Welcome to the Retirement Ceremony in Honor of Major General Daniel J. Lecce, Staff Judge Advocate to the Commandant of the Marine Corps, 20 March 1986 – 30 September 2021, 35 years of faithful service.

Transcript

Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen, I am Master sergeant Andrew Gallagher the narrator for today’s retirement ceremony on behalf of Major General Dmitri Henry, Director J. To United States Central Command. Welcome to the retirement ceremony for matt. Major General Daniel. J let us Marine Corps please rise with the arrival of the official party. It remained standing for the playing of the national anthem and the invocation. Uh huh. It is my pleasure to introduce Father Milton DJ annulus Captain Us Navy retired to deliver the invocation. Mhm mm. Let us pray blessed job of old sound in his prayer. I know that you can do all things Lord and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted with these words, joe prayed to God and God heard the prayer of job because he confessed the majesty of the Lord life job. Major General Daniel Match! So a lot of stuff in his life as a marine leader. I know this myself or when I was his chaplain at Camp Lejeune. He dealt with many things including A 10,000 acre forest fire, a tornado that destroyed D. O. D. Elementary school and military housing hurricane and a major snowfall and a lightning that hit a tree at the stables, killing four horses like joe as a marine. We know that he saw much more more things than an average man or woman should ever have to see how much more did he faithfully endure in east Timor in the Persian gulf in the Middle East and in the Asian subcontinent. So we to like joe confess your majesty and invoke your name. Oh lord that you will hear our prayer for dan. Let you on this day After 35 years of faithful service to God and country, grant him a restful yet productive retirement. Give him peace of mind. But more importantly peace of heart, a good and gentle spirit filled with love and devotion. Do you? And his family? Let’s also his wife jean and their family with happiness that they might enjoy their days together and even the twilight of their life. Many years from now in love and grace under the protection of your wings. For them we ask in your holy name of the father, the son and the Holy spirit. Amen. Mhm. Ladies and gentlemen, please be seated mm. Today’s presiding official with Major General Dmitri, Director J. To United States Central Command. Major General Henry’s biography is contained in your program. If you have not already done so. I strongly encourage you to take a moment to read and learn about his impressive career. Ladies and gentlemen, Major General Dmitri Mhm. Ladies and gentlemen, please rise for the presentation of the retirement award and orders attention to orders. The President of the United States takes pleasure in presenting the distinguished service Medal to Major General Daniel J. Lechia, United States Marine Corps for services set forth in the following citation For exceptionally meritorious service to the United States and a duty of great responsibility. A staff judge advocate to the commandant of the Marine Corps. From July 2018 through August 2021 Major General edges exceptional council and leadership of the Legal support mission significantly aided the common at Staff Headquarters, U. S. Marine Corps and Marine Corps commands worldwide and improved good order and discipline overall. Based on two high level reviews and studies of the department’s uniform legal services, he’d implemented significant changes to the Marine Corps legal community to ensure its long term viability and success. His superior performance of duties culminated his 35 years of honorable and dedicated military service by his superior leadership, wise judgment, and deep devotion to duty. Major General, let’s see, reflected great credit upon himself and upheld the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and the United States Naval Service for the President signed Thomas W. Harker, Secretary of the Navy, Acting Certificate of retirement from the Armed Forces of the United States of America. To all who shall see these presents greeting. This is to certify that major general Daniel J. Levy, having served faithfully and honorably, was retired from the United States Marine Corps on the First Day of October 2021 signed David H. Berger, General, United States Marine Corps, Commandant of the Marine Corps. Ladies and gentlemen, please be seated. Okay, ladies and gentlemen, a letter from the Secretary of the Navy. Dear Major General veggie, upon the occasion of your retirement, I extend my sincere appreciation on behalf of the Department of the Navy for the lifetime of service. You have devoted to our Navy Marine Corps team and the nation. Your career has reflected deep and consistent dedication to duty for more than 35 years. One of the great strength of our country is the willingness of men and women, of your stature to devote their exceptional talents to positions of military leadership. Your accomplishments have been many and varied whether in staff assignments or as a commander. Your performance and service to the Marine Corps and nation were superb as the staff did advocate to the commandant of the Marine Corps. You have represented your core and served your nation exceedingly well. You have been an invaluable asset to the Marine Corps and the Department of Defense. I know you’re fine record will be a source of great pride to you in years to come. The myriad of honors and awards you received throughout your career, testify to your outstanding professional leadership and unswerving loyalty. As you now prepare to leave our active ranks, you can take pride in all that has earned you the admiration and respect of those with whom you have served as you begin a new chapter in your life. I wish you and jean good health and much happiness in all your future endeavors. I extend to you both the appreciation of a grateful nation sincerely Carlos del Toro. Many congrats, ladies and gentlemen, a letter from the commandant of the Marine Corps, Dear dan, let you as you retire from our active ranks. I want to congratulate you on an impressive career. It has been an honor to serve alongside and you should take great pride in the innumerable contributions you and jean have made to the Marine Corps over the years. Throughout your career you set the standard for excellence and earned the deepest respect of those who had the privilege of serving with you when you earn your commission and juris doctorate, you embarked on a journey that would take you around the globe and include combat and peacekeeping deployments from the various important attorney and legal assistance roles you held early in your career and your tenure as Assistant Professor for leadership in law at the US Naval Academy. To your deployments in support of operation stabilized Southern Watch and Iraqi freedom and the important roles you have at headquarters, Marine Corps. You consistently led from the front for your leadership of the Marine Security Battalion, United Arab Emirates. You made significant contributions to our embassies and consulates in that region. During a particularly critical time in your later assignment as Assistant Judge, Advocate General for Military Justice. You played a vital role in shaping military justice policy that will guide the navy for years to come. And every assignment you demonstrated great skill and determination as an Attorney Judge, Advocate and Marine Leader. I personally thank you for your support guidance and counsel during your time as Stafford, Advocate for the common your knowledge, experience and sage advice contributed substantially to my ability to fulfill my duties and responsibilities. As you transition after 35 years as a United States marine. I hope you will take time to reflect on all you achieved during your career. You helped shape our organization for more than three decades and your contributions will continue to influence our core and the marines who carry our legacy into the future. It is a pleasure to join your family, friends and fellow marines and congratulating you on your retirement and thanking you for your dedicated service, fair winds and following seas. Semper Fidelis signed David H. Berger, General U. S. Marine Corps commandant of the Marine Corps. Mm At this time, Major General Henry will present a letter of appreciation from the commandant of the Marine Corps to Miss jean Kilcher. Her unwavering support and dedication to her husband and their three Children, Katherine, Daniel and Victoria. Dear jean as dan retires from the active ranks of our Marine corps, Donna and I send our congratulations and thank you for your faithful support of his career and for the sacrifices you have made over his years of service to our nation, Donna. And I fully appreciate the sacrifice that comes with marry and a marine. More importantly, thank you for your willingness to also serve both as a Marine Corps spouse and in your own highly successful Navy career As you and dad bring this chapter of your lives to a close. We hope you will both reflect fondly on all you’ve accomplished together through the deployments. PCS moves and the long hours dance spent away from home. You have weathered the challenges. Military families, experience with Grace, Thank you for sharing your husband with the poor. We greatly appreciate your innumerable contributions to our Marine Corps family and to the Navy Jag Corps as you begin this new chapter in your life, you know that our core is forever grateful for your faithful service Donna. And I wish you and dan all the best in the coming years. Semper Fidelis signed David H. Berger, General U. S. Marine Corps commandant of the Marine Corps. Another No ladies and gentlemen, it is my pleasure to introduce Major General Dmitri Henry, Director J. To United States Central Command. Hey, good afternoon everybody. Uh huh. I’ll probably knock this thing down. That’s okay. Can you hear me folks in the back? Okay? Yeah. Um, first of all I’d like to say, uh, welcome to everyone. Uh, it’s great to be able to retire Marine anytime you get an opportunity to do so. It’s uh, pretty humbling. Especially humbling to me that made you don’t let you down if you would, you would ask me to do this. And in fact, I thought he was joking with me when you text me and said, can you call and actually thought you would call him to tell me something that I didn’t know had been reported on. I was pleasantly surprised that that wasn’t the topic, but I was even more surprised that you wanted me to do this. So I really have humbled bye by being explore you. Because I was talking with the family last night. I was telling my hope that I would be able to put in perspective at least what dan has been able to dream with me for me and mainly mostly for marine that he served in the same way that he served within their family and the Children kind of stole a little bit of thunder. Uh The client ended a few with then colonel that you he is the base commander down account was really I got bird’s eye view of something but through all the fellow gentle, often flag officers here. Senior enlisted leaders to silver servants to the marines and everyone else gathered here. Welcome. This is uh you know, you hear the term bittersweet for for retirement. And in reality I don’t I don’t think it’s much better at all. I think what it is is that we know that we’re losing someone but there that same person is now going back to their family uh in a different capacity and and more and likely providing more opportunities to spend more time. Then we top it with tonight and I know you’re looking forward. I’ll miss you. You were needed where you are. All right. So anyway, I do wanna say a special thanks to the family and I practice this last night with the family. I didn’t, I did not get 100% I think at all. But I’m gonna try to get 100% right now without actually. So Eugene Catherine. that. You’re easy Victoria Amy And he’s back there sister and Lisa. And then there’s some neighbor Steve and there was a good friend. This is B B. All right. See you there, right. Even if you’re not, nobody else knows anything and areas, those are the folks on that last night. I feel like if I could get that done and I’ve actually done something. So I think I checked that block. All right. So, we’re gonna we’re gonna talk a little bit though about what this is and why we actually do it and why I feel like I’m humbled and grateful to be able to do this on behalf migrant. You don’t damage my role in the ceremony is pretty soon say something and get out of the way so that the retirement officer can come up and do what he does and that’s pretty easy for me to do. I pretty much fulfill that already. But what I want to also do is thank then and Gene for their continued friendship over the last couple of decades and more importantly though for allowing me to actually do. I don’t think I can say it enough. It’s pretty humbling to be here as a retirement official for another general officer led along with your best friend in the marine corps for so let’s get going. If anyone thinks that I’m going to or I thought that I was going to go through major general edges resume. I’m not going to do the one that would be extra stuff that I would have to write down on the sheet and it would be something that you can find in your program. What I’m gonna try to do is put in perspective who I think my friend is, who this officer is, this general is and who this man is and what he means to me certainly. And the cord jump and I’m gonna do that using something yet as I alluded to earlier and ad libbing now chaplain actually talk about when it has been yet. But I’m gonna, I’m gonna add some flavor to that thing yet. So you can get to understand if you don’t already uh who we’re talking about and why all of you are here. Right. And I think you’ll see some of the traits and characters character of maybe a little edgy and somebody’s been yet. And I’ll talk about each one of the vignette and I’ll tell you what trait of character I think I see uh in and major general election. So what vignette is a description and a counter an episode and everything and I’m going to describe and he’s been yaks, it’s true. Everything as far as I can remember. So I’m going to tell you the truth as I know it don’t let you may may see it somewhat different because he was in a different perspective but everything is going to be true and back in town. So the three, the three vignettes that I’m gonna cover and I’ll tell you each one, first one vignette number one, his first encounter of the dan kind. So this is my first encounter with major levee At 15. You saw as we were getting ready to work up and go on our deployment, much of which the problem talked about easter more and southern March. But I’m going to talk about workups and cookies And we talk about seven December 1999 and I’m gonna talk about monkeys, snakes and birds of prey. So each one of those has a unique uh flavor to it and I’ll be brief. But that’s what the receptions for any one of these topics catches your interest and you want to see where my truth is and where major general Electric truth is, you’ll have him there and you can ask him did that really happen that way? Uh, he’ll, if he’s, he may laurier you with it in the end, you’ll probably say yes, but I’m sure he’ll use some lawyer tools. Um, so work ups and working and this is about the columnist and the focus that then major lets you display while a lot of things are kind of falling down around us. There was a lot of should I say dysfunction Amongst the two and 3 I was into at the time Was someone else that was three. It was quite a dysfunctional relationship and because then at the time major election I was room mates on the ship. We, he would often come over and sit and talk to me about how to make it better. Not because he wanted me to be the guy on the top, but he wanted to make sure your organization is taken care of. And the 21 of the two key players on that organization are the two key players actually besides the commander two and three were not getting along very well and I can tell you there was a lot of discussion, there’s a lot of calming me down and then I think I stand here today probably because you were able to at least only if you call me down, you just brought it to a level that was acceptable. Three cores okay with violence. So so I think the outside world would have said you didn’t call him anything but the reality was you did every all the council you gave me was right, showed me where either I was right or wrong and where it didn’t even matter and so how pollution seven December 1999 Not such a happy time for 15 the sock for those of you remember lost helicopter off the back of one of our ships as we were doing a visit for what search and seizure exercise off the coast of san Diego. seven souls were lost that day. And again incomes one of the, one of the most calmest focus individuals on the news talk to us about what does happen, what we have to do next and how we have to push through. Hello and then monkeys shakes birds of prey. So this was my 3rd deployment. Uh this this deployment and it was a dance first if I’m not mistaken with the music. So I you know I had all, I have the gravitas and everything I’ve done there have been there and done that And I have been to Thailand probably five times from a young officer up to I guess I would never up to up to this point and general lethargy major Lexi and I were but liberty but you have to have two, you couldn’t go out alone, you had to have to, no one wanted to go with the sDA because the sDA was actually working The whole time actually 24/7 yesterday would work and I knew this but I also knew two things. I knew that the sDA also had for them and you got a hotel room. So my liberty buddy. So I had an end so I don’t know if I ever told you that that that was also part of that, the goodness of my heart, but it’s also that for him he’s very generous with. But so if you’ve ever been on Westpac, I’ve ever been to Thailand for that matter. There’s, you know, you can get birds of prey that you come off the ship and there’s somebody out there on the pier. They got a falcon eagle, they got something and those, those birds and animals usually carry some disease or get you sick or something. So the whole time is we’re steaming getting ready to go liberty. There were closing in the Xo of the Sybron and figures ready group and the Xo of the new, they would be telling you what to do do don’t and all the marines do it right down the docks and go do them. So so uh I’m talking to dad and we’re on a steep, oh, I think it’s only carrying two of us. Just me and him on a speedboat. And I’m saying, hey, we get here. Just if marine isn’t hurting himself and hurting someone else, we call you, just need to just keep moving. We can, you know, do some. And I’m like, okay, I hear you. I’m just saying I’m just so we get to the pier, climb up and you know, we’re there. Next thing I know he takes off and he’s running because there’s a marine with the trifecta. There’s a marine who has a monkey on his shoulder. I don’t know if there’s an eagle or a hawk as a hawk on his arm and has a snake around his neck. All of that at once. Um, I don’t know if he had a beer in his hand and now, yes, yes, he did have a beard. Remember everything. I’m telling you the truth. I had a beer in his hand as well. And so he sees him and rightfully so we correct problems don’t walk past the problem all of us cause I don’t walk past the problem. So he spreads and I’m, I’m there and I’m like gonna be a long, long day as this happened. So he runs down there by the time I get there and marines finally unwrapping the snake around his neck and the marine knows better. And uh, I said, so what did he say? Anything? Of course. And then he’s like, oh sorry, I just want to get a picture like, okay, so we take three more steps and there he goes again, he’s running again this time, there’s a marine on a moped and you’re not supposed to be a motorized private motorized vehicles. We don’t, we don’t want any actually, it’s too dangerous. And he pulls the rain over three stops Culpas puts the bike, push, push the boat back to wherever he got it from. And so we’re good and I say, hey dan, we’re never going to go on liberty because every step you take, there’s going to be a marine doing something that’s probably not in the best interests of that marine and as long as it’s not life or limb, we have got to let well for the rest of the night until they got dark and we couldn’t see him everywhere we went, dan was on him like, you know, like an unleashed dogs. So it was very, very interesting to see that. But it was also what he was supposed to and you know, that helped me, you know, continue to keep my focus on what it is. We’re asking marines to do and marines will do what you’re asking to do if you set the example and then you set the example. You always help us do it to task and you always always did the right thing. So I appreciate that wasn’t much appreciated the first day of liberty, but it was appreciated over time. I’ll never forget. That was a great experience. Vignette number two command is lonely that that was. And you, you heard the chaplain talk about lightning and changes of command and horses. You stole my thunder. But uh lightning horses and lightning and change the command. So first day mhm Now Colonel Edgy, its base Commander, Marine Corps base capitalism and I happen to be able to get down there for the change of command. Its thundering and lightning. Everybody gets wet. They were the general air sea east. I said, hey, we’re just gonna take it. We’re going to move it to the clubs. They go to the clubs, power bills out all over base and it’s his first day as I commanded our Commander of Marine Corps base. But as always in this calm, unflappable and actually got things done while still entertaining all the folks that have come to detain demand while honoring the former base commander and taken care of. I still don’t know when the power came back on because I think I was living up and I think I had a little mountain town so I didn’t really care of. Uh it was, it was, we did the ceremony area inside in the dark in the, in the club work. But again the words I used there after I tell you the horse story is really about compassion and about caring and in the hard story chaplain talked about it. But what you don’t, I think what a lot of us don’t appreciate it is have you ever thought about what you do if a horse dies in a stable and your base command, you would think that just tell the owners they come get their horse and do something. Well that ain’t gonna happen because we take care of our own and the chaplain will tell you, he was, I think you were praying over some dead horses. Yeah, they had to figure out how to know Petey. Hey, what needs to be done. You can’t just go bury a horse. No, you can’t just go, we do where I come actually very anything. But you couldn’t do that on federal property a lot went into it and I was there and you know, bands got his family there. He’s trying to all these things and you know, we’ve got four dead horses. I have written down here seven, but I’m not going to go against the chaplain and what’s happened. So four dead horses. And again then what I took away from you. And this was over the phone was you analyze the situation. Look at what you have to start where you are, you what you have and that was the marines. You had a child and you took care of his family. And it seems like a small thing. But I would bet you that somewhere around there is a family talking about how you treated them, their horse. The thing you understand. So can’t say enough about your compassion and your determined and then think at number three, which is the last thing that I have is leading in a time of uncertain. And in this one I’ll talk a little bit about Iraq port and starboard and in the summer of protest that we just went through as a nation, I won’t, I won’t dwell on either one. But in the Iraq one I was not stationed with then Colonel. Edgy at the time. But he was at two maps and I was at one and we were reporting starts to mess. I usually we lucid and I was in uh six months at a time because I was battalion commander, he was in the year. So I would be there harder time. And I remember the first time I saw him forward of course, a good friend of mine, I knew he was there but just seeing him and understanding that he’s providing advice to the commanding general, going to make sure that our marines are able to engage and do the things that they need to do legally ethically in a way to protect themselves and that the rules of engagement that they’re working under. He had put his personal eyes on and made sure that the marines are taking care of. So that when I saw him was what I felt like we were able to do what we need to do within the authorities at the commanding general has because the Staff Judge Advocate who was providing that support to them was standing. And uh so bad banks were enabling the forced and doing what you do on a daily basis. And the commandant summed it up pretty well with left on a summer protest. This one’s near and dear because it just recently happened. But there were a lot of folks and probably a lot of folks in the Marine corps and around the country is still hurting one way or the other about what happened over the summer. I’m into the fall and so on and so and a lot of people don’t want to talk about it. A lot of people want to a lot of people think it was no big deal. Lot of people think a lot of things negative, positive, whatever you That there were probably two people in the Marine Corps, they call me and asked me how I was doing, I was how I was handling what I was seeing. And it was based on a couple of things. one they knew that I had a son that could be just like any other person that might get caught up in some of those protests and some of those things that were going on. And those two, both of our sitting here by the way, but one is the one that we’re retired today. Call me up. Are you doing? Is there anything I can do? Let’s talk. Here’s what I think. What do you think? And we talked for probably now and at that point I realized that I had not done that for anyone else in uniform because I had uh pulled inward and everyone was afraid to talk about it, compassion that dad let you have him. I know if you’re here, you certainly unit you all know what I’m talking. Its leadership. It’s a devotion of duty. It’s all of those things and hazarded in state. So that ladies and gentlemen almost brings me to the end of my remarks. But there’s one other account that I’d like to mention before I step off the stage and this has to do with New Years. I actually don’t remember what New Year’s Eve because but again this is a compassion thing and also a leadership. I I’m a perpetual geo back. So I go home for the holidays on Christmas. I spent about two weeks at home for Christmas. I rarely ever spent New Year’s at home because I’m court and started with the deputy or or someone else’s authority and I can I can only be in one place. One of us has to be at the headquarters. So I take Christmas, my deputy takes the years. Anyway I’m back in D. C. And lo and behold my friend realized that I was probably around somewhere so called and said, hey where are you, what are you doing for New Year’s Eve? I said I’m not doing anything, I want to do it. And he said you’re going to do something. I’m on my way to your place. So Jeanne, I know you probably remember this because he wasn’t with that you showed up. Yeah. So a couple of posts and you took back off. So that’s the kind of man marine officer and the leader that I know and then your retirement needs a lot of things. It means that I’ll have access to your ears a lot more than now as you hear me want about what’s going on and at least if you actually answer the phone. So, so that that will happen for me and I’m being selfish now you’ve been my conscious. Mm, I think you’ll have more time to help me keep me from killing the Wookie and more importantly keeping me grounded, focus on what I’m supposed to be doing for the nation and for the Marines and say with So you asked it all on the map? I had to throw a wrestling them there and Dave also told me to say something, a lot of Pittsburgh Steelers. I almost made it through without it 66 time Super Bowl champion, The 19th, late 70s nemesis of mine, cowboys. But then despite all that, I love you brother. I wish you nothing but a fair one problems. Thank you Ladies and gentlemen is my great pleasure as a member of Good Advocate Division and the United States Marine Corps to present to you. Major General Daniel J let us Marine Corps retired. Okay, mhm, Can you hear me? Okay? I thought it better to be, I know this is on set with this, but I thought it better that I’d be miked up by standing behind the podium because you could just see my head at the top. Um, I heard of that journalist and uh, look, I’m very honored and humbled by everybody that came. We were looking at a smaller venue and uh, we had to go into this this larger place. Uh thank you so much. I know many of you traveled from great distance to be here. Um and I’m really honored and humbled thank you so much. So I have really really two goals here. I’m gonna thank try to thank everybody in this room. I’m gonna I’m gonna try like hell to do that and then I try to keep it together. So if I can do those two things, it’s a win. I have a reflections portion at the end that I’m going to try to get through. This is my talk. It’s I did this myself because I no longer have an E. A you retire. You know it’s literally I called for a retired I. D. Card and they said it’s gonna be a month and I said I’m a major general. They said it’s gonna be a month so you have to just get used to it. Uh thank you to the band. Uh you know you make a good event great. I know they work extremely hard, so thank you so much. You look great, thank you thank everybody that organized and planned this. These things take a lot of work staffer and Clements, You’re awesome. Thank you matey did a fantastic job. Master guns, Williams, you know he’s a drill instructor, I like doing the sir. Uh so probably the only money I know to say that mass art gallery uh narration portion is huge. So thank you so much. And then my wife, uh you’ll have cupcakes. If you go to the reception, you’ll have cupcakes and beer. You can thank my wife for both of those. Uh Father Milk and Connie, thank you so much for coming. I’m honored to have you uh on the horse thing, just just to recap one at So there was four dead horses and the owners were beside themselves. It was, I don’t I’m not making a judgment. They were just for women and they were beside themselves about these dead horses because you can become very attached. And so the mps rolled up and I’m like, well, what are we gonna do now? We have these dead horses, like, well we’re gonna take them to the dump, like, and they went apoplectic. And I’m like, ok, that this is not going to the dump, we’re not doing that. And uh General Henry is exactly right. We came up, there is a way to bury a horse legally and we did it. Uh I can talk to you about that little cupcakes and uh thank you so much Father Milk. Uh you know, doing all those tough times of capital. You are literally the only one that ever walked in the office and said, how are you doing? So, I really appreciate that Connie, thank you so much for coming. Uh I’d like to thank my old Glory Team. I have all staff in Ceos and Cios for a reason. And I love that book. Citizen Soldiers by Stephen Ambrose. And you know, it talks about the battle of the Bulge in the United States campaign into Europe. Really, the thrust of the book is about how all of those battles were run by junior officers and NGOs, not by generals. And I think guys that get to the position that I got to, the senior officers get to, you have to remember we do that on the back of these warnings. So to my old glory team, thank you so much for all that you’ve done for me and for being here today. Uh we have a lot of V. I. P. S here. Uh Colonel Colonel at the push. General Bligh, you were a colonel at one time and then you went right to two stars. So, okay, forgive me. But I’ve known, I know I’ve known gay for a long time and uh you know, I know you’re just gonna crank it out of the pork. Uh you know, I thought I did a good job as the age at what you did far better. So gave, I’m very, very happy that you’re there to leave the community and I know you’re gonna take it to new heights. Uh General john baker is here. Uh, you know, probably the best lawyer. I know really just very incredibly smart and great moral courage, you know, running the defense establishment for the military commissions. Not a lot of thank you’s in that job, but it’s been a great honor serving with you john dan kami is here with his lovely wife, Joey, Uh Dan and I go away like into the early 90s. Right? And if you ask, ask him at the reception if he’s there about the pugilistic fight. So he’s right. There wasn’t, there wasn’t, there wasn’t definitive rules and he kicked me in a place that would neutralize me immediately. That’s how that started. So okay, I’m willing to go again today in the reception just to even that out. But dan, it’s been a great honor servant with your brother. Thank you for thank you for everything Joey. You’re wonderful. Thank you. Um It’s general yours here, you know, come general rules about predecessor, his wife at least. They’re also wonderful guys. I’m mechanic. Ah sir. So nice animal Hanoch was my counterpart in the Navy. The Marine Corps does it with the two star. The Navy doesn’t three. You do the same job. Arguably the marine does more, but we do it is a two star but uh uh Admiral Haddock, it’s been a real honor serving with you. You know the name of the Marine Corps sort of have this love hate relationship. But uh just just the amount of advice and assistance and collaboration that you gave to me was was tremendous and hope you don’t mind the, you know, adding is we went through the transition course together, which is kind of like going through purgatory and uh we’re going through this and we’re both like to look at each other, get do you have to have a appointments? Have you written a resume? It’s like we’re both sort of lost. Uh But sir, thank you so much for everything. It’s been a real honor sir. Uh more modzeleski is here, my Navy mentor. More, you were incredible as a Navy Jag the Navy a Jag you know as a marine, you’re kind of lost, you know, you’re walking into this this Navy world where you do detailing and all this crazy stuff and You have just been such a tremendous measure to me and it really kind of saved my bacon down there because I went into marine road right away, like what the hell is 08 showing up for work? I mean you better have a uniform on and your in a seat by 0730 latest. You like talking me off the ledge on that So well thank you, there’s a lot of Navy Jackson, thank you to uh Colonel D. J. Reilly is DJ here, where are you going? So anyway you should be sitting in the front your tv now he’s the current A Jag uh D. J. Is just a tremendous officer coming out of command. I think he’s with his wife Deb Yeah dad, thank you so much for coming D. J. I know you’re gonna crank it out of the park up there. Uh General san cooler. You heard him yelling out, That’s what he does. You know? Uh he was in the pentagon during 9 11 served in this bill it for five years. He would come in. You know we lived in the in this vault. Me and joe vertical. Yeah. No I know joe is in here somewhere in a couple of in this vault and he would come down here once a month and just yell at us. Not about anything in particular just yelling at us and then walk out like the first time he did. I’m like, what did we do wrong? Just like that’s just how he is. So after like the fourth or fifth time he realized. But general, thank you sir so much for coming. You on me for being here. Um Major General bill ceiling is here a fellow short and heavy man. So this is true for 35 years in the United States Marine Corps. I’ve been sucking wait right. I cannot make my Marine Corps wait because I’m sure you do you notice that? Uh So I can only wait 100 bucks 60. That’s all I can wait. There’s no way I waited. So so every time you know because I don’t wanna get tape, you don’t have like some captain coming up back tape around you so you just it. And uh so you put on a plastic suit in the summer, you get in your dodge charger and you turn the heat on, this is what you do and you make weight. So Bill, you are a great man. Thank you, you know as calm Strat, you know special staff guide your energy and your leadership is just tremendous. Bill, thank you, thank you for coming. Um General Winters is here um just a great mentor really from the beginning. I don’t even know if you remember that you were the legal instructor when I was at CBS like a million years ago and just we always look forward to his classes because they were so entertaining throughout my entire career. You’ve been there to provide advice and help. And then most recently we did this comprehensive review into the legal community which was like a real nightmare scenario, but I called you know General Winters for just advice and then he agreed to be on the executive panel for that thing. It actually brought a lot of good to the community and that’s a direct result of your work and you know, he’s the I. G. For Amtrak, nothing going on there. Right. Um and with all of that you still took the time to do that, which is like a full time job with full time sir. Thank you so much. I cannot thank you enough for that. Um and then and then last but not least General Henry, what a what a great man and a great mentor. You know, I knew from the beginning on them, you with everything. I’m losing all those marines and uh, and you know, everything that we did out there. Um, you just set such a great example for all of us to emulate And then then, you know, five days and food cat with marines is like four days too long because they were, I mean we were in hospitals, jails. I mean literally I’m not making any of this up. General Henry said this right after day one became known as the mayor of Phuket and a major Henry became the sheriff because literally we had forms in a bag of money and we were paying claims like madness. I mean, you know, how much does it cost to get this guy out of jail And we would go like, man that’s cheap, we’ll pay that. Uh, and that’s literally what we were doing. I mean, I know I’m on video. That’s the truth. That is the truth of what we did. So thank you, thank you so much for doing this and for being here for being such a great friend of mine. There are many friends and marines from the past here is brad Christmas and Kara. Are they here brad? Yeah, okay Brian Tara, you know, great, just both great people tories as an attorney molo and brad was, you know, at the naval academy, uh, was like the cyber guy that’s before people knew what cyber was. This is like in the early nineties and uh brad, thank you for everything and being such a good friend all these years. Tara, thank you so much for coming. Darius is here. Darius Brown, I think Stevie is here. Darius around here somewhere. Yeah, there is wearing a back, there is thanks for being such a good friend. Um you know, all these years, uh youth wrestling, all of it. Thank you so much. Uh is Lori Gregory here, Lori and Courtney’s with you, daughter Courtney Laurie. So this goes back to the Naval Academy, you know, Barbie Gregory’s Lori’s husband. Uh and what a great man who ventured to all of us, dan Conley was there at the time. You know, we kind of had our heads up, our rear ends, you know, we’re captains and just at Indianapolis but possibly you know, come on uh bobby just because he was prior enlisted and was steady and ensure and all. Just love the man we lost him too early. But Lori, you honor me by coming and by keeping in touch. So thank you so much for being here. I think of bobby literally every day. Um I think joe jones is here is joe here. Ah so joe jones and her friend friends. Meg and Karen are here. Uh so joe was in Iraq with us and I think I think Lieutenant Colonel George Cadwallader and Gunner, rob holler on, we were all together in Iraq, joe was a P. O. Like a calm Straker. But given to us because we were so busy Basically releasing detainees in Iraq, right? I mean that that’s what we were doing in 2009. Up the word up the Western Euphrates, put them in a truck and the rule was, you had to have a lawyer, you had to have a lawyer go and do it just to make sure it was all legal and the seals, you know, providing uh physical security or like this is a really bad idea. It’s like, hey, I know it’s a bad idea, but we’re told to do it and we were letting these guys out all the way up to the border of Syria and joe, you did tremendous, you know, not being a legal specialist, what tremendous work you’ve done, how you have excelled. The one anecdote I have of George’s on here is, you know, uh the Iraqi culture is such that make connections by eating and drinking with people try and, and all of that. You know, you get the lamb and you have to go deep, you know, you have to go deep into the land because the western body can’t handle the amount of bacteria about the hit and uh one of the navy jacks that we have was refusing to eat it, I would say you better, we’ll eat it, You eat whatever they put in front of you. And he very reluctantly did. And it does, it makes a difference. The Iraqis uh you make a connection and they respect you if you eat the food. Um What Jamison is here? Oh Mark, what a what a good friend. Code 46 down there. Uh Public government really all through this. You’ve just been such a great friend. Another top top attorney now working for the Coast Guard. Mark, thank you for for always being there and being such a great advisor and friend. So thank you so much. Um Steve fatigue is here Steve with our neighbor. Steve may be responsible for saving my life. And I just quickly tell you why is, you know, I was going to cut down the tree. I did cut down a tree because it was in the wires, these electrical wires. And I’m like, okay, I can do this. So you start from the top on, right? That’s how you cut down a tree. I got it. I. YouTube. And uh so I come up, you know with my metal ladder and my metal saw, ensuring tools. And I go to cut down this tree. And Steve is watching out his front door and horror like what is it that it pops out and says, you know dan uh what is your problem with all this metal electricity? What Steve? It’s like I have a wooden ladder. Um So yeah, I probably would have been electrocuted. Yes, but not for Steve. Uh Greens don’t always think through the 2nd and 3rd world. We just want to get it done, get it done, get the mission done. Steve. Thank you for being here for being such a great neighbor. Jim McGowan Kelly here. Hey here oh this gym Jim goes all the way back to the beginning. Jim a gallon. When I was a lieutenant, he signed me up for Navy Marine Corps Relief coordinator for the package store inventory for the e store inventory. You just have to uh inventory the N. C. O. Club. This is back in like the late eighties and it’s time for all that. How might do you guys know I have a law degree. I mean should I be doing this? Seems this is not what he also said. And I tell you I learned so much from that and we had such a great time. Jim and you were such a great mentor. Thank you so much for everything that you did in those early days. Marine Corps and I appreciate you coming. Um let me see here, I have Lloyd Haider. Do you come from Korea? Lloyd! Lloyd is here. Thanks brother. Uh for coming. I know you didn’t specifically come from Korea for this cp house next to you, Pete. Thanks for coming brother. I see john stevens john thanks for coming And Steve Stewart. Thank you so much. Gentlemen for being here Jesse nick march here. The marches come there are also great friends obviously couldn’t make it um have N. C. S in the house. I think I have mike pierce here. It’s like my what a good man I tell you know because it? S a s you know when SCS comes lock into the door, it’s it’s usually worse than the chaplain or the I. G. It’s it’s something bad you know and we had a lot of humdinger cases uh you know mike mike’s marine just just what a great relationship and I know we have the executive leadership here, Kurt Thomas is here and I really appreciate you coming occurred. Thank you mike for all your great ecclesia lady over these years. I appreciate it. The I’m a I’d like to particularly talk about the I’m a I’m a is the individual mobilization augmentation. It’s the reservists and they do so much work. Uh and they often do it, you know without pay. They do it um on their own time. They do it at night after work. I think it’s totally underappreciated in this United States Marine Corps because we’re so you know undermanned Jim. Barlow. Lotto is here January. You know the C. D. C. Counterpart never says no. You know we have a lot of senior clients. Did you know that? Uh again I know we’re on table. We have clients at a very senior and only very senior defense counsel can can represent them to Jim and Elizabeth is here. Thank you so much for coming uh teddy. Durant is here. Teddy’s deputy and wife Tara, thank you so much. Thank you for coming. Glen hinds is here. He’s the judge down at the circuit court Piemonte circuit court. Yeah I took off work uh for the regular job. His wife, he’s right here, he’s not here today. Didn’t come. Okay, alright. Wanted to miss it. Very McGuire here, Marianne is tremendous. Another Charlie miracle Charlie. Thanks for coming brother, been a good friend for a long time. Kristen Casey Hamilton here, Chris dan, you’re supposed to sit in the front come on. So Christmas was the reserve deputy and just just tore it up and Chris and I have been serving together since the early 90s in Okinawa Casey is wonderful his wife Chris you know you worked tremendously hard in that deputy job. I cannot thank you enough because there’s a lot of things going on and you really just sucked it up you know a full time job in the FBI and Chris you just did a tremendous job. Thank you, thank you so much for what you did um Justin martel I think is here is Justin here Justin thanks for coming brother is flip. Here there you are. Okay thanks for coming flip is another great turn is a peters here. Yeah but not not the northern district of Virginia but the Eastern district of Virginia. So I was trying to make a fellowship. This is how you get things done. And that’s where Dave works for the eastern district of Virginia. We want to put a marine in there to get sets and reps gave thank you so much for your help in getting that done and convincing the senior attorney there who thought it was a posse comitatus violation. We’re gonna talk about commentaries is a total 18. Uh but anyway, we’re able to talk her off the ledge on that and I think we have that done so thanks. And I know you’re a big penguins fan too. So that means that means he hates the penguins. He’s a he’s a capitals guy. Don’t talk about it. Sam war here. Sam Sam another great marine who’s done just incredible things for me along the way is Sarin dan here, corporal Sam game way in the back. So all these everything that you see these placards and lock in the program and the slide sarin game did that. The reserve is Corbyn surname. I know you dropped off and I don’t know where the hell you went. Uh but uh I’m glad you’re back. So thank you for all your hard work with this ceremony. The stack here is the zodiac here stack. What a what a good morning snack is down in the basement In code 40 right with like kind of rodents and bugs and no windows uh working their asses off. We have marines on there now and then doing college tack is right now in law school down there at Mississippi tearing it up and entering an officer program. In fact, you are the hardest working. I probably know. So, thank you for all your support. I know you’re going for for the building 58 A Jag alum is Kathy Crane here, this crane, you always call me Miss Crane. Okay, cassie. So, she is a poet. V WAP. Just has a great passion for the job. We’re just not doing a good job handling victims. And Mukasey has just wanted to turn that around. So, thank you so much, cassie for everything you’ve done. Mr. D Are you here? Mr., He didn’t make it. Uh Oh, Mr. G Yeah, no. Yeah, Mr. Davis and Mr. Duncan, I call you start Major Mr. Davidson is uh All right. Mr., He’s not, not here. Is Ralph Rivera up there. Uh well, chief foreign Officer, but I went to his retirement, just really doing type ship. Starnes is right next to him. Starnes is probably the largest man. I know he’s like 68 wall of a man. This is a kind of, this is these are friends, You need you need friends like Starnes, just a hard worker and just a big man Chief Edwards. I see chief up there. Uh What great work with the gun control act, you know? And then move around and you’re just a genuine great person uh, in the PhD program. chief, you’re going far, it’s been a real honor serving with. So thank you for everything. Uh, and I’ll hurt here. There’s no harm here. Yeah. Okay. Um, how about Luke? Isn’t kousky here? Look, okay. And uh, yeah, and the doctor is here to uh, dr waters is here, I can’t remember. Are you guys married? Are still fiancé? Did all you’re married? Also, Covid didn’t rocket. Okay. So, so Luke. What, what a great marine Luke is. So he was my ea, down there at the age. I ride herd, playing a lot of football, you know, just catch the ball. Just catch the ball. Right. That’s all I’m asking. You don’t have to be that. Just patch it. you. Uh, thank you, Thank you for and really kind of toning down. I, I know that Lucas along with arrow modzeleski kind of just talking me off the ledge, like dropping the hammer on the navy jag you. So, uh, Luke. Thank you for everything. Doctor jess, thank you for being here. Um, is Katrina here, Wilson this Katrina didn’t make it okay. And then for Judge advocate division, I think if we’re honest and you talk to him, You’ll know that. I wrote them like pretty hard for 30 years, right? Uh, I don’t know, I guess I kind of regret that. Not, not completely, but Uh, you know, uh, the Judge Advocate Division is only about 55 and does incredible, really unfair amount of work. You know just kind of going around the office office space, you know JoJo is one by joe vertical. Yeah, no, he’s here with his wife. Diane joe. You you are one of the best men that I know You were just such a great man and mentor back in 2005 and General Sand color is coming and yelling at us. It was Joe I was the branch head and Joe was the deputy. But that was absurd because Joan is so much more than me. Like I was taking the credit, Joe was doing all of the work and just the example that you set. Um you know, both as you know a marine and a man. I really just very much appreciated joe, thank you for your leisure. Diane, thank you for um Chris Burnett is Chris, you’re yeah, Chris is a stud from south Korea. I think Derek Randall is still down in Key West. What the hell he’s going down there. Uh and then tucker McNulty. Where’s tucker? Yeah, tucker’s always constantly in trouble. Uh but tucker, thanks for all the hard work and you know, I appreciate you cleaning up your desk for major General Bly. That was, that was good for you to do. Uh Senator think, I can’t tell you what was on his desk but anyway, it was messing. Uh is joe Schranz here on the kpi side, joe Yeah joe what a great man. You know joe I know, Jeff known joe now since back to msg days, you know, as, as the legal officer there and everything that you’ve done on the strategic side. Thank you so much, joe. Uh just just a great leader. I really appreciate it as time goes on here, he’s on liberty risk, is that right? Well that’s where was here. Holy. Yeah, wow. I thought you were just like in half. So that’s when I was a good man, Perfect, great personality for the job because this is what you actually detailed people. Uh but uh you know, Todd can like talk a lot, but always in a positive way. It’s always a motivating way. So Todd, thank you for, I think you’re perfect for that job. John Boyer is here with fiancé Alyssa, is that right? You guys weren’t married yet? Yeah. Okay. Oh, Okay. Well, I’m not gonna get so John Boy, you know, I walk around, this is what I do. I walk around at odd hours and uh you know, rolling around the office at 1900 there’s only a few people in Boyer is usually one of them. I usually have to tell to leave in fact a lot the world has a Camaro by the way, which is freaking awesome. I’ve been talking, trying to talk jean and so I’m like, hey look at this dodge charger. SRT has four doors. Uh she’s not buying it yet. I’m working on it. Uh then Broad Meadow Ben, thank you another one, you know, let’s stay a hard worker. Mike bell, are you here doing the wolverine thing? My uh, thank you. Wolverine is gonna release his idea. Uh, it lives on it today. You know, this is the data collection. A great job might keeping that all go and just leave. I had pill here. Now leave. I didn’t make it Shannon Hillary I think. Just had a baby I believe not here. Um, that’s on Gallagher. Thank you. On the enlisted side for all the support that you provided. Sergeant Madonna. Uh, just tremendous something gone even known each other for a while. It’s pure here. Yeah, Peeler is another one that’s in trouble. Were popular away at the top. Yeah, healer is extreme right next to you. So I’ll just do you together. So we’re playing football like this is a theme in my career, right? You play football. Just get out and play football and uh healer and shimmer. I had a collision of the ages. It was awesome and killer is like a free car and busted generous shoulder. I guess I shouldn’t talk about this either. There’s probably some sort of like investigation. It should have but but shimmer. I got up and that’s going to play some more. Just like, okay brother, let’s hold on here shortly. Doesn’t look right. Uh, you know, but you two marines are tremendous. The hard work and dedication and focus both of you have shown uh, is incredible. So thank you for coming and for being here. J and J C. Keaton Harold runs it. Keaton is a great judge advocate global is keeping here can come uh gable Hackman gable, I saw him in the commissary chasing around kids distracted you know, but hey, you have a great worker, another one that has to be asked to leave in 1900 you start riding my bike home through D. C. It’s like, what the hell are you like? You know, it’s very dangerous. Uh huh Ryan Lipton uh, Ryan Ryan what an incredible intellect. Uh, you know, you can be a pain because you operate at such a high level above me. Can you just break this down in English, will you please that Ryan great, tremendous work. I see. Monica Eichner Monica is what we call summer funder. She’s not a certified and qualified attorney yet but it’s doing tremendous work on the the web side. I wanted to thank you for that and then Gunny fuller I know is here, gunny on the court reporting side. J. M. J. Is gonna hear and then lazy and lazier with Maliki Yeah, there’s lacey with Maliki right next to start lacey thank you for all your hard work over there and J M J Jpl Miss Estes is here. I see Kathy uh just really gpR you GPL does they do all the officer misconduct amongst other things and it’s tremendously hard work, right? You know, I mean from all grades, all pay grades and we had some issues over there, right? Like we had files that we didn’t know. We had uh Cathy just forcible and hard work just turned that place. So Miss Estes, thank you so much for your leadership and mentorship and advice. You just really have been tremendous. Um Brandon will see another one. Uh, you were supposed to go to see how was Wilson? So, and will season call, I said, do you want to be here? Like I ain’t call everybody, you want to be here and well, she’s like, well not really like, you’re starting off on the wrong foot. You’re supposed to lie about stuff like that. Like just say you want to be here. But he really has stepped up and done a great job in a very, very difficult assignment and then john Woodruff du keine guys, would you fear um, another stud Steelers are suffering Bengals and come on. Um, so john, you know, again, you’re another one I gotta for a lot of 1900 thank you for for all your hard work Brian Kenny and scandal john, scandal two other uh in that section, do great work, Zenaida smith here with all her energies. Anita, thank you for all you keep it going, keep all that energy going. You are great Dicks predicts rather. So dicks, dicks down and back in code 40 in the basement. We were missing literally hundreds of permanent records, but a permanent meaning like you’re not supposed to lose them. We couldn’t find them. Staff sergeant Dixon through forced to go Madonna was down there to found those the majority of them, there’s still something won’t talk about it uh, that we don’t know exactly where they are. But that was just tremendous work and goes up to Brooklyn on recruiting duty. Had to get a Sergeant major involved to find him because he wasn’t returning my calls. You’re not supposed to do that. Uh Dicks, thanks, thanks for all your hard working. You are a tremendous marine. Uh, certain he another one certainty. Thanks thanks for all your hard work, Pastrana is on recruiting duty now. Right? You have the Tesla or the bends still has the bend. So our idea because he’s recruiting station in Falls Church, which right Rivera is gonna bring the bends over. We’ll clean it up. But the pull up bar up there, we’ll say, hey, this could be you, you want events. How many pull ups can you do? Right, This is the pitch we’re going to give and I think it’s gonna work out. Uh so on the JRS side that reserve support side. Uh, 10 colonel Jared Prudhoe, I can see you there. Uh thank you also the deputy for J. P. L. A lot of hard work. Uh you know, you know, doing although the reservists who are punched out all over the diaspora, so to speak. Thank you for all that. Mr. G. Mr. Davidson, sorry major. You know, keeping it real keeping people straight. Uh thank you for your great leadership and an example. Uh Staff sergeant pagan Velasquez whose awesome just you know, you just really want to be around her because she’s so part. Where is she? Yeah, just very positive all the time. Right. Even like 06:00 PM just bringing positivity at you. So thank you staff sergeant for that areas. MS Mary hospital here. GPO one person show during legal assistance and all your dedication to the F. M. P. Council and Naturalization process. Thank you for all of that. Um is grazed on here. Rougher. So graze on is a sound working, you need to spy on the secretary’s office. Right. And that’s what ways don does he spies on the second, you know? Yeah, you know, so to speak right there. Yeah. You know, I’m retiring. I can see. Uh so Jordan, thank you for all your hard work up there. Uh VL seaside. We’ve got young lee john young is here. Uh just great work. Very very tough job with Nathan cox eight Cox. I don’t think that’s best is here is witness back here. Um just just great work up there on the G. S. O side, the defense counsel. Valdano walk Roosevelt Val, thank you for all your dedication to that. That’s a super tough thankless job but it’s not you know we have something called the constitution that you have to follow so uh you making sure that people are on point is what we need. So thanks go to you. Um and then uh Carver I don’t think he’s here and then Danielle or I know it’s your guns. Thanks thanks for everything on the T. S. Oh sally and nick Gannon another ball of energy. Right Nick is talking at the You know 50,000 ft level on that like about 5000 ft level like Nick You Gotta bring it down brother got it got it, got to tone it down. Uh but just great marine you have showtime there he is that is just up here in court right suggested has the book the book club and then you know the front office, the front office. I could go into the front office and the details of what happened when I got there but I’m not gonna do that. Um Sarah Martinez marching here are chain drives me nuts man. Uh good good marine that just drives me crazy but working really hard you know doing all that. McMath training. McMath, he’s a black belt instructor going out of your way. Don’t ever ask for credit for that Martine thanks Sarin santuario, where is she? Yeah just you know 1 11 just very very quiet so when she and martin work together Martinez hard of hearing and then santo Rio is very quiet. So those two are like you here Martine out there. What what I’m like Martine I’m going to come out and kill you. Okay if you don’t stop talking so like you know this is what we’re doing there. Judge advocate division um professor and boxed in. Yeah. What what an awesome my E. A. Before. She’s now up at N. J. S. That’s where we send all of our best marines officer enlisted as an instructor. Two things you need to know about her. She’s the most driven marine that I know very very competitive. The autograph from every school except for maybe one. It was unfair. Uh So we need to know that then soon she’s also like a competitor, a bodybuilding competitor and at a certain point and her routine she goes to eating powder only and she’s extraordinarily grumpy. So I usually at that point go to my deputy and say could you ask So I started boxing to do something for me because I’m afraid to ask her. She might like the satellite box and thank you for all your work Stefan Clément’s uh what an outstanding marine. And we went out me Clements and master guns volumes went out to the west coast and went to Pendleton. San Diego Miramar drove across the desert to 29 palms, drove across the desert to Numa and then drove back across the desert to san Diego did that like three days day on stay on Clements. Did all of that. She drove all of them through that crazy desert out there with crazy people. Uh That was that was clement stick all of that. And then we flew back and uh we get to the airport and we both like order Uber’s right? And I am I’m a mess. I’m like limping because I’m just worn out from this trip. And she is she has a rock on carrying a yeti cooler and dragging a back and it’s like wanting towards the Uber and I’m like okay, Clements, there’s no way I can’t hang with you. You know, I hate to admit that, but it’s the truth. Thank you for all your incredible work and sacrifice. You know, you’re an incredible uh Sam right here. Major weight. You didn’t make it Ok? Sam was like one of the first ones that I won’t get into that L. A. S. Families. Uh You two just incredible amount of Steelers fan. I know it’s not going well uh you know, and then his Diane’s diametric opposite is Tim Pachuca’s. So we’re Diane is just like a diamond, you know like like a diamond dynamism and energy Tim Jessica’s is meticulous and slow and methodical. So it was a big change between the two. But you are both fantastic in your own way and really have saved my bacon both of you and numerous times by making me do things right? So both of you. Thank you so much and miss you mean is not here uh on the senior enlisted leaders side. Master guns, Duck Dynasty. You know this is oh man look at that. You got did you see this beard? You have to touch it. So make sure that the reception, if you see and make sure you just ask them that I pull on that a little bit just to make sure it’s real bit and his wife Tabatha is here. But all those trips eating at, what’s that? Jersey Mike’s man. If you can put down what’s it called? The gigantic uh we put those down uh Master Guns, thank you for all your dedication and hard work. Uh Master cleanse Williams. You have just been tremendous, you know, man of few words. But what you have to say, you listen right marines listen and you have just been a great leader an example to all of us into me. So thank you for that. Um on the deputy side tow our might have gotten up. Oh he’s here with his wife Danielle. Um Chris you’re killing it man. So for for before General Bly got here for two months. Chris was there because Christ decided he had enough and uh Chris, you just did and that’s two months. You really just hit it out of the park. So thank you for a few minutes for Danielle. Thank you. Thank you for um and then joe lorries to joe. No and Chris Shaw is here. Chris thanks for coming. I think you’re perfect for this role running the community hard job. Right? But I know the kernels are just gonna love you. Mhm. Most and then Scott Woodard Scott and I go way back Scott mill justice side. Obviously you’re the right guy at the right time. Then we have we have the calm in the storm. Right? The calm would be Colonel eric Kleiss who is like the perfect counterbalance to me right? Because I get all worked up and crazy and he just has this calming effect. I mean really? And you need that. So eric and all the sacrifices that you made um throughout these years. Thank you so much. What a tremendous officer. And then the storm where it’s happening. Oh God I don’t have to say about how this. All right. The storm. The storm is in some ways more interesting than the calm. But I won’t go into that since since you left. I forgot about J. C. A. Uh and my grandma I saw them up there. So mike takes about like eight months if you have eight months to get to know my gram, you’re gonna like them if you have less than that. You’re not gonna like I’m just telling you you got it. You got to put in sets and refugees. Uh But he is a great man like you just amount a load that you carry a J. C. A. With a very small staff is just incredible. I see jen parker is here the deputy sir. I want to be in charge and that’s, that’s how Deb comes at you. You know, jen comes at you, she wants to be in charge and uh, you know, thank you for all your work and getting my termination to 78 done is Megatron here Prosser maybe try on what a good man and wife Hannah. Right. Yeah. Thank you. Thank you for coming to play some football again. Football being a themed on at parris island. Right. I think we want we want. I don’t think so sir. Okay man, john that that’s gonna be an issue. Uh, another another big man like stars the size that you know a good friend to have intact panic Virginia. Man that that is just God’s country down there. Uh, so thank you. Thank you may be trying for communist enjoy here. Mike mike. Uh, really on the J. C. A. But also on the what to say and what not to say to congress but you can’t be that, you know sir, don’t say that you know, so right. Thank you for all your advice on that. You really have done done done great work for me there. Um, so my family is kind of the last tranche here so to speak fathers, you couldn’t be here is a great friend catholic priest I met in the gym working out so lifted and pray and those are the two things you need, you can lift and pray. You’re good father Drew couldn’t make it, but baptized all our kids married us. Um, and thank you so much for everything you did. Um, I was given some sort of message for my wife that I don’t know what it is. Um, I don’t think I missed anybody. Okay. Uh huh Jack, Jack, malice. My nephews here. Jack, Jack, Jack, what a nice and drink happy Coker. Catherine Coker Miss Catherine coke is my mother in law and Kathy we could not have done this without you Jana as you know, I think you all know is retired Navy captain and went on a deployment for a year to north Africa like what am I supposed to, I know that you stuff that general Henry that was easy compared to like you gotta run the house and you know, raise your daughter and stuff like that. It’s like that’s hard and uh, we would not have been able to do it without you counting and that is, that is a driving the horses getting lost going to horses and then you know we had a date night, my mother in law and I have date night on Friday night, you know that she was not cooking on Friday and take me out, which I did, I was happy, it was cheap, it was easy to do that happen. Thank you so much really for being there and really sacrificing for us. Thank you. My sisters Lisa pray and uh mm analyzer here. Um thank you for just being the stability, you know are what your family is like a crazy Italian movie. You know what I’m saying? It’s just like you know it’s like chaotic but you just have been the stability with mom and just keeping us all together. So thank you so much for being here for everything that you’ve done really. You know, we’re not around, we talk a good game in the military but we’re not you know on the family side but we’re not always allowing we’re not around much. So thank you for everything that you’ve done for being here really needs it. Um to my kids. Okay I have three kids. I am so proud of you really of everything that you three have achieved and I don’t know the best thing I’ve ever done. But what was you know jean had a lot to do with raising the stakes. They’re not that year in Djibouti because that was I think full credit for that. Uh let’s just just uh three uh great kids. Um you know I just I was just thinking if one story would be the trip from Miami to D. C. We started off with an SUV towing the car, a cat and a dog and a driving rainstorm. You got a flat. This is like the first two hours of the trip And literally 24 hours later we landed in d. c. You know and I think for military kids that’s like normal doesn’t everybody do that you know we’re moving like eight times like I love it here, the school is great. I have a lot of friends it’s like well that’s good but we’re moving um and you have just been so good through all of it so thank you so much for being so strong and you know always being there then then my wife Jeanne so you know you need a chief of staff that’s what you need right because you get into the pentagon and you’re working these self inflicted crazy hours 12 16 hours you’re under a lot of stress. You start to make bad you think we’re making good decisions but they’re really bad decisions you know? Come on this is this is really you know we talked about it, this is a great decision you know and uh she has really saved a number of times like don’t do that like something I was you know we’re getting ready to do. I’ve done a lot of knucklehead things and just you being there and providing that advice and support all these years. I think also we start to think a lot about ourselves and you always like knock me down which I think is really good you know getting back to reality and what is important thank you so much for that. And just growing I think I have some gifts we do the gifts now is that so I have a small token flowers you have to stand up and hugging. Uh huh. Yeah. Mhm mm. Okay. Yeah. All right it’s the biggest yeah yeah okay and then I I know people are like leaving because I’ve been going so long but I apologize um so I’m going to wrap it up now. Um there is there is I’m going to mention the men here but there is one family I think I forgot and that’s the police show and Sylvia were john Silvia other than joe is max. So uh in the Middle East on msg duty and this is a man that will walk through a wall of fire. Now we opened the embassies in Kabul Baghdad Miss Sylvia you’re always top glamour um and just really a huge support to the to the unit joe thank you for all your sacrifice everything that you’ve done for me really the success of that company you know really lies all the hard work that you had done on thank you so much. I’m going to mention that. Okay was um you know I think what makes a difference I mean this goes without saying is you know people you serve with make the difference. Um we’re on msg duty. The one thing that I was always say is that the first person you see in an embassy is the United States Marine Now on post one because you don’t just represent America. You represent all that is good in America. Mhm You set the tone. You exceed the standard. You live your courage. These are code that we live by in the Marine Corps. Out of my favorite sayings from general Mueller is lead the way you want to be late. That that is so true. The Marine Corps for me. And I think for most of the marines in this room embodies the ideals this country was founded on with democracy comes responsibility and the citizenship comes due. That’s why we’re here. You know, we’re not, it’s not about us. You know, it’s not about I it’s not about me, it’s about everybody. It’s about this United States Marine Corps. It’s about this country. That’s why we do this on the back of your program. My favorite quote that I’ve said a million times comes from Bull Halsey when he was reflecting on those battles in the pacific during World War Two. There’s no such thing as extraordinary extraordinary men. Only extraordinary occasions that ordinary men must rise to meet. That is so true. None of us is extraordinary in our own right. But together we are and Marines always rise to the occasion. I love talking about the marines that have gone before. You know, Manila john Basilone uh Medal of honor and Guadalcanal holding back Japanese regiment by himself with three machine guns. I mean read the citation. You know, there’s john Cantlie, I got to meet john Cantlie saw a major john candy in 1968. Way city carrying wounded marines over a wall standing upright. This is a man that’s over six ft tall, under withering fire, received the Medal of water for that. I was lucky enough to be at that ceremony the most recently we have Staff Sergeant Nicholas jones who’s a raider mar saw I was on the board that looked at that navy cross. I can’t talk a lot about it. What I can tell you is is that while wounded staff sergeant jones continued to fight because he had to his senior marines dead in a ravine, His captain and his gunny and he wouldn’t leave until they came out with when you think about it, bas alone county. They’re the same guy. It’s the same heart. Right? It’s not, it’s not what’s in here. It’s what’s in the wheelhouse, that’s what makes the difference. You know, and I think a lot of times we talk about, uh, well, you know, uh, if you’re not, you know, if you’re not doing combat arms and that’s not really, that’s, that’s a bunch of bull. Right. You’re a marine. What we do maybe is avenor legal, but who we are our marines. You know, joe pick and I watched four marines on a post in Sanaa uh, Hanson. Ah, but in Jeddah Saudi Arabia old back of fanatical terrorists. Four marines, a staff sergeant, three start young blood buying them Ramos matters all in my head, you know, they killed the exterior guard that the marines held that place four of them and not a single one. Those are administrators and aviation support Youngblood’s Assar major. All right. These are marines. This is what the Marine Corps does for you. This is what they bring to you. I think today, you know, when you look across the side and everything that’s going on, general Henry ted talk about it. You start to worry a little bit. You start to worry about the young people and social media and all that. But I’ll tell you, I’m not worried because I see the young marines here, right. They have the same spirit that bas along can lee and all of those shoots that have gone before us have they had that Marine Corps warrior spirit. We’re going to be just fine. We’re going to be just fine. So it’s been an honor of a lifetime serving with you. I’m honored and humbled that you came and I truly appreciate it. We’ll just say that before we end. I know that we’re at an inflection point for traffic. Uh, so you may think, hey, I just want to get the hell out of here. But I am going to force you through a receiving line because I want to like, you know, shake everybody’s hand in here. A B. I know that there’s some invitations out there for wrestling. There’s a couple that the RCP, they said they want to wrestle, I’ll wrestle you in the blues were rescued. Uh, just bring so thank you so much for coming. Uh, it’s been the greatest honor of a lifetime to be a United States marine Into a serve with you sacrifice health Ladies and Gentlemen, please rise for the playing of anchors away in the marine 10 ladies and gentlemen, you may be seated. This concludes the formal portion of the ceremony. Please remain seated for the presentation of both glory, which will be conducted by the enlisted marines of judge advocate division. It is universal customer to display the flag only from sunrise to sunset on buildings and on stationary flag staffs in the open. The American flag presented during the old glory presentation was raised and lowered from the Kojima War Memorial on august 4th 2021. In honor of major general ledges, 35 years of dedicated and faithful service to the United States Marine Corps. I am the flag of the United States of America. My name is old glory. I fly atop the world’s tallest buildings. I stay and watch in America’s halls of justice. I stand guard, majestic, great institutions of learning. I stand guard with the greatest military power in the world. Look up and see me. I stand for peace on earth. Truth and justice. I stand for freedom. I am confident. I am arrogant. I am proud when I am flown with my fellow banners, my head is a little higher. My colors, a little truer. I Bow to No one. I am recognized all over the world. I am worshipped, I am loved and I am feared. I have fought in every battle of every war for more than 200 years. Gettysburg, Shiloh mathematics san Juan hill, the trenches of France, the Argonne Forest, Anzio roam the beaches of Normandy Guam, Okinawa, japan Korea, Vietnam and the Persian gulf. And a score of places long forgotten by all but those who were there with me. I was there. I lead my soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines. I followed them and watched over them. They love me. I was on a small hill in Uwajima. I was, battle worn and tired in my marines and sailors cheered and I was proud. I have been soiled, burned, torn and trampled on the streets of countries that I have helped to set free. It does not hurt for I have been soiled, burned, torn and trampled on the streets of my own country and when it is by those I have served in battle with it hurts but I shall overcome where I am strong. Yeah, I have slipped the bonds of earth and from my vantage point on the moon. I stand watch over the uncharted new frontiers of space. I have been silent witness to all of America’s finest hours. but my finest hour comes when I am torn in strips to be used as bandages from my wounded comrades on the field of battle. When I fly at half mast to honor my soldiers, my airmen, my sailors, my marines, and when I lie in the trembling arms of a grieving mother at the graveside of her fallen son or daughter, I am proud. My name is Old Glory. Long May I wave, dear God! Long May I wave ladies and gentlemen on behalf of Major General ECI, his wife, jean, and their Children, Katherine, Daniel and Victoria. Thank you for your presence here today. Please take some time to enjoy this great museum and to congratulate the ledges and wish them well as they embark on their next adventure. The levy family look forward to seeing you at the reception beginning immediately after the ceremony upstairs here at the National Museum of the Marine Corps. Thank you. Yeah,