Remembering Larry McDonald: the distinguished congressman and chairman of the John Birch Society was an effective and implacable foe of Communism and international terrorism.(At A Glance)

Twenty years ago, on September 1, 1983, U.S. Representative Larry McDonald (D-Ga.) was en route to Seoul, South Korea, to speak at an anti-Communist conference. Unbeknownst to him and the 268 others aboard KAL Flight 007, they were about to become victims in one of the most blatant acts of state terrorism of our times.

The civilian Boeing 747 had just passed over the southern tip of Sakhalin Island when it was shot down by Soviet SU-15 jet fighters. Rep. Lawrence Patton McDonald, the leading anti-Communist in Congress, was recognized by Soviet leaders as their number one foe in the U.S. Congress. That they would have targeted KAL 007 specifically to eliminate him is not wild conjecture to anyone familiar with Communist methods and goals.

Rep. McDonald, the national chairman of the John Birch Society and a key leader on the House Armed Services Committee, was the foremost constitutionalist in the House and a top authority on national defense and internal security. During his nine years in Congress, McDonald led many key battles in Washington to expose Soviet infiltration, terrorism, and espionage. He placed many detailed reports on these subjects into the Congressional Record, spoke widely, assisted other conservatives in their election campaigns, and wrote articles for John Birch Society publications. He also produced important books, reports, and video documentaries through the Western Goals Foundation, which he founded.

Because of his principled stands and courageous, dynamic leadership, Dr. McDonald was honored with numerous awards from conservative, patriotic, pro-life, pro-gun, and veterans organizations. He consistently scored perfect or near perfect ratings on the congressional scorecards of the American Conservative Union, National Right to Life Committee, Gun Owners of America, and the American Security Council, as well as the "Conservative Index" of this magazine's predecessor, The Review of the News.

Although he sat on the advisory boards of many conservative organizations, Dr. McDonald was very outspoken in his strong belief that the unique grassroots education strategy of the John Birch Society is essential to reversing the ongoing, precipitous decline of our nation and civilization. In his powerful 1980 video lecture, Education is the Key, McDonald explained why political action alone cannot effect the changes so desperately needed. There must first be a core of the electorate that understands the constitutional principles of limited government.

Noting that most voters and conservative groups are inordinately fixated on presidential politics, Larry McDonald explained why Congress, and especially the House, should be the primary focus. It is there, he said, that we have the chance for "building an informed electorate and understanding at the grassroots level where people can make a change and have that change felt in Washington." We have an obligation to preserve the legacy of freedom passed on to us. "In my opinion," said McDonald, "the best way to discharge that obligation is by being an active member of the John Birch Society."

Larry McDonald was articulate, energetic, telegenic, and always well-informed on the important issues of the day. He was a proven leader who could rally bipartisan conservative forces on crucial issues. He was a rising star on the national political scene, often cited as a future senator and a credible presidential candidate. But he knew from hard experience that his political victories had only been possible because he and other Birchers had done the earlier laborious work of building a tough core of informed, motivated voters in his district. For many years he had worked as a volunteer JBS chapter leader and section leader, building the Society's education and action program. Without this informed electorate, he knew he could not win office, take the principled stands he did in Congress, and weather the intense smears and continuous attacks of his opponents and the media.