This is a transcript of a talk I made at the Veterans' Day assembly at Jay High School, Jay, Florida, November 8th, 2001.
I want to thank you for the opportunity to address you today. Thank you Mr. Rowland, please pass on a thank you to my boss, Mr. Lay for allowing me time off to be here today. It isn’t often that I am asked to be the keynote speaker, in fact this is the first time anyone has asked me I believe . Now that makes me either feel that you think I might have something good to say or all other options had been exhausted and I am a last resort. So with that in mind, I will try to dispel any rumors that former Marines can’t put two sentences together coherently.
I don’t stand before you today as some famous person, or a war hero. I am far from that. I speak to you today as simply an American Citizen who had the opportunity to serve his country.
I consider myself pretty lucky in that regards. I was the little boy who used to run out and watch the military aircraft fly over and I said one day I am going to do that. I was fortunate to live my dream and then some.
Like you I was horrified at the events of September 11th. In the recent past the dangers we faced were traffic accidents, robbery, murder and the usual disappointments of life. But that was before September 11th. Since then our whole world has changed. But for us to go inside, lock the doors and pull down the shades will mean that the terrorist have won. Our leaders have urged us to get back to living a normal life and that means carrying on with our families, jobs and traditions. One of those traditions is every November 11th, we observe Veterans’ Day. Today, only 60 days after the tragedy struck, we are gathered to recognize the contributions of our nation’s military veterans, those who have served in war and peace, both at home and abroad. We do this every year and rightfully so.
But we know that this is no ordinary veterans’ day and there is no doubt the events of September 11th are still close in our hearts. There is also no doubt that many here are praying for loved ones who have been called to active duty or who are serving in foreign countries. And surely there is no doubt that America and all of our Veterans stand united behind them.
I once heard it said that people in this country sleep soundly at night because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf. Let us thank God for these rough men…..and women… who have been the defenders of our liberty for 225 years. Even as I speak they are making our country proud all over the world tracking down terrorism.
I thought long and hard about what I wanted to say today and I got some
unexpected help from a person I befriended on the internet through our mutual
interest in Veterans’ affairs. His name is Bill Hancock. Bill is a retired NY
city fireman. Bill told me that he lost many friends on September 11th.
It is fitting a proper that I use something Bill sent me. Bill wanted to share
with me some personal words written by a father whose son is a soldier who has
been deployed in the war on terrorism. These words are important because they
speak for the thousands of mothers and fathers, sisters and brothers, husbands
and wives who are today anxiously waiting for word from their loved ones.
It begins with a phone call….
"Hey dad…I just got the word we are moving out, pronto. Like we talked before, it’ll be a while before I can call. I can’t tell you where we’re going but I want you to know that I love you. Don’t worry about me Dad. Please don’t let mom worry ok?"
It’s the end of waiting for orders…the end of hope they don’t come…the end of uncertainty….my son is going to war. The end is bad but the beginning is worse. It’s the beginning of long months of silence…long nights of worry watching the news...waiting for the phone to ring. My son might be in Turkmenistan or Uzbekistan or a dozen other countries I never heard of before September 11th. He is a soldier and I know he is proud to do his duty and I am proud of him. I hug my wife and tell her it’s ok but we need something more. Lord give him strength. Lord protect my son. My boy has gone to war.
Only yesterday he was a kid pleading for me to go play ball with him. Today he is a man doing his duty. He won’t be without family over there, not blood relatives but with other young men and women with whom serve in the military uniform of our country.. Come what may none of them will fail with whom they serve.
They are today’s Private Ryans. Their platoon, air wings and ships companies are their families. They have forced a sacred bond that will last a lifetime, a bond that none can understand except those who have experienced it.
We are praying as a family because in a very real sense every Soldier, Sailor, Airman, Marine and Coast Guardsman is part of our family, the American Family, and we love them and we are proud of them.
No words are sufficient to describe our national sense or resolve or our collective feeling of concern for those young ones who have gone into harms way on our behalf. Instead let us pray to the God of all of us that we gain victory and rejoice in the safe return of our family. Nonetheless, let us pray that his will be done, and that he give us strength to bear it---be it sorrow or rejoicing. So today let this be our prayer as in ages past….God Bless America."
It’s hard for me to add to that heartfelt message but I do want to say this. Isn’t it amazing that we have spent a generation stamping out God from our schools and government and now as a nation we collectively turn to him. And I am also disturbed to hear that there are actually people in this country who feel it is not appropriate to wear a flag on their lapel because they are on the news or in a public job. And isn’t is amazing that university officials want to remove pro-American signs because it may offend foreign students. Well I tell you what. I am offended that these people call themselves Americans. I am offended listening to them spew their politically correct garbage on the airwaves. I tell you what, paraphrasing Mr. T….I am sure some of you out there have heard of him….I PITTY the fool who tries to remove this pin from my lapel This Flag is a symbol of everything good about this country. America may not be perfect but trust me after personally visiting over 20 countries on behalf of Uncle Sam, I couldn’t wait to get back here each time and see that flag wave.
I want to end by saying this…Osama Bin Laden may have conquered the Russians and his predecessors may have whipped the British. Based on his experience he probably thinks we are a pushover. He may have thought we lacked resolve. But let me give you five good reasons why Osama Bin Laden is wrong…..Would the active duty members of the Armed Forces stand…..There are five good reasons that Osama Bin Laden is wrong…Gosh if I were younger, thinner and good looking again I’d join you guys. Gentlemen, there is a saying we had in the Marines, that you negotiate with the enemy when your foot is in his chest and your bayonet is at his throat. You gentlemen are the point of the bayonet. We’re not Russia…We’re not Great Britain and we won’t back down. Osama Bin Laden called September 11th a great victory. We witnessed dancing in the streets in many Islamic nations. A story from many thousands of years ago talks about a similar event in probably the same locations these celebrations took place. This story comes from the greatest book ever written, the Holy Bible. So lets these words guide our country and serve as a warning to Osama Bin Laden…..From the Book of Micah Chapter 7 verse 8…..It reads…Rejoice not against me oh my enemy. When I fall I shall rise; when I sit in darkness, the Lord shall be a light unto me.
America fell into darkness on September 11th but God will bring us light. Not too long ago it would have been politically incorrect for me to quote the Bible. I am so happy I am politically incorrect…so if there are any members of the ACLU out there I will be happy to debate you when I finish here, one on one about Constitutional principles and my right to express my religion freely. I am also very proud to be a Veteran and proud of the greatest country in the world, America.
On this Veterans day let us pray for our troops who have been sent into battle and for all those Veterans who went before them.
Please God Bless America…the land we love…Stand beside her and guide her though the night with the light from above. Thank you.
Bill Webb, USMC (retired)
