asked by Republican Sen. John McCain whether he wanted to recognize any family members in the audience, Mattis quipped: "Thank you Senator. They are safely west of the Rockies."
Before Mattis spoke, former Secretary of Defense William Cohen testified in support of the general and also mentioned his 94-year-old mother, who he said he was a "devoted son" to. Cohen also mentioned Mattis remains a member of a local food bank in the area.
There were many other big takeaways from the roughly three-hour hearing, which included Mattis' strong views on Russia, his insistence on being more aggressive against ISIS, and the need for a clear cyberwarfare doctrine.