USNA GRADUATION
May 26, 2017
Vice President Pence,
Thank you for honoring us today at this ceremony.
Rumor has it that you had to make a choice between yesterday’s graduation at West Point
and today’s graduation at Annapolis.
Let me simply say, sir, that the 1,053 Midshipmen graduating today
had to make the same choice 4 years ago…
andthey’re here to tell ya…you made the right call.
And shortly,
You will shake their hands;
These, the finest young men and women this Nation has produced,
When you do so,
They will thank you…for giving them the opportunity to serve our Country,
(Just don’t be surprised should one or two of them also mention
the score of last year’s Navy-Notre Dame game.)
CNO,
Thank you for your tremendous leadership at the helm of our Navy,
Your great sense of personal honor serves as example for all of us here today.
LTG Walsh,
I think you and I can agree that,
The reason CNO and the Class of ’82 is doingsuch a fine job running the Navy,
Is that the Class of ’79 did such a fine job of training them…right, Classmate?
Superintendent,Faculty and staff,
You’ve equipped them with the skills and abilities that they will need
to tackle the greatest issues before our Navy and Marine Corps in the decades ahead.
Mission Accomplished…Bravo Zulu.
To the parents of today's graduating class…
When they were young,
You endowed them with a love of country and the desire to serve,
And, you entrusted them – these, your sons and daughters -
You entrusted them to the Nation.
Words cannot express our gratitude.
Their success, which we celebrate today, is as well, your success.
Which brings me to the Class of 2017
As the Superintendent remarked, THIS IS YOUR DAY…
I would simply remark that, THIS… IS YOUR TIME.
All of you thought…some of the time… that ‘This day would never come.’
And some of you thought… all of the time… that‘This day would never come’.
From Trident Scholars to Rhodes Scholars,
I am awed by the distinguished graduates lining these front rows before me.
And I would put you up against any graduate from any University in the Country.
Astough as the competition may be to finish at the top of the Class,though,
There’s arguably an even tougher competition taking place …
A competition over who will finish Last in the Class…
A competition where you don’t want to be runner-up…
And tradition has it that each member of the graduating Class will pay tribute –
-One Silver Dollar –
to that beloved Midshipman who overcame
-every challenge,
-every doubt,
-every hour of Extra Instruction to be among your ranks today.
And in keeping with that tradition,
I’ve brought with me a 2017 Silver Dollar for the Class of ’17 Anchor Man.
And let me be perfectly clear,
I would also put him up against any graduate from any University in the Country.
So please, introduce yourself today to collect your hard earned tribute.
The fact is that each of you had the opportunity
To pursue an education at any number of fine Universities.
But, when given the choice between being a witness to history and making history -
Youhavesteppedforward joining the long line of patriots who have come before you,
Who have chosen to defend the freedom, the safety, the dreams of others…
Who have made a commitment to serve our Nation in a time of war.
Yes,
I’d put each and every one of you up against any graduate from any University in the Country.
------
Some 38 years ago,
While sitting in your seat…
I was drifting back over my time at Annapolis…and I’d be disappointed if you’re not drifting right now, too.
I-Day seemed like yesterday.
Looking to my left and to my right as we formed on that hot, humid day in T-Court,
I could not imagine that in the course of four years,
From Plebe Rates to Plebe Boxing, Chow Calls, P-Rades, Come Arounds,
Uniform Races, YPs, March-On, Mid Rats,
Pep Rallies, NavyFootball,
Nodding off in Forrestal Lectures,
Causing mischief on Youngster Cruise,
The O-Course, the tower jump, Battalion Sports,
A summer of flying, diving, crawling, sailing,
the Ring Dance, the 40 minute swim…the 40 minute drown,Service Selection,Final Exams,
From going over the wall to going over the gouge
From early mornings in Rickover Hall to late nights at McGarvey’s,
From sweating through Statics and Dynamics,
Wires and Fluids,
SeaPower and Seamanship,
That in the course of four years
To my left and to my right,
More than friends…we would becomea Band of Brothers…these, my classmates.
So, take a moment right now,
Look to your left and to your right,
Break out your I-phone…I know you’ve got it stashed somewhere…break it out.
…What was true in my day is surely still true today, ‘they can’t fry us all.’
And capture this moment.
Thentrace your own steps through the Yard these past four years;
From the tomb of John Paul Jones past Herndon and Tecumseh,
Climb the marble steps leading to Memorial Hall
And Perry’s proud battle ensign
‘Don’t Give Up the Ship;’
From Ripley at the Bridge,
To the Submarine Memorial honoring those ‘Still on Patrol’,
From the mast of the USS Maine
To every name on every marker on the grounds of the Cemetery at Hospital Point,
And every name of every battle remembered on these very walls, hereat Memorial Stadium…
The history of our Nation
Has been chiseled into these stone monuments
That stand as a timeless testament
To the courage and sacrifice of the generations
Who have come before you.
And when you graduate today,
You will join their ranks.
So capture this moment
For tomorrow…Tomorrow you will begin a new journey…
A journey in a world marked by the extremes of war and dreams of peace;
Where you will soar to the depths of space and plumb the depths of the Ocean.
You will keep lit the torch of freedomin Afghanistan and Iraq.
You’ll sail from the straits of Hormuz to the straits of Malaccaleaving security in your wake,
You’ll build Partnerships with nations on both coasts of Africa,
Conduct exercises with allies in the Pacific and with neighbors in the Americas.
The eyes of the world will be on you
As you stand watch
From the Baltic Sea to the Eastern Mediterranean,
And from the South China Sea to the Sea of Japan.
And you’ll pull into the finest ports in the world…
Where you’ll run into classmates, swap sea stories, and hoist a pint to good times past…
and to shipmates who left us too soon..
And whenever, wherever natural disaster may strike, you’ll be there too, to provide relief.
Along the way, you’ll make decisions - Large and Small -
Decisions that will define who you are.
Decisions that will reflect what you value.
Decisions that will determine your future… and the future of our country.
So be careful with your decisions.
It’s an exciting, yet highly uncertain future that awaits you,
But what is certain is that
our national security will continue to rely on
the dedication,
the skills,
the abilities,
the passion,
and ultimately,
the professionalism of our leaders in uniform…
Each and every one of you.
And while it may be far from your mind today,
I can say with certainty that you will have the opportunity – indeed, the duty – to help shape that future.
And for that,
I thank you and wish you...Godspeed.
Godspeed Class of 2017 and God Bless this land that you will protect.
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