SEMPER FI MARINES.

WHAT WE DO HERE THIS DAY MAY BE THE FINEST THING WE DO IN OUR LIVES IF WE DO IT RIGHT.  FOR WE HAVE COME
NOT ONLY TO REMEMBER AND HONOR 26 FELLOW MARINES WHO DIED IN SERVICE TO THE CORPS AND THE COUNTRY - WE
COME TO SET OURSELVES RIGHT IN THE FACE OF DEATH AND LOSS - TO REACH OUT AND LET THE TRUTH OF ETERNITY
TOUCH US IN THIS TIME AND THIS PLACE - TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT IN OUR GRIEF AND LOSS THAT WE ARE A PART OF A
DIVINE REALITY BEYOND OUR UNDERSTANDING.  WE WILL REMAIN FAITHFUL, ALWAYS.

WE MUST GRIEVE THE LOSS OF THESE MARINES - HONESTY AND TRUTH DEMANDS IT.  IT IS A SAD AND TRAGIC DAY WHEN
THE NATION LOSES HER YOUNG DEFENDERS, THE CORPS LOSES ITS WARRIORS AND FAMILIES GIVE UP THEIR SONS,
FATHERS, HUSBANDS, UNCLES, GRANDSONS AND NEPHEWS.

WE HONOR OUR FELLOW MARINES WITH OUR PRAYERS AND PRESENCES THIS EVENING.  WE PRAY FOR COMFORT FOR
THESE FAMILIES AND OFFER OUR CONDOLENCE.

MARINES ARE NOT SAINTS; IN FACT THEY ARE VERY OFTEN LAVISHLY OUTRAGEOUS SINNERS.  BUT MARINES ARE HEROIC
AT THE CORE SIMPLY BECAUSE THEY HAVE CHOSEN FOR A PERIOD OF TIME TO PLACE OTHERS BEFORE THEMSELVES.
MARINES KNOW ALL THERE IS TO KNOW ABOUT SERVICE AND SACRIFICE - THEY ARE ILLUSTRIOUS WARRIORS WITH A RICH
HERITAGE OF NOBLE SERVICE TO THE CAUSE OF FREEDOM - WE HONOR OUR DEAD TODAY NOT TO MAKE THEM SAINTS,
BUT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THEIR SPIRIT OF SACRIFICE AND SERVICE.

WINSTON CHURCHILL OBSERVED THAT "AT ANY MOMENT IN HISTORY THE WORLD IS IN THE HANDS OF TWO PERCENT OF
THE PEOPLE, THE EXCITED AND THE COMMITTED."

MARINES ARE COUNTED AMONG THE COMMITTED - SEMPER FIDELIS - ALWAYS FAITHFUL - IS MORE THAN A SLOGAN - IT IS A
COMMITMENT, IT IS A DAILY CHALLENGE - ON THE EAGLE, GLOBE AND ANCOR SEMPER FIDELIS IS ENSCRIBED ON THE
STREAMER HELD IN THE BEAK OF THE EAGLE - BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY AT PARIS ISLAND, SAN DIEGO AND QUANTICO IT IS
EMBOSSED ON THE MARGINE OF THE HEART OF EACH MARINE.

"ALWAYS" IS A LONG TIME BECAUSE IT IS EVERYTIME THERE IS A CHALLENGE.  "ALWAYS" IS A LONG TIME FOR IT IS FOR
NOW AND FOREVER.  KEEPING FAITH IS AN ALL SEASONS KIND OF COMMITMENT.  ONE CANNOT BE FAITHFUL EVERY NOW
AND THEN.  IT IS FULL TIME, LIFE TIME COMMITMENT…EVEN UNTO DEATH.

THOMAS JEFFERSON SAID "THE TREE OF LIBERTY MUST BE REFRESHED FROM TIME TO TIME WITH THE BLOOD OF
PATRIOTS AND TYRANTS."

FOR WELL OVER 200 YEARS MARINES HAVE MADE SURE THAT IT IS MOSTLY THE BLOOD OF TYRANTS THAT IS SHED TO
PROTECT OUR LIBERTY.

BUT YOU KNOW BETTER THAN MOST THAT THE CURRENCY OF FREEDOM IS BLOOD

- THE MONEY MINTED FOR USE IN OUR NATION'S COMMERCE MAY BE DOLLARS AND CENTS - BUT THE COIN OF THE REALM
IN THE LAND OF THE FREE AND THE HOME OF THE BRAVE IS THE BLOOD OF HER SONS AND DAUGHTERS.

FOR 227 YEARS U.S. MARINES HAVE BLED TO DEATH, STARVED TO DEATH, BURNED TO DEATH, FROZEN TO DEATH,
DROWNED AND CRASHED TO THEIR DEATHS FOR THIS NATION AND THE CAUSE OF LIBERTY AND FREEDOM.

FOR 63 YEARS 2d MARINE DIVISION MARINES HAVE PAID THE PRICE.  THESE 26 MARINES THAT WE MEMORIALIZE TODAY
JOIN 3052 2d MARDIV MARINES KILLED IN ACTION AND 42 MIAS.

REMOTE AND DISTANT PLACES HAVE A DEEP AND ABIDING MEANING BECAUSE OF THE PRICE PAID THERE TO DEFEND
FREEDOM HERE.  GUADALCANAL, TARAWA, SAIPAN, TINIAN, OKINAWA, BEIRUT, IRAQ ARE IMPORTANT PLACES ON THIS SIDE
OF THE GLOBE BECAUSE 2d DIVISION MARINES BLED AND DIED THERE TO PROTECT THOSE THAT BREATH AND LIVE HERE.

THE SPIRIT OF THE CORPS BINDS US TO THE PAST; "ALWAYS FAITHFUL" MEANS KEEPING FAITH WITH THOSE WHO HAVE
GONE BEFORE US.  FREEDOM IS NOT NOW NOR HAS IT EVER BEEN FREE.  THESE YOUNG MEN WE HONOR TODAY JOIN A
SILENT DIVISION OF MARINES WHO HAVE PRESERVED FOR US THIS LAND WITH THEIR LIFE BLOOD…

THE CURRENCY OF FREEDOM IS SWEAT

- GENERAL GEORGE PATTON SAID, "A PINT OF SWEAT SAVES A GALLON OF BLOOD."  AND EVEN THOUGH HE WAS IN THE
ARMY, HE WAS RIGHT.

- YOU KNOW WELL THE REALITY - THE MORE YOU SWEAT THE LESS YOU BLEED; THE MORE YOU TRAIN THE BETTER YOU
FIGHT.  THE WILL TO WIN IS THE WILL TO WORK.

- PATTON MAY HAVE NOT GOTTEN IT RIGHT OUNCE FOR OUNCE, BUT THERE IS A DIRECT CORRELATION BETWEEN THE
TWO.  "ALWAYS FAITHFUL" MEANS THAT IN A LAND THAT IS INCREASINGLY UNDISCIPLINED YOU MUST BE MORE SO.   THERE IS NO SUBSTITUTE FOR GUTS; AND FORTITUDE IS DEVELOPED THROUGH, CONSTANT, STEADY AND FOCUSED TRAINING.

NAPOLEON OBSERVED THAT "MORALE IS TO MATERIAL AS 2 IS TO 1."  AND EVEN THOUGH HE WAS A FRENCHMAN, HE WAS
RIGHT.

WARRIORS CAN, IN FACT, DO MORE WITH LESS IF MORALE IS HIGH.

YOU KNOW THAT BETTER THAN MOST.  ESPRIT DE CORPS, THE SPIRIT OF THE CORPS, HAS ALWAYS SEEN US THROUGH
HARD TIMES WITH LESS - BUT WARRIORS OF THE RICHEST NATION IN HISTORY NOW FACING GLOBAL AND SHADOWY
THREATS SHOULD NOT HAVE TO DO MORE WITH LESS TO PROTECT THEIR NATION.

IT IS UNACCEPTABLE, IT IS UNCONSCIENCABLE, THAT MILITARY TRAINING BE SACRIFICED TO SAVE DOLLARS WHEN IT IS SO
VERY CLEAR THAT REDUCED TRAINING DOLLARS MEANS LESS SWEAT EXPENDED IN TRAINING ISSUES IN MORE BLOOD
EXPENDED ON THE BATTLE FIELD.

THE SIGNIFICANT POWER OF DIPLOMACY AND THE FINE ART OF STATESCRAFT ARE POSSIBLE ONLY WHEN A FREE NATION
HAS WARRIORS TRAINED, EQUIPPED, WELL LEAD AND WILLING TO FIGHT FOR THE CAUSE OF THE NATION.  THE WILY OLD
POLITICIAN IN DC WITH THE BAD COMBOVER IS DEEPLY IN DEBT TO THE YOUNG WARRIOR CITIZEN WITH A HIGH AND TIGHT IN THE FIELD HERE AT CAMP LEJEUNE.

THIS LAND IS NOT ABOUT PERKS AND PRIVILEGES; IT IS ABOUT SERVICE AND SACRIFICE.

NOWHERE IS THE ESSENCE OF OUR NATIONAL HERITAGE MORE PRESENT THAN RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW.  AS WE HONOR
THESE MARINES WE ACKNOWLEDGE THE INEFFABLE ASPIRATION OF THE HUMAN SPIRIT FOR FREEDOM…BUT WE ALSO
ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THE COMMITMENT TO REMAIN "ALWAYS FAITHFUL" REQUIRES THE NATIONAL COURAGE AND WILL TO EQUIP AND TRAIN THE BRAVE AND FAITHFUL.

MARINES THE CURRENCY OF FREEDOM IS TEARS.

YOU KNOW BETTER THAN MOST THE TEARS OF SEPARATION, GOOD-BYE TEARS; WELCOME HOME TEARS, FOLLOWED TOO
SOON BY MORE GOOD BYE TEARS, TEARS SHED AT THE PIERS AND AIRFIELDS OF NORTH CAROLINA.  MOREHEAD CITY
TEARS. TEARS THAT WET THE PILLOWS OF A THOUSAND DARK LONELY NIGHTS ACROSS THE LAND; BITTER TEARS OF
GRIEF AND LOSS, TEARS OF STARK FEAR IN DANGEROUS PLACES AROUND THE GLOBE THE EMOTIONAL COST IS
ENORMOUS, BEYOND CACULATION AND ACCOUNTING.  "ALWAYS FAITHFUL" MEANS KEEPING FAITH WITH FAMILY AND
LOVED ONES OUR NATIONAL HERITAGE OF FREEDOM IS ENCRUSTED WHITE WITH THE SALTY TEARS OF THE FAITHFUL AND THE LOVED ONES OF THE FAITHFUL.

IF THE CURRENCY OF FREEDOM WERE ONLY ISSUED IN THE DENOMINATIONS OF BLOOD, SWEAT AND TEARS IT WOULD BE
O.K.  WE WOULD STILL PREVAIL.
 

BUT THERE IS MORE:

WE ARE A NATION OF FAITH.

THE CURRENCY OF FREEDOM IS FAITH.

FAITH IS A GIFT OF GRACE FROM GOD.  WE KEEP IT ALIVE WITHIN US EVEN THOUGH WE RARELY UNDERSTAND IT; THIS GIFT
SEES US THROUGH

ST. PAUL SAYS IT WELL: "BUT WE HAVE THIS TREASURE IN CLAY JARS, SO THAT IT MAY BE MADE CLEAR THAT THIS
EXTRODINARY POWER BELONGS TO GOD AND DOES NOT COME FROM US.

WE ARE AFFLICTED IN EVERY WAY - BUT NOT CRUSHED

PERPLEXED BUT NOT DRIVEN TO DISPAIR

PERSECUTED BUT NOT FORSAKEN

STRUCK DOWN, BUT NOT DESTROYED SO WE ARE ALWAYS OF GOOD COURAGE...FOR WE WALK BY FAITH AND NOT BY SIGHT."

ALWAYS FAITHFUL "SEMPER FI"

MEANS THAT WE KEEP FAITH WITH A FUTURE WE CANNOT SEE BECAUSE WE TRUST THE GOD THAT HOLDS THE FUTURE.

THE CENTRAL TRUTHS OF FAITH ARE SIMPLY:

- THAT WE ARE NOT DELIVERED FROM THE TRIALS OF LIFE.
- BUT THEY DO NOT OVERCOME US.
- WE LIVE BY FAITH AND NOT BY SIGHT
- WHAT WE BELIEVE IS MORE POWERFUL THAN WHAT WE SEE.

SO AS WE HONOR THESE MARINES FOR WHOM THE FULL PRICE OF BLOOD, SWEAT AND TEARS HAS BEEN EXACTED

WE COMMIT AGAIN TO REMAIN FAITHFUL ALWAYS.

SEMPER FI MARINES.