[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 95 (Wednesday, June 30, 1999)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7923-S7924]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               TRIBUTE TO GENERAL CHARLES C. KRULAK, USMC

  Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to a truly 
distinguished officer, gentleman, and patriot: General Charles C. 
Krulak, Commandant, United States Marine Corps. I do so, with humility 
and respect, on behalf of the six members of the Senate who served in 
the Marine Corps. Although today marks the end of his remarkable 
uniformed career, his legacy will live on throughout the Corps' history 
as a ``guide-on'' for future marines.
  Today also marks the first time in 70 years that a Krulak will not be 
privileged to be in the ranks of the United States Marine Corps. 
General Krulak's father, General V.H. ``Brute'' Krulak, himself a 
legendary officer, served with distinction in three wars ultimately 
achieving the rank of Lieutenant General. All three of General 
``Brute'' Krulak's sons graduated from the United States Naval Academy, 
but it was his son Charles, or Chuck, that followed very closely in his 
father's foot steps.
  Mr. President, during the past four years, I have had the distinct 
honor and pleasure of working very closely with General Chuck Krulak. I 
first met General Krulak during an inspection tour in Vietnam where, as 
a young Captain, he had been wounded and was being evacuated. We later 
reminisced about that moment, which bonded us together forever, during 
his first courtesy call to me as the new Commandant of the Marine 
Corps. Today at the Change of Command, fittingly held on the historic 
grounds of the 8th and I Marine Corps Barracks, General Krulak, during 
his final address, recognized Congress, as did his father, that it was 
the Congress that created the Marine Corps and then saved the Marine 
Corps when its very existence was threatened by a former President, so 
many years ago. He then proclaimed that Congress will always preserve 
the Corps. He is correct!
  I believe General Krulak embodies the very core values that reflect 
the Marine Corps' deepest convictions: Honor, Courage, and Commitment. 
After 35 years of service, he remains passionate about his Marine Corps 
and his marines. In a farewell address to the Corps, General Krulak 
articulated his respect and understanding of the selflessness and pride 
of the many Marines he had known throughout his life. He spoke of the 
ethos of the corps and Touchstones of Valor and Values. Mr. President, 
I submit General Krulak's farewell address to the Corps in the record 
of the proceedings of the Senate as part of my tribute today.
  I urge my colleagues to read his address and think about the young 
men and women Marines who so honorably serve everyday, everywhere 
around the world to protect this great nation.
  General, as a former Marine myself, I salute you for a job 
exceedingly well done! You are a true patriot and the world is a better 
place because of your dedication to and belief in . . . Honor, Courage, 
and Commitment. Semper Fi.

                 [From Leatherneck Magazine, June 1999]

                        A Farewell to the Corps

                      (By Gen. Charles C. Krulak)

       From my earliest days, I was always awed by the character 
     of the Marine Corps, by the passion and love that inspired 
     the sacrifices of Marines like my father and his friends. As 
     a young boy, I admired the warriors and thinkers who joined 
     our family for a meal or a visit . . . Marines like ``Howlin' 
     Mad'' Smith, Lemuel C. Shepherd, Gerald C. Thomas, and Keith 
     B. McCutcheon. I wondered about the source of their pride, 
     their selflessness, and their sense of purpose. Now, at the 
     twilight of my career, I understand those Marines. I know 
     that they were driven by love for the institution to which 
     they had dedicated their lives and by the awesome 
     responsibility they felt to the Marines who shared their 
     devotion and sacrifice. Today, that same motivation burns 
     deep within the heart of each of us. The ethos of our Corps, 
     purchased so dearly by these heroes of old, reaches into our 
     souls and challenges us to strive tirelessly for excellence 
     in all that we do. It profoundly influences the actions of 
     every Marine that has ever stood on the yellow footprints at 
     our Recruit Depots or taken the oath as an Officer of 
     Marines.
       The ethos of our Corps is that of the warrior. It is 
     defined by two simple qualities . . . our two touchstones. 
     The first is our Touchstone of Valor. When we are summoned to 
     battle, we don our helmets and flak jackets; we march to the 
     sound of the guns; we fight and we win--Guaranteed. The 
     second is our Touchstone of Values. We hold ourselves and our 
     institution to the highest standards . . . to our core values 
     of Honor, Courage, and Commitment. These two Touchstones are 
     inextricably and forever linked. They form the bedrock of our 
     success and, indeed, of our very existence.
       Our Touchstone of Valor is the honor roll of our Corps' 
     history. Bladensburg, Bull Run, Cuzco Well, Belleau Wood, 
     Guadalcanal, Tarawa, Iwo Jima, Inchon, the Chosin Reservoir, 
     Hue City, Kuwait . . . the blood and sacrifice of Marines in 
     these battles, and countless others, have been commemorated 
     in gilded script and etched forever on the black granite base 
     of the Marine Corps War Memorial. The names of these places 
     now serve as constant reminders of our sacred responsibility 
     to our Nation and to those whose sacrifices have earned the 
     Marine Corps a place among the most honored of military 
     organizations. The memory of the Marines who fought in these 
     battles lives in us and in the core values of our precious 
     Corps.
       To Marines, Honor, Courage, and Commitment are not simply 
     words or a bumper sticker slogan. They reflect our deepest 
     convictions and dramatically shape everything that we do. 
     They are central to our efforts to ``Make Marines,'' men and 
     women of character who can be entrusted to safeguard our 
     Nation and its ideals in the most demanding of environments. 
     We imbue Marines with our core values from their first 
     moments in our Corps because we know that Marines, not 
     weapons, win battles. We also know that success on the 
     battlefield and the support of the citizens whose interests 
     we represent depend on our ability to make moral and ethical 
     decisions under the extreme stress of combat . . . or in the 
     conduct of our daily lives.
       As an institution, we have had to fight hard to maintain 
     our standards. To some, they may seem old-fashioned, out-of-
     step with society, or perhaps even ``extremist,'' but we know 
     that our high standards are the lifeblood of the Corps, so we 
     have held the line! In this regard, what individual Marines 
     are doing everyday counts far more than anything that is done 
     in Washington. The standards of our Corps are not simply 
     maintained by generals, colonels, and sergeants major, but, 
     far more importantly, by leaders throughout the Corps, at 
     every level. The Marine conviction that Semper Fidelis is a 
     way of life, not just a motto, speaks powerfully to the 
     citizens that we serve. It also unites us with our fellow 
     Marines, past and present--inspiring us to push harder, to 
     reach further, and to reject the very notion of failure of 
     compromise.
       Sustained and strengthened by the ethos of our Corps, you 
     have accomplished a great deal during the past four years. I 
     have been humbled to be part of your achievements and witness 
     to your selfless devotion. Time and again, Marines 
     distinguished themselves in contingencies around the world, 
     across the spectrum of conflict. Marines from across the 
     Total Force were the first to fight, the first to help and 
     the first to show America's flag--consistently demonstrating 
     our resolve and readiness to win when called to action. With 
     the involvement of the Fleet Marine Force and input from the 
     entire Corps, the Warfighting Laboratory has looked hard at 
     the 21st Century strategic environment. Marines ``stole a 
     march'' on change by testing new concepts and emerging 
     technologies, exploring new tools for developing leaders and 
     decision makers, and experimenting in the ``Three Block 
     War.'' Our recruiters, drill instructors, and small-unit 
     leaders have implemented the Transformation Process and are 
     recruiting, training, and developing the ``Strategic 
     Corporals'' for tomorrow's conflicts. Led by Marines at the 
     Combat Development Command, we have deepened our 
     understanding of Operational Maneuver From The Sea (OMFTS), 
     its enabling concepts and technologies, as well as its many 
     challenges. The men and women serving in the many thankless 
     billets at Headquarters Marine Corps and in the joint arena 
     have developed and articulated our requirements for the 
     future and have secured the resources to translate OMFTS into 
     a reality. Our supporting establishment, at every post and 
     station, has epitomized selflessness and dedication while 
     providing for our readiness requirements. All these things 
     are important--and they are the accomplishments of every 
     Marine. None of them, however, are as significant as 
     maintaining our hands on the twin Touchstones of our Corps.
       The words of my father ring as true today as when he first 
     wrote them over fifty years ago. ``We exist today--we 
     flourish today--not because of what we know we are, or what 
     we know we can do, but because of what the grassroots of our 
     country believes we are and believes we can do . . . The 
     American people

[[Page S7924]]

     believe that Marines are downright good for the country; that 
     the Marines are masters of a form of unfailing alchemy which 
     converts unoriented youths into proud, self-reliant stable 
     citizens--citizens into whose hands the nation's affairs may 
     safely be entrusted . . . And, likewise, should the people 
     ever lose that conviction--as a result of our failure to meet 
     their high--almost spiritual--standards, the Marine Corps 
     will quickly disappear.''
       May God bless each and every one of you and may God bless 
     our Corps!

                          ____________________