We were hit with a major setback in late February, when the office of our original keynote speaker, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Henry Shelton called to express his regrets for canceling. Words cannot express how I felt at that time, and when I had to tell the other Board members and DIRSEA Master Chief Mike Baker. Numerous calls went out at this late date for replacement keynote speakers, but unknown to us at the time, operational commitments for Kosovo took precedence. Only through the determination, dedication and commitment of Board members Gary Blandino, John Schultz, Tony Cercena, Janice Hughes, Master Chief Mike Baker, CMSgt Huey Fourquet, and Senior Chief Timothy Russell did an excellent program come together.

Our guest speakers included MGen John Salesses, USMC(Ret); SGM Jean Weldon, USA and YNC Scott Lanum, USCG, from the Defense Equal Opportunity Management Institute; Mr. John Gray, a nationally known speaker on diversity; RADM (Sel) Marianne Blackburn-Drew, Office of the Navy Inspector General; and Alan C. Page, Minnesota Supreme Court Justice and former Viking Hall of Fame player.

We also had an E-10 panel with MCPON Herdt, CMSAF Benken, MCPOCG Patton, and CSM Leonard ARNGB. The panel was moderated by NCCM(Ret) Ginger Simpson, former Director of the Senior Enlisted Academy.

SEAAA Membership. As Billy Tubbs, American college basketball coach once said, "This year we plan to run and shoot. Next year, we hope to run and score." We need the help of every member to enlist other SEA graduates.

The Membership Drive will be from June 1, 1999 until July 1, 2000. Just submit the new membership applications, payment and include your member number on each application. If you enlist three new members, you'll receive an SEAAA tie tack. Each person that signs up as a lifetime member will receive a personalized mug.

With over 5000 graduates this should be an easy "SEA Chief’s Challenge".

Many things have changed in the two years I’ve been here. We still look the same on the outside and inside. But we’ve changed at the core and I think that is important. As we move into the next century, we need to change to reflect the fleet we support and train. Our level of professionalism and demanding standards have not changed one bit, and I hope they never do. But we’ve focused on those things senior enlisted people need to know how to do in order to do their jobs and ensure Sailors in their charge are the best trained, best prepared and best equipped Sailors ever.

This staff is the most professional group of folks I’ve ever had the pleasure of serving with. They are the heart of this schoolhouse and they will keep it on the track it must stay on. The great folks of the board of the SEAAA are the best. Dedicated and determined to succeed for the school is how they operate. I have nothing but admiration for them as they ensure your association is the model for other institutes to follow. And, they do this on their own time. Next time you get the chance, thank them, they’ve earned it!

In April, I had the opportunity to visit the island of Iwo Jima. Known to the Japanese as Sulfur Island, it is a hot, bubbling, volcanic atoll that to this day, still has active sulfur vents.

During February and March 1945, it was the scene of one of the most horrific battles of World War II. During the 36-day campaign to take that island, a Marine fell to Japanese fire every two minutes—every two minutes for 36 days. Over 25,000 Americans were killed or wounded on Iwo Jima. It was the only battle in the history of our Corps where Marines suffered more casualties than the enemy. Today, the island still bears the scars of that titanic struggle. It is a place heavy with history and long on memories. The winds that constantly blow across the black sand beaches seem, at times, to carry the voices of the warriors that fought there so long ago. It is a haunting place.

Joining me on that tortured ground was the family of the late John Bradley. They had never been there before, and they wanted to see where their husband and their father had fought. John Bradley, who survived the battle, rarely spoke of his experiences on Iwo Jima. When pressed, he would gloss over and downplay how he had won America’s second highest award for bravery — the Navy Cross. He earned that decoration by rushing to the aid of two wounded Marines, and then shielding them with his body while he tended to their wounds. When Bradley hurried to their aid, he didn’t exactly run, he crawled, crawled because he had been shot through both legs just a few minutes prior.

Another reason the Bradley family wanted to visit Iwo Jima, was because they wanted to see the site of the most famous battle photograph ever taken, the raising of the American flag on Mount Suribachi. That memorable event, captured in a bronze and granite sculpture, is known today as the Marine Corps War Memorial. Five Marines and one Navy Corpsman took part in that flag raising — three did not survive the battle. The Navy Corpsman did, and as you have possibly guessed, his name was Pharmacist Mate 2 John Bradley.

If you get a chance, let me encourage you to visit the War Memorial one day, run your hands across the cool granite base, step back and read the engraved words, "Where Uncommon Valor Was A Common Virtue" and then let your eyes travel up to the sculptured figures, young men, forever captured in bronze. Look for Corpsmen John Bradley, you’ll recognize him, he’s the one with the empty canteen pouch. You see, prior to climbing Mount Suribachi, he gave the last of his water to a dying Marine. On hot, bubbling, Sulfur Island, John Bradley would go the next 24 hours without water.

John Bradley was extremely brave and he sacrificed greatly, but above all, he was selfless. His brave acts were not done for any reward, nor were they intended to be captured for the evening news, there was no public glory in what he did.

In fact, men under fire rarely speak of glory, instead, they speak of, "who can be counted upon and who cannot"; most of all, they remember the small individual acts of selflessness.

When Felix de Weldon, the sculptor of the Marine Corps War Memorial, asked John Bradley what had happened to his canteen — John couldn’t remember—in the heat of battle, he had completely forgotten. But, the surviving Marines of Bradley’s unit knew, and they remembered, and they told de Weldon the story of the sharing of water. Selflessness is unforgettable. Selflessness takes time to develop. Rarely does a man or woman suddenly grow a spine in the midst of a battle or boardroom. Spontaneous selfless acts rarely happen. Instead, they are built on a strong moral foundation and then carefully layered by doing the right thing—time and time again.

John Bradley gave the last of his water to a wounded Marine on 23 February 1945. That afternoon, he struggled to climb the fire swept heights of Mount Suribachi. On the 25th, he braved enemy fire to aid two wounded Marines and, just a few days later, though wounded, he again braved enemy fire to aid two more Marines. It was not for sense of self that he performed those brave deeds, it was for others, for those he knew and for those he knew not, deep within his soul John Bradley instinctively understood the Latin phrase Non Sibi, Sid Patriae — not for self, but for country.

An astute American commentator once noted that: "The greatest danger that faces this country is the danger of moral lassitude — liberty turned to license, rights demanded and duties shirked, the moral sense deteriorating, the traditions and standards of the Nation weakened, the spiritual forces within it losing ground." It is an ominous, but accurate warning, and one describing a clear and present danger.

The threat is palpable and we are already seeing some of our citizens lamenting the decline of America. And they do so for good reason — evidence supporting such pessimism abounds. Sometimes, in the face of the relentless onslaught of "bad news" stories, it seems that standards no longer matter, that principle and integrity are out of fashion, that character is irrelevant, and that simple questions of right and wrong have been twisted to such a degree that truth—the hard currency of a free people, seems at times, beyond our reach, and that selflessness is an endangered virtue. Clearly, the traditional values that for over two centuries have formed the resilient framework of American society and united its constituent elements are under assault, and it may appear that our hands are slipping from the Nation’s touchstone — those shared values that have distinguished us as a people. We, therefore, approach the new millennium and, I believe, an important crossroads with trepidation.

What path will we take, and where will it lead us? We must not be mislead by the polls and by the pundits who interpret them. I am confident that we will choose the right path and preserve the America we cherish, for, on a daily basis, I have witnessed the true character of this great Nation. I have seen that character revealed in the tireless efforts of concerned parents, educators, law enforcement officials, church and civic leaders, I have seen its purest expression in the deeds of America’s service men and women in peace and in war.

As many of you know, Marines spend a lot of time talking about the importance of character. Indeed, as an institution we are focused on its development and maintenance as the foundation of who we are and what we do. Character, in the profession of arms, and I believe, in all endeavors, is an absolute necessity. In the Corps it is simply, non-negotiable, character is demanded. Earlier, I referred to the Nation’s "touchstone", the means by which we distinguish ourselves as a people. Among Marines, two distinct but inextricably linked touchstones are cherished. The first is the touchstone of valor, the proud legacy of the countless skirmishes, firefights, and battles where Marines set the standard for soldierly virtue and combat efficiency. The second is the touchstone of values—quantified in the simple, but powerful words, honor, courage, and commitment.

These words have special meaning for us—they are our core values. They are non-negotiable. Marines will be held accountable to these values. If they fail to live up to the standards demanded by these core values, they will not be permitted to wear the eagle, globe, and anchor. Accountability is key. Together, these twin touchstones form the wellspring of our character.

They are a source of in estimable strength and are essential to the cultivation of the moral warriors—the Marines of character—required to defend liberty on battlefields grown increasingly complex and lethal. I concur with the wisdom of the saying: "Character is not made in crisis — it is only exhibited.

To paraphrase the Greek philosopher Heraclitus, "A Nation’s character is its guardian divinity". Success in combat, in business, in government, and in life has always demanded a depth of character.

Those who can reach deep within themselves and draw upon an inner strength, fortified by strong values, always carry the day against those of lesser character. Moral cowards never win in war—moral cowards never win in life. They might believe that they are winning a few battles here and there, but their victories are never sweet—they never stand the test of time, and they never serve to inspire others.

In fact, each and every one of a moral coward’s "supposed victories" ultimately leads them — and often their organization — to failure. Collectively, we influence thousands of people, our employees and their families. We are the ones who construct, either through our actions or inaction, the working environment where they spend many of their waking hours. When our employees can see in their leaders the character traits of integrity, faithfulness, moral responsibility, and selflessness, then they have role models who they can respect, who they will want to emulate.

Through our personal example and through the values which we portray, we can make a difference. And in the long run, maintaining and promoting values-based character is a win-win proposition.

Our character permeates the institution’s character. Organizations that place a priority on character ultimately win the victories that count the most, on the field of battle, in the marketplace, and in the souls of our employees. I said earlier that America is approaching a critical crossroads in its history. Clearly, the future of the Nation hinges on the choice we make, on the path we take.

I submit that there is only one choice. We must step smartly across the threshold of the new century and move straight—to the adherence to traditional values, to respect for principle, to regard for standards, to a resolute expectation of truth.

We must again assert that integrity, personal accountability, and character count most. We must demand more of ourselves and more of our leaders. We must demand, selflessness, as men and women of character, your individual example is crucial, you must help lead America to the right path and steer its hands back to our touchstone.

Your influence must be felt, first in your homes, and then, in the schools, the churches, the workplace, and, finally, in the seats of government. Together, we must speak out and our voices must be heard. If we do not, we will have turned our backs on John Bradley and on the countless other Americans who have sacrificed so much, and America will, like so many great nations before her, continue inexorably down the road to decline and fall. I know, as do you, that that will not happen. I have known too many men like John Bradley to think that the strong fiber of America has weakened. His actions reflect the true character and timeless spirit of the American people—a spirit that burns as brightly today as it did at our Nation’s founding, America will forever remain, the home of hope and promise.