thank you __PUNCT__
for mani year in my life __PUNCT__ i lack a fix address for ani signific length of time __PUNCT__
jacksonvil came closer to be a hometown for me than ani place in the countri __PUNCT__
my famili live here befor i went to war __PUNCT__ and thi is the place i came home to after the war __PUNCT__
we live here again in __NUM__ for two year __PUNCT__ when i wa execut offic __PUNCT__ and then command offic of va __NUM__ the replac air group at cecil field __PUNCT__
so it alwai feel a bit like a homecom whenev i return here __PUNCT__
thi place wa never more special to me than dure my unexpectedli long deploy oversea __PUNCT__ when the good peopl of thi place look after my famili in my absenc __PUNCT__
i have alwai been indebt to florida friend and neighbor in orang park for take such good care of my famili while i wa awai __PUNCT__
our neighbor in orang park __PUNCT__ mani of whom __PUNCT__ but not all __PUNCT__ were navi famili __PUNCT__ were extraordinarili kind and gener while i wa in vietnam __PUNCT__
thei were the mainstai of my famili support __PUNCT__
thei help with the mainten of our home __PUNCT__ took my children to sport event __PUNCT__ offer whatev counsel and support wa need __PUNCT__ and gener help keep my famili togeth __PUNCT__ bodi and soul __PUNCT__ until i could get back to them __PUNCT__
thei were noth less than an extend famili to my famili __PUNCT__ and their love and concern were as much a mark of their good charact as it wa a bless to the peopl thei help __PUNCT__
my daughter __PUNCT__ sidnei __PUNCT__ wa an infant when i first left for vietnam __PUNCT__
she did not know me __PUNCT__ or i her veri well __PUNCT__ when i return mani year later to find a bright and cheer six year old littl girl wait for me __PUNCT__
i __PUNCT__ too __PUNCT__ wa a differ person when we were reunit than i had been when we part __PUNCT__
not in everi respect __PUNCT__ but certainli in import wai __PUNCT__
in the upheav of war __PUNCT__ that great level of ego and distinct __PUNCT__ thing chang __PUNCT__
war is a remorseless scaveng __PUNCT__ hack through the jungl of deceit __PUNCT__ pretens __PUNCT__ and self __PUNCT__ delus to find truth __PUNCT__ some of it ugli __PUNCT__ some of it starkli beauti __PUNCT__ to find virtu and expos iniqu where we never expect them to resid __PUNCT__
no other human experi exist on the same plane __PUNCT__
it is a surpass ironi of war __PUNCT__ for all the horror and heroism it occas __PUNCT__ it provid the soldier with everi conceiv human experi __PUNCT__
experi that usual take a lifetim to know ar all felt __PUNCT__ and felt intens __PUNCT__ in on brief passag of life __PUNCT__
anyon who lose a love on know what great sorrow feel like __PUNCT__
and ani on who give life to a child know what great joi feel like __PUNCT__
the combat veteran know what great loss and great joi feel like when thei occur in the same moment __PUNCT__ the same experi __PUNCT__
it can be transform __PUNCT__
in vietnam __PUNCT__ where i form the closest friendship of my life __PUNCT__ some of those friend never came home to the countri thei love so well __PUNCT__
i detest war __PUNCT__
it might not be the worst thing to befal human be __PUNCT__ but it is wretch beyond all descript __PUNCT__
not the valor with which it is fought nor the nobil of the caus it serv __PUNCT__ can glorifi war __PUNCT__
whatev gain ar secur __PUNCT__ it is loss the veteran rememb most keenli __PUNCT__
onli a fool or a fraud sentiment the merciless realiti of war __PUNCT__
howev headi the appeal of a call to arm __PUNCT__ howev just the caus __PUNCT__ we should still shed a tear for all that is lost when war claim it wage from us __PUNCT__
howev gloriou the caus __PUNCT__ it doe not defin the experi of war __PUNCT__
war mock our ideal concept of glori __PUNCT__ whether thei ar genuin and worthi or someth less __PUNCT__
war ha it own truth __PUNCT__
and if glori can be found in war __PUNCT__ it is a differ concept altogeth __PUNCT__
it is a hard __PUNCT__ press __PUNCT__ bloodi __PUNCT__ and soil glori __PUNCT__ steeli and forbear __PUNCT__
it is decenc and love persist amid aw degrad __PUNCT__ in unsurpass suffer __PUNCT__ miseri __PUNCT__ and cruelti __PUNCT__
it is the discoveri that we belong to someth bigger than ourselv __PUNCT__
in the immediaci __PUNCT__ chao __PUNCT__ destruct and shock of war __PUNCT__ soldier ar bound by duti and militari disciplin to endur and overcom __PUNCT__
their duti and loyalti belong to their countri __PUNCT__
thei find solac in their faith in god __PUNCT__
but their strongest loyalti __PUNCT__ the bond that cannot break __PUNCT__ is to the caus that is their alon __PUNCT__ each other __PUNCT__
it is through loyalti to comrad in arm that thei begin to understand that to love on countri is to love on countrymen __PUNCT__ and to serv the nation ideal that commenc their person transform __PUNCT__
when war is over __PUNCT__ thei might have the largest but not exclus claim on the success of their nation caus and seldom share in the blame for it failur __PUNCT__
but their claim is shorn of all romanc __PUNCT__ all nostalgia for the suffer with which it wa won __PUNCT__
from that crucibl thei have but on prize __PUNCT__ on honor __PUNCT__ that thei had withstood the savageri and loss of war and were found worthi by the men who stood with them __PUNCT__
thi is the truth of war __PUNCT__ of honor and courag __PUNCT__
befor i went to war it mean wa obscur to me __PUNCT__ hidden in the spare languag of men who had gone to war befor me and been chang forev by the experi __PUNCT__
the naval academi __PUNCT__ with it inanim and live memori to fidel and valor __PUNCT__ tri to teach thi truth to me __PUNCT__
but i had interpret the lesson __PUNCT__ as i had interpret my father exampl __PUNCT__ within the limit of my vaniti __PUNCT__
i thought glori wa the object of war __PUNCT__ and all glori wa self __PUNCT__ glori __PUNCT__
no more __PUNCT__
for i had learn the truth __PUNCT__ there ar greater pursuit than self __PUNCT__ seek __PUNCT__
glori is not a conceit __PUNCT__
it is not a decor for valor __PUNCT__
it is not a prize for be the strongest __PUNCT__ the most clever __PUNCT__ or the boldest __PUNCT__
glori belong to the act of be constant to someth greater than yourself __PUNCT__ to the caus __PUNCT__ to your principl __PUNCT__ to the peopl on whom you reli __PUNCT__ and who reli on you in return __PUNCT__
no misfortun __PUNCT__ no injuri __PUNCT__ no humili can destroi it __PUNCT__
the qualiti of persev for your own sake __PUNCT__ for your reput or your sens of person honor is good but over valu __PUNCT__
persev with other for a common goal is not onli more satisfi in the end __PUNCT__ but teach you someth about life you might not have known befor __PUNCT__ and can influenc your direct in wai your own fortitud never could __PUNCT__
i onc thought i wa man enough for almost ani confront __PUNCT__
in prison __PUNCT__ i discov i wa not __PUNCT__
i tri to us everi person resourc i had to confound my captor __PUNCT__ and it wasn't enough in the end __PUNCT__
but when i had reach the limit of my endur __PUNCT__ the men i had the honor of serv with pick me up __PUNCT__ set me right __PUNCT__ and sent me back into the fight __PUNCT__
i becam depend on other to a greater extent than i had ever been befor __PUNCT__
and i am a better man for it __PUNCT__
we had met a power that want to obliter our ident __PUNCT__ and the caus to which we ralli wa our respons __PUNCT__ we ar free men __PUNCT__ bound insepar togeth __PUNCT__ and by the grace of god and not your suffer we will have our freedom restor to us __PUNCT__
i have never felt more powerfulli free __PUNCT__ more my own man __PUNCT__ than when i wa a small part of an organ resist to the power that imprison us __PUNCT__
that lesson made me a better offic __PUNCT__ too __PUNCT__
when i came to cecil field and eventu assum command of va __NUM__ the largest squadron in the navi __PUNCT__ the state of militari readi in the unit state wa veri low __PUNCT__
and my squadron readi wa no except __PUNCT__
we had about fifti plane __PUNCT__ and nearli half of them were in such bad shape thei had been ground __PUNCT__
i wa determin to improv the situat __PUNCT__ but i knew my own determin wouldn't be suffici to do so __PUNCT__
i struck a deal with my superior that if thei allow me to move part from on plane to anoth __PUNCT__ befor my tour wa finish we would have everi on of them in the air __PUNCT__
no plan to restor the squadron readi could have succeed without the extraordinari determin and resourc of the pilot __PUNCT__ staff and crew i serv with __PUNCT__
thei number nearli a thousand __PUNCT__ and thei were as highli commit __PUNCT__ hardwork __PUNCT__ innov peopl as ani offic ever had the honor to command __PUNCT__
thei work dilig toward a common goal __PUNCT__ and took pride in the achiev of a team and didn't view individu accomplish as the primari focu of their energi __PUNCT__
of cours __PUNCT__ the squadron purpos wa to train aviat __PUNCT__ but the men and women of va __NUM__ knew that thei were serv a greater purpos __PUNCT__ to demonstr the resolv of the unit state navi to overcom the declin in moral and readi that temporarili afflict the militari after the vietnam war __PUNCT__
on the last dai of my command __PUNCT__ my execut offic and friend __PUNCT__ carl smith __PUNCT__ kept my promis to my superior and took off in the last of the squadron ground plane __PUNCT__
the plane wa bare readi for the test and flew with it land gear down __PUNCT__
but we had achiev our goal __PUNCT__
we had gotten everi airplan off the ground __PUNCT__ set a record for the longest fly hour without an accid __PUNCT__ and receiv the first meritori unit citat ever award va __NUM__ __PUNCT__
the experi wa the most reward assign of my navi career __PUNCT__
there ar mani qualiti to militari servic that make it such a special profess __PUNCT__
but among the most import is the abil to get thing done no matter how difficult __PUNCT__ confus or unexpect the situat __PUNCT__
there is an old militari maxim that battl plan never surviv the first encount with the enemi __PUNCT__
soldier ar taught to expect the unexpect and accept it __PUNCT__ and revis __PUNCT__ improvis __PUNCT__ and fight their wai through ani advers __PUNCT__
that doesn't mean the soldier doesn't grumbl or complain about unexpect chang in their fortun __PUNCT__ but thei ar train to get thing done no matter the circumst __PUNCT__
that is an ethic that should imbu all public servic in thi countri __PUNCT__ and it should be the qualiti all american demand from their elect leader __PUNCT__
we ar the most accomplish nation in histori __PUNCT__ and our system of govern is superior to ani other __PUNCT__
but we have much to do in thi histor pivot era of great chang and challeng __PUNCT__ to ensur __PUNCT__ as everi preced american gener ha __PUNCT__ that the countri we leav our children is even better than the on we inherit __PUNCT__
to keep our nation prosper __PUNCT__ strong and grow we have to rethink __PUNCT__ reform and reinvent __PUNCT__ the wai we educ our children __PUNCT__ train our worker __PUNCT__ deliv health care servic __PUNCT__ support retire __PUNCT__ fuel our transport network __PUNCT__ stimul research and develop __PUNCT__ and har new technolog __PUNCT__
to defend ourselv we must do everyth better and smarter than we did befor __PUNCT__
we must rethink __PUNCT__ renew and rebuild the structur and mission of our militari __PUNCT__ the capabl of our intellig and law enforc agenc __PUNCT__ the purpos of our allianc __PUNCT__ the reach and scope of our diplomaci __PUNCT__ and the capac of all branch of govern to defend us against the peril we now face __PUNCT__
we need to marshal all element of american power __PUNCT__ our militari __PUNCT__ economi __PUNCT__ invest __PUNCT__ trade and technolog __PUNCT__
we need to strengthen our allianc __PUNCT__ and build support in other nation __PUNCT__ which must __PUNCT__ whether thei believ it or not __PUNCT__ confront the same threat to their wai of life that we do __PUNCT__
we must also prepar __PUNCT__ across all level of govern __PUNCT__ far better than we have done __PUNCT__ to respond quickli and effect to anoth terrorist attack or natur calam __PUNCT__
i am not an advoc of big govern __PUNCT__ and the privat sector ha an import role to plai in homeland secur __PUNCT__
but when american confront a catastroph __PUNCT__ either natur or man __PUNCT__ made __PUNCT__ their govern __PUNCT__ across jurisdict __PUNCT__ should be organ and readi to deliv bottl drink water to dehydr babi and rescu the ag and infirm trap in a hospit with no electr __PUNCT__
we can leav these difficult problem to our unlucki successor __PUNCT__ after thei grown wors __PUNCT__ and harder to fix __PUNCT__
or we can bring all parti to the tabl __PUNCT__ and hammer out principl solut to the challeng of our time __PUNCT__ to strengthen our militari __PUNCT__ intellig __PUNCT__ diplomaci __PUNCT__ and law enforc and us the power of american ideal and commerc to win the war against violent extremist __PUNCT__ and help the major of muslim who believ in progress and peac to win the struggl for the soul of islam __PUNCT__ to balanc the feder budget not with smoke and mirror but by encourag econom growth and prevent govern from spend your monei on thing it shouldn't __PUNCT__ to hold it account for the monei it doe spend on servic that onli govern can provid in wai that don't fail and embarrass you __PUNCT__ to save social secur and medicar on our watch without the trick __PUNCT__ band __PUNCT__ aid solut __PUNCT__ li and postur that have fail us for too long while the problem becam harder and harder to solv __PUNCT__ to make our tax code simpler __PUNCT__ fairer __PUNCT__ flatter __PUNCT__ more pro __PUNCT__ growth and pro __PUNCT__ job __PUNCT__ to reduc our danger depend on foreign sourc of oil with an energi polici that encourag american industri and technolog to make our countri safer __PUNCT__ cleaner and more prosper by lead the world in the us __PUNCT__ develop and discoveri of altern sourc of energi __PUNCT__ to open new market to american good and servic __PUNCT__ creat more and better job for the american worker and overhaul unemploy insur and our redund and outmod program for assist worker who have lost a job that not come back to find a job that won't go awai __PUNCT__ to help american without health insur acquir it without bankrupt the countri __PUNCT__ and ruin the qualiti of american health care that is the envi of the world __PUNCT__ to make our public school more account to parent and better abl to meet the critic respons thei have to prepar our children for the challeng thei face in the world thei lead __PUNCT__
we ar not a perfect nation __PUNCT__
our histori ha had it moment of shame and profound regret __PUNCT__
but what we have achiev in our brief histori is irrefut proof that a nation conceiv in liberti will prove stronger __PUNCT__ more decent and more endur than ani nation order to exalt the few at the expens of the mani or made from a common race or cultur or to preserv tradit that have no greater attribut than longev __PUNCT__
but as bless as we ar __PUNCT__ no nation complac in it great can long sustain it __PUNCT__
we __PUNCT__ too __PUNCT__ must prove __PUNCT__ as those who came befor us prove __PUNCT__ capabl of the work histori ha assign us __PUNCT__
noth is inevit in america __PUNCT__
noth __PUNCT__
we the world leader __PUNCT__ and leader don't pine for the past and dread the futur __PUNCT__
we make the futur better than the past __PUNCT__
we don't hide from histori __PUNCT__
we make histori __PUNCT__
that __PUNCT__ my friend __PUNCT__ is the essenc of hope in america __PUNCT__ hope built on courag __PUNCT__ and faith in the valu that have made us great __PUNCT__
i intend to make my stand on those principl and help move thi countri forward __PUNCT__ to our futur great __PUNCT__ and trust in the judgment __PUNCT__ decenc and resolv of the peopl i have serv all my life __PUNCT__
thank you __PUNCT__
