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| SECDEF address to West Point graduating class | |
| 2004-05-31 | |
I was too far away to tell for sure, but Rumsfeld looked tired to me when he first walked out of the stadium tunnel. By the time he approached the dignitaries’ stand, he moved with vigor, though. I didn’t hear about the Khobar attacks until hours later, but he was no doubt briefed on it on his way to NY yesterday morning. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen. Meyers also spoke at the cadets’ graduation banquet the evening before, saying "Sacrifice comes with the job description." And this class knows that - a member of last year’s class just came home from Iraq to be buried, leaving behind a young wife. The new 2Lts I know personally were sober, but proud of their achievement and confirmed in their choice to serve. One of the women I taught, 2Lt Jacqueline Stilwell, is the great-granddaughter of Gen. "Vinegar Joe" Joseph Warren Stilwell & the 5th consecutive generation of her family to graduate from West Point - their family’s military service goes back to the Revolution. We are fortunate to have the service of Jackie and the other young men and women who graduated from the Point yesterday. | |
| Posted by:rkb |