Admiral Thomas J. Lopez

2011 Reunion Speech notes

THANK YOU. THIS HAS BEEN A GREAT REUNION AND PERHAPS THE BEST ONE.
I WANT TO PERSONALLY THANK ALBERT MOORE AND THE ENTIRE MOBILE RIVERINE FORCE ASSOCIATION STAFF FOR MAKING ALL OF THIS POSSIBLE. ALL OF US HAVE SEEN OLD FRIENDS AND LISTENED AND DANCED TO SOME GREAT MUSIC. I AM ALWAYS HAPPY WHEN I CAN ATTEND.

BEFORE I BEGIN MY SHORT ADDRESS I WANT TO SHARE WITH YOU A HUMOROUS STORY ABOUT OUR MOST FAMOUS AND OLDEST WARSHIP; THE USS CONSTITUTION.

SHE NEVER LOST A BATTLE AND IS STILL IN COMMISSION TODAY. I UNDERSTAND THAT WE LEARNED OF THIS STORY SOME YEARS AGO WHEN THE SHIPS LOG WAS EXAMINED CONCERNING HER WAR CRUISE DURING THE WAR OF 1812. THE USS CONSTITUTION SET SAIL FROM BOSTON HARBOR IN AUGUST OF 1812 WITH 475 OFFICERS AND MEN AND SHE HAD ON BOARD THE FOLLOWING SUPPLIES:
48,000 GALLONS OF FRESH WATER;
7400 CANNON SHOTS;
11000 POUNDS OF BLACK POWDER;
A FEW THOUSAND OF POUNDS OF FOOD SUPPLIES AND 79,000 GALLONS OF RUM;
SHE SAILED TO THE CARIBBEAN FOR TRAINING WHEN SHE ARRIVED IN JAMAICA IN OCTOBER SHE TOOK ON:
824 POUNDS OF FLOUR AND 69,300 GALLONS OF RUM
SHE WAS TRAINED AND READY FOR WAR. CONSTITUTION SET SAIL FOR GREAT BRITAIN. ENROUTE SHE STOPPED IN THE AZORES ISLANDS WHERE SHE LOADED;
55 TONS OF BEEF AND 64,800 GALLONS OF PORTUGUESE WINE

ON 13 NOVEMBER 1812 SHE LEFT THE AZORES AND SET SAIL FOR ENGLAND. IN THE ENSUING DAYS USS CONSTITUTION DEFEATED 5 BRITISH MEN OF WAR AND SANK12 BRITISH MERCHANT SHIPS; SHE SALVAGED ONLY THEIR RUM. BY 27 JANUARY 1813 HER POWDER AND CANNON SHOT WERE EXHAUSTED, AND SHE COULD NO LONGER ENGAGE OTHER SHIPS; NONETHELESS HER BRAVE LANDING PARTY WENT ASHORE IN THE TOWN OF CLYDE WITH ONLY RIFLES AND PISTOLS AND THEY CAPTURED A WHISKEY DISTILLERY AND TRANSFERRED NEARLY 40,000 GALLONS OF SCOTCH WHISKEY ONBOARD

CONSTITUTION WAS READY TO SAIL FOR HOME. SHE MADE PORT IN BOSTON ON THE 23RD OF FEBRUARY 1813 AND HAD ONBOARD NO CANNON SHOT, NO POWDER, NO FOOD, NO RUM, NO WHISKEY, AND NO WINE. SHE DID, HOWEVER, HAVE ON BOARD 48,000 GALLONS OF STAGNANT WATER. THE NAVY HAS CHANGED A BIT SINCE THOSE DAYS.

GROWING UP AS THE GRANDSON OF ITALIAN IMMIGRANTS AND THE SON OF FORMER COAL MINER AND THE OWNER OF A GAS STATION IN WEST VIRGINIA, I COULD ONLY DREAM OF SEEING THE WORLD AS PART OF OUR NAVY. I’M NOT CERTAIN THAT I KNEW WHERE VIETNAM WAS LOCATED WHEN I ENLISTED AS A TEENAGER IN THE NAVY IN 1959. LITTLE DID I KNOW THAT IN LESS THAN 10 YEARS I WOULD BE YOUNG LIEUTENANT IN THE MEKONG DELTA OF VIETNAM. MANY YEARS LATER, WHEN I WAS THE SENIOR MILITARY ASSISTANT TO THE SECRETARY OF DEFENSE, THEN SECRETARY DICK CHENEY AND WE SAID IN A PRIVATE CONVERSATION WHAT A REMARKABLE COUNTRY THIS IS WHERE A YOUNG MAN FROM CASPER, WYOMING AND ANOTHER YOUNGSTER FROM A SMALL COAL MINING TOWN IN FAYETTE COUNTY, WEST VIRGINIA CAN BECOME THE SECRETARY OF DEFENSE AND AN ADMIRAL IN THE UNITED STATES NAVY.

THERE IS SIMPLY SOMETHING EXTRAORDINARY ABOUT THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. I VISITED OVER SIXTY COUNTRIES IN MY NAVY CAREER AND MORE SINCE THEN, BUT THE MORE I HAVE LEARNED ABOUT THE WORLD AND THE MANY WONDERFUL COUNTRIES IN IT, THE MORE EXTRAORDINARY I FIND MY OWN COUNTRY. WE ARE NOT ENVIED SO MUCH FOR OUR CONSTITUTIONAL DEMOCRACY OR OUR WEALTH, BUT FOR OUR INDIVIDUAL FREEDOM. OUR UNIQUE FREEDOM AND INDIVIDUAL RIGHTS ARE WHAT SET US APART. AND, ONE RIGHT THAT IS NOT EXACTLY SPELLED OUT IN THE CONSTITUTION OR BILL OF RIGHTS IS THE RIGHT TO SUCCEED. WITHOUT THAT RIGHT MANY OF YOU NOR I COULD BE HERE TODAY. TRULY, IN AMERICA AS IN NO OTHER COUNTRY ON EARTH, OPPORTUNITY, PERSEVERANCE AND DETERMINATION ALLOW YOU TO ACHIEVE ALMOST ANY GOAL.

I HAD THE GOOD FORTUNE TO BE PART OF OUR NAVY AND OUR MILITARY AND TO SERVE SIDE BY SIDE WITH ARMY, AIR FORCE, MARINES AND OUR ALLIES. WHAT YOU REALIZE EARLY ON IN YOUR CAREER IS THAT THERE IS NEVER A SUCCESSFUL ONE MAN SHIP OR ORGANIZATION. I LEARNED THAT FIRST HAND IN RIVER DIVISION 153 IN VIETNAM. I CERTAINLY COULD NOT HAVE SUCCESS IN THE NAVY WITH OUT THE SUPPORT OF THE MEN IN RIVER DIVISION 153. I WOULD ASK THAT THE MEMBERS OF RIVDIV 153 HERE TODAY STAND SO THAT I MAY SAY THANK YOU!

WHAT I TREASURED MOST IN MY CAREER WAS THE OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE WITH AND BE SUPPORTED BY SAILORS, SOLDIERS, AIRMEN AND MARINES. IN VIETNAM WE WERE IN JOINT WARFARE WHEN “JOINT” WASN’T COOL. THE PENTAGON DIDN’T RECOGNIZE IT UNTIL THE EIGHTIES. FOR MYSELF WORKING WITH REGULAR ARMY, SPECIAL FORCES AND ASSAULT FORCES WHEN WERE IN THE RIVER DIVISION WAS A GREAT LEARNING EXPERIENCE. BUT WHEN I THINK BACK ABOUT IT, EVEN IN VIETNAM THERE WAS SOME HUMOR WHEN YOU PUT ARMY AND NAVY TOGETHER IN THE MEKONG DELTA’.

I REMEMBER ONE INSTANCE WHERE I WAS ON PATROL AND WE HAD AN ARMY SQUAD ABOARD THAT WE WERE GOING TO INSERT. BEHIND ME A YOUNG PRIVATE SAID TO HIS SERGEANT. ‘SARGE, I DON’T LIKE BEING ON THIS LITTLE RIVER. THE VC ARE GOING TO PICK US OFF” THE SERGEANT REASSURED HIM BY SAYING WE WOULD BEACH SOON AND OFFLOAD ON THE LAND. I SMILED! WE THEN DID A FLANKING MOVEMENT AND NOSED INTO THE BEACH AND THE BOAT CAPTAIN YELLED AT THE SOLDIERS. “YOU GUYS HURRY UP. WE’RE SITTING DUCKS WHILE WE’RE ON THIS BEACH”. I SMILED AGAIN! EVERYBODY, EVEN IN WAR, HAS THEIR COMFORT ZONE.

WE HAD A TREMENDOUS NUMBER OF AWESOME WEAPONS AT OUR DISPOSAL, BUT NONE WERE AS AWESOME AS THE PEOPLE OPERATING THEM. RIVERINE PEOPLE OF ALL SERVICES WERE SPECIAL AND HEROISM WAS AN EVERYDAY EVENT. I CONSIDERED ANYONE IN MY DIVISION OR FOR THAT MATTER IN VIETNAM, A HERO JUST FOR BEING THERE AND DOING THEIR JOB. NUMEROUS MEDALS WERE AWARDED; SOME FOR DOING THINGS ABOVE AND BEYOND THE CALL OF DUTY, BUT IN NAVY LANGUAGE EVERYONE TOOK CARE OF THEIR SHIPMATE. EVERYONE HAD SOMEONE ELSE’S BACK AND HEROISM WAS ROUTINE. IT WAS ALMOST EXPECTED.

I HOPE ALL OF YOU HAVE HAD THE CHANCE TO VISIT THE VIETNAM VETERANS MEMORIAL. IT IS A FITTING TRIBUTE TO SOME OF THE FINEST, MOST BRAVE MEN AND WOMEN WHO HAVE EVER WORN OUR NATIONS UNIFORMS. THE NAMES ON THAT WALL ENSURE THAT WE WILL NEVER FORGET THOSE WHO GAVE THEIR TOMORROWS FOR OUR TODAY. BUT IT IS ALSO A TRIBUTE TO ALL WHO SERVED AND IS OUR NATION’S WAY OF THANKING ALL OF YOU WHO RETURNED HOME.

IT IS MY DREAM AND YOURS THAT SOMEDAY WE WILL HAVE NO MORE VETERANS OF WAR TO HONOR BECAUSE WE WILL HAVE NO MORE WARS. BUT WHERE THERE IS PEACE ON EARTH IT IS BECAUSE IN LARGE MEASURE MEN AND WOMEN OF THE UNITED STATES ARMED FORCES, LIKE US, HAVE BEEN THERE. PEACE AND FREEDOM WILL ALWAYS DEPEND ON AMERICAN LEADERSHIP AND AMERICAN RESOLVE JUST AS IT DEPENDED ON US IN VIETNAM. WE SHOULD TAKE HEART THAT THE STANDARDS YOU SET IN PATRIOTISM, DEDICATION, PROFESSIONALISM AND COURAGE ARE NOW BEING FOLLOWED BY YOUNG AMERICANS IN AFGHANISTAN AND IRAQ. WE SHOULD BE THANKFUL THAT THIS NEW GENERATION OF AMERICANS HAS ASSUMED THE OBLIGATIONS THAT FREEDOM DEMANDS. YOU, THE VETERANS OF VIETNAM, PAVED THE WAY AND SET THE STANDARD. THIS NATION IS STRONGER AND BETTER BECAUSE OF WHO YOU ARE AND WHAT WE HAVE GIVEN. YOU SHOULD NEVER FORGET THAT! GOD BLESS YOU AND THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. THANK YOU!