2004 Speeches
Celebrating the 229th Anniversary of the United States Marine Corps
Remarks by Ambassador Lavin
November 13, 2004
Thank you Gunny. Gen Gregson, Admiral Quinn, General Goh, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, thank you for coming tonight and for celebrating the 229th anniversary of the United States Marine Corps.
Let me congratulate the Marine Security Guard Detachment for organizing this splendid evening and let me thank you for your service to the Embassy and to the Nation. You keep us safe. You keep our country safe. And we are honored to be here tonight to help observe your birthday.
Let me say a special word of thanks to our Detachment Commander, GySgt Joe Faragone.
Gunny was sent to Afghanistan (Holly might not want to hear all this), deploying just two weeks after 9/11. He served with the 26th MEU for three months of combat, securing Forward Operating Base Rhino and fighting the battle of Khandahar.
Nine months later he went on to serve in Iraq with the 2nd MEB. He spent five months there, including combat in Nazariyeh.
Gunny was just promoted last week, and he gave me the honor of pinning on his stripes. Congratulations on leading the Detachment doing such a strong job during your tour. In fact, there is only one mystery about Gunny. How did he get his call sign, “Mr. Clean?”
Tonight, we dine in elegance, but we are all keenly aware that at this moment Americans are fighting in difficult circumstances – in Afghanistan, across Iraq, and most notably in Fallujah, as the battle for that city enters its final phase. The insurgents there face a force of 2,000 Iraqi commandos and 12,000 United States Marines.
We are all following the story of our Marines as they liberate that city. Urban combat might be the most perilous form of engagement, given its three-dimensions, the invisible front lines, and the pervasive presence of civilians that complicates maneuver and provides camouflage for the enemy.
Street fighting is bloody and costly, and victory is attained block by block, house by house, yard by yard. But victory is ours. Not for us, not for conquest, but for the people of Iraq.
I read one story this week in which a unit was pinned down by enemy fire and the Captain was going to call for artillery support. But a corporal stepped up. “I’ve got a sniper rifle Captain. I can take out that guy. I'm from Alabama.”
I read an email from a Marine, a combat engineer who had been involved with breeching and controlled explosions throughout Fallujah. “Man,” he wrote, “I cannot wait until we stop blowing things up and get on with building the Fallujah Wal-mart.”
Where do we find such people, who run into combat, acquit themselves with glory, and maintain a sense of humor all the while?
A Marine friend of mine, a fraternity brother, shared with me the three lessons of Marine leadership: Seek brilliance in the basics, always do the right thing, and anything worth shooting is worth shooting twice.
A bit more thoughtful, perhaps, was the observation of Commandant General Michael Hagee, who said the war on terrorism is "essentially a war at the squad-leader and platoon-leader level."
Former Commandant Gen. Chuck Krulak wrote of "the strategic corporal" - young Marines "far from the flagpole, without the direct supervision of senior leadership." At the end of the day, the ability of Marines to survive and prevail during a crisis will depend almost entirely on their personal wherewithal – their judgment, their skills, their training, and their guts.
So when we celebrate the Marines, we are not just recognizing an extraordinary history of accomplishment. We are recognizing a way of life.
You have to earn the title of Marine. It is a daunting challenge, one that many Americans, most Americans, could not rise to.
Marines step forward and commit themselves to a greater cause without concern for personal safety or comfort. And do it knowing they gain perhaps nothing in return, except the honor of the title of "Marine."
Individually, Marines are as different as the mosaic of the American people they serve, but these men and women are linked for eternity by that title and the fact that they are part of the finest fighting force that has ever existed in history.
If you are an enemy of America, running into a Marine outfit is your worst nightmare. Your medical record is about to get a lot thicker, or may be closed out permanently.
We are proud of all Marines, but we are particularly proud of what we have here in Singapore, with six marines in this detachment and a detachment commander.
We see in our detachment what we see across the Marine Corps. Principles endure. Excellence endures. Duty endures.
These traits explain why the Marines are a vital part of our embassy. Just look at the ancillary activities. Some in the room tonight know the Det from their work at the hospital, Toys for tots, or other ComRel projects. Some know the Det from its work hosting the visiting fleet Marine force or the Navy League. Some help out with the Marine’s Christmas stockings and some know the Det best from Marine nights. As for me, I go with the Marines to the pistol range. A Marine friend told me that it would be good for morale if I went and did my morning run with the Det. Well, since I run nine-minute miles, I bet it would be damn good for morale. You’d never feel in better shape than when you run next to me.
Marines, whether we run together or not, we stand beside each other, 24/7. In Singapore, we are far from the field of battle, but we are not necessarily far from danger. In the era we are in, we cannot predict where or how the threat might arise. In troubled times, it is good to know we have friends who are, as the motto goes, “Always faithful.” Semper Fi, Marines. Happy Birthday.