Posted on 08/27/2017 7:36:35 AM PDT by Hojczyk
Defense Secretary Mattis loves the troops and the feeling is obviously mutual.
Believe me, I know you’re far from home, every one of you; I know you could all be going to college, you young people, or you could be back on the block, just grateful. The only way, the only way this great big experiment you and I call America is gonna survive is if we’ve got tough hombres like you.
If you remember — some of you are too young — on 9/11 we were matched up against an enemy that thought if you hurt us you can scare us. We don’t frickin’ scare; that’s the bottom line.
We’ll go out here; we’ll fight alongside our friends and allies, and we’re gonna keep right on fightin’ until they’re sick of us, leave us alone.
You’re buyin’ time; you’re a great example for our country right now. It’s got some problems; you know it and I know it. It’s got problems that we don’t have in the military.
You just hold the line, my fine young soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines. You just hold the line until our country gets back to understandin’ and respectin’ each other and showin’ it, of being friendly to one another, that Americans owe to one another. We’re so doggone lucky to be Americans.
We got two powers: the power of inspiration, and you’ll get the power of inspiration back; you have the power of intimidation, and that’s you, if someone wants to screw with our families, and our country, or our allies.
(Excerpt) Read more at powerlineblog.com ...
Rest of article
So thanks so much for being out here; you completely took me by surprise. That’s good; keep the old guys like me guessing. The only reason I came back, I flunked retirement, okay? The only reason I came back was to serve alongside young people like you who are so selfless, and frankly, so rambunctious. It’s a pleasure to be around you all.
You take care of each other out here, okay? We call ‘em in the Naval, “you take care of your shipmates out here”, okay? Take care of each other. It can get old, it can get hot; you can get sloppy, you can get complacent; don’t let it happen, okay.
Thank all of you. Listen to your NCOs, okay?
I just saw this on Powerline.
I was hoping to find someone to post it here, since I’ve never learned out.
What a speech, what a warrior, what a man.
AMAZING! That eloquent, heartfelt speech was extemporaneous; off the cuff. As an old former RA, I was touched by it. Booyah!
Amen! Let’s just hope the circular firing squad can keep it holstered and not nitpick one of the greatest DoD leaders we have ever had.
Mattis is proving to be a good SecDef. Still have a problem with the way he tried to railroad the Marines associated with the Haditha incident.
That’s the kind of leaders we need heading our military.
Now get the President on the stick.
The US military doesn’t have these problems because they don’t put up with leftist marxist snowflake behavior.
If you tried to pull down a statue on a military base you would be severely punished and then booted out.
If you tried to violently attack someone exercising their freedom of speech on a military base you would be severely punished then booted out.
If you tried to riot and loot on military base you would be severely punished and then booted out.
If you tried to shut down a road or stop training on military base you would be severely punished and then booted out.
Etc.
Standards work. Consequences for uncivilized behavior work
See Lewie Puller On Loyalty Down! 1956!
Gunny G
*****
Thanks for posting.
Short, warm, dutiful, laudatory, inspiring, with a great sense of shared pride, duty and responsibility.
We're talking Gettysburg Address territory here, in its brevity and sweep.
Yes. I would NEVER have thought it was off the cuff but for the video of him absolutely STROLLING down the street, giving it as a chat, if you will. He came to a stop, but continued talking uninterruptedly when the troopies gathered on all sides, as silent greeters.
Can’t believe he was walking around with his hands in his pockets.
“Listen to your NCO’s”, he admonishes his young, rambunctious charges as his sign off. Smiling over that one.
Yes. Unfortunately, I rarely encountered a senior officer willing to take a bullet for his troops (USN 1972-96). I had one CO who did. He batted for me twice when my career was in jeapordy and I was in the crosshairs of the bureaucracy. Later, as a rear admiral, he was betrayed by a (female) member of his staff he was attempting to help, and his career was ended — the infamous and overblown Tailhook fiasco. I will always be grateful for the helping hand of a man who understood the two way street of loyalty up-loyalty down, as did Lt. Gen. Puller.
My buddy was a Marine and General Mattis was a true leader who inspired his fellow Marines. I am Army but absolutely admire the Marine Corps.
Roger that.
I watched Fox News Sunday this morning and saw the clip Chris Wallace played with this clip from General Mattis.
Damn' inspirational. Made me proud. The fact he's 1,000% right and said it so plainly and forcefully just drove the point home.
Thank you General Mattis!
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