[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 128 (Wednesday, September 22, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1709-E1710]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     MILITARY APPRECIATION DAY REMARKS BY LTG ROBERT L. CASLEN, JR.

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. IKE SKELTON

                              of missouri

                    in the house of representatives

                     Wednesday, September 22, 2010

  Mr. SKELTON. Madam Speaker, on August 15, 2010, LTG Robert L. Caslen, 
Jr. spoke at the Missouri State Fair in Sedalia, Missouri, regarding 
Military Appreciation Day. His remarks are set forth below.

 Missouri State Fair--Military Appreciation Day--LTG Robert L. Caslen, 
      Jr.--Missouri State Fairgrounds, Sedalia, MO--15 August 2010

       Good afternoon. Thank you for that kind introduction. It is 
     always great to visit the Show-Me State and Sedalia. It gives 
     me an excuse to stop by the ``Wheel Drive-in'' and get myself 
     a ``Goober Burger''. I want to thank Governor Nixon and 
     Congressman Skelton for their inspiring words and presence 
     here today as we honor our Military Heroes past and present. 
     I am truly honored and humbled to be asked to speak with you 
     today on such a momentous occasion for our Nation's military.
       One of our Nation's defining Presidents, Abraham Lincoln, 
     once said, ``Let us have faith that right makes might, and . 
     . . dare to do our duty as we understand it.''
       These words epitomize our military's ethical charter, 
     extended to us by the American people, and defined by the 
     ideals and precepts of our Constitution. As we enter our 9th 
     year of continuous war, our Nation faces an uncertain 
     future--a future that will most certainly require the service 
     and continued sacrifice of our Nation's military men and 
     women. As our Nation and its military embark into this 
     uncertain future, we must ever be mindful of President 
     Lincoln's words--to solemnly do our moral duty and earnestly 
     hope that `right makes might'.
       As Americans, we are a people defined by our moral 
     character. Indeed, many of our forefathers came here in order 
     to flee religious persecution in their native lands. These 
     immigrants, from the Pilgrims to the Quakers to the 
     Mennonites, boldly forged out new lives for themselves in the 
     frontiers of America. Many of Missouri's early pioneers were 
     just such people.
       Our forefathers' hard work, perseverance and strong moral 
     ethic helped shape our country's beginnings and define our 
     Nation's character. Our Founding Fathers were in many cases, 
     men such as these--men of substance--whose character was born 
     out of sacrifice and moral conviction. They understood and 
     rejected the yoke of oppression--they knew full well the 
     heavy price that must be paid to earn and maintain their 
     freedom. Their vision enabled the creation of a radically new 
     concept in the world--a nation, governed by and subservient 
     to its people, committed to the ideals of freedom, equality, 
     and justice for all. The ultimate manifestation of our 
     forefathers' ideals can be seen in the instrument that 
     established the American experiment in freedom: our Nation's 
     Constitution.
       The pure genius of the U.S. Constitution still evokes awe 
     in us today. Apart from the freedoms extended to us in its 
     Bill of Rights, the Constitution also serves as the source 
     document from which we derive our military's authorities. The 
     governmental roadmap established by the Constitution clearly 
     delineates the military's subservient role to the people and 
     civilian authority of the military. Indeed, the Constitution 
     establishes a client relationship between the military and 
     the citizens of this Nation. Our client status requires us to 
     maintain a healthy and confidence-inspiring relationship with 
     our bosses. Trust is, and always has been, the cornerstone of 
     this relationship. Said another way, it is incumbent on all 
     of us in uniform to earn your trust and then to maintain it.
       We in the Army know all too well the heavy price that must 
     be paid for failing to maintain the trust of the people.
       In the aftermath of our Nation's last persistent conflict, 
     Vietnam, our Army faced a crisis of trust. Our relationship 
     with the American people had been strained and as an 
     institution, it required us to become introspective and 
     examine all facets of what defined us ethically as a 
     profession. And as a result, we enacted sweeping internal 
     reforms and reinforced our Professional Military Ethic in our 
     professional military education. But this took time and it 
     was only after many years of demonstrated adherence to our 
     Nation's principles and values that we were able to restore 
     the trust of the American people.
       I would offer that the key ingredient that makes this 
     difference is leadership. Leadership grounded in the 
     principles of a Professional Ethic--whose foundation can be 
     found in the ideals and precepts of our Constitution.
       Our leaders today at every level of the Army face 
     extraordinarily complex and uncertain situations on a daily 
     basis. Confronted by these unique and taxing circumstances, 
     influenced by character, values, and a collective ethic, our 
     leaders invariably will strive to make the right decisions, 
     and thus preserve the trust we must maintain with the clients 
     whom we serve.
       But it is not easy and this has not always been the case. 
     Take Abu Ghraib for example--where we saw a failure of 
     leadership result not only in a loss of confidence, but in 
     the rallying of extremist Islam to join the Jihad. 
     Fortunately this leadership failure was countered by the 
     great work of many other leaders over a number of years.
       Our Nation's military is a reflection of you--the people of 
     the United States. Our military is an all volunteer force, 
     comprised of citizens from all walks of life throughout our 
     country. We are a microcosm of our society--where all our 
     country's races, religions, and creeds--equally share in the 
     task of defending our Nation and its Constitution. 
     Consequently, our military's character and ethic is a 
     reflection of your own. We stand for the principles and 
     values that you and

[[Page E1710]]

     our Nation hold dear. We are always mindful that our actions 
     and undertakings should, at all times, reflect this fact. Our 
     all-volunteer military is comprised of your neighbors, 
     friends, and relatives, who have answered America's call to 
     service during a time of war.
       I would like to tell you the story of one such American 
     that answered America's call to service during war:
       Rick Rescorla was not born of this country. He came to this 
     country from his native England in 1963, and entered the 
     United States Army shortly thereafter. His natural leadership 
     abilities were identified early on. Having graduated from 
     Basic Training, Rick was selected to attend Officer Candidate 
     School and Airborne training at Fort Benning, Georgia. Upon 
     graduation Rick was assigned to 2d Battalion, 7th Cavalry 
     Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division. It was here that he would 
     learn lasting lessons in service and sacrifice.
       In November 1965 a young 2LT Rick Rescorla found himself 
     leading his men during America's first major battle of the 
     Vietnam War, the Battle of Ia Drang. The battle was a 
     vicious, guttural affair, and was vividly described by the 
     commanding officer of the battle, LTC Hal Moore, and war 
     correspondent Joe Galloway in their book, We Were Soldiers 
     Once . . . and Young.
       In the book, Moore described Rescorla as ``the best platoon 
     leader I ever saw.'' Rescorla's men nicknamed him ``Hard 
     Core'' for his bravery in battle, and revered him for his 
     good humor and compassion towards his men.
       Shortly after the Battle of Ia Drang commenced, Rescorla 
     was ordered to move out to seize the high ground surrounding 
     the landing zone. He immediately led his platoon forward 
     through the brush towards an enemy that they knew was lying 
     in wait. As he did this, his image was captured by a combat 
     cameraman--this iconic photograph adorns the cover of Moore 
     and Galloway's book. In the picture, his face muscles are 
     taut and eyes wide under the brow of his helmet. His eyes 
     look almost white because they are open so wide . . . intense 
     anxiety is plainly evident in LT Rescorla's face. He is very 
     clearly afraid . . . afraid that his life may be snuffed out 
     at any moment, yet he moves with his M-16 at the ready, 
     clenched firmly in his hands, its bayonet fixed--a Soldier 
     dutifully doing what is asked of him despite the danger.
       The picture--captured in a moment of desperation and sheer 
     terror--is a powerful image of a Soldier doing his duty in 
     combat. It's quite probable that LT Rescorla didn't really 
     know why it was necessary to move his platoon forward and 
     take the high ground, but he felt a compelling responsibility 
     both to his fellow Soldiers and unit to do his duty. Rescorla 
     did his duty that day earning a Silver Star for his valor. 
     Yet, this was not the last time that his nation would require 
     his service and his ultimate sacrifice.
       The final chapter of the Rick Rescorla story is even more 
     moving. On September 11, 2001, Rick was serving as Vice 
     President of Security for Morgan Stanley Dean Witter in its 
     headquarters in the South Tower of the World Trade Center in 
     New York City. After the building was struck on that fateful 
     morning, Rescorla calmly and expertly directed over 2700 
     employees to safety down the fire escape stair wells of the 
     South Tower. Rescorla also oversaw the evacuation of another 
     1000 employees from the World Trade Building #5. When an old 
     Army buddy, Dan Hill, reached him on the phone that day, 
     Rescorla could be heard barking orders calmly and collectedly 
     through a bullhorn. He exhorted his fellow employees to ``be 
     proud to be Americans . . . everyone will be talking about 
     you tomorrow.''
       After the last of the employees had evacuated the South 
     Tower, he took his security team back into the building to 
     make a final sweep to ensure everyone had escaped safely. 
     When one of his colleagues urged him to evacuate as well, 
     Rescorla replied, ``As soon as I make sure everyone else is 
     out.'' He was last seen alive on the tenth floor, moving 
     towards danger much in the same way he had done 36 years 
     prior at the Battle of Ia Drang. Rick Rescorla certainly knew 
     the mortal danger he faced, yet did his duty for his fellow 
     man.
       Rick Rescorla was not the last hero to die in our Nation's 
     Global War on Terror. His actions along with hundreds of 
     others that momentous day sparked a renewed era of sacrifice 
     and service in our country.
       Many in this country do not yet fully realize the 
     incredible value and impact that this 9/11 generation is 
     having, and will continue to have, on our society--for they 
     are a humble, resilient and selfless generation. They all 
     remember exactly where they were 9 years ago when the planes 
     went into the World Trade Center, and into the field in PA, 
     and into the Pentagon. They are volunteers all of them, and 
     our Country has placed the security of our Nation on their 
     backs, again, and again, and again. And yet despite the 
     repeated sacrifices, they have answered the call to duty each 
     time, and stood in the gap between the evil that is out there 
     and our way of life. They have never wavered or questioned. 
     They quietly stand among the generations of Americans that 
     have gone before, standing in the gap between the evil that 
     is out there, and the values of our Nation and our way of 
     life.
       I have no doubts that history will gloriously record their 
     service and sacrifice, for it has protected the free world 
     from tyranny and evil, and has restored freedom and inspired 
     hope where it was absent. As was the case with our 
     forefathers, they do not seek exclusion and intolerance and 
     violence, but rather they seek moderation, and tolerance, and 
     inclusion. They protect, defend, and advocate for the 
     downtrodden and defenseless. They are indeed a reflection of 
     you--the American people.
       In closing, I ask that we all remember those service 
     members who have paid the ultimate sacrifice in defense of 
     our Nation. We are forever indebted to them for their service 
     and sacrifice.
       May we also remember those that are, at this very moment, 
     standing watch for us around the globe in the name of freedom 
     and democracy.
       God bless the great state of Missouri.
       May God bless and protect our Service members in harm's 
     way, as well as their families back home.
       And may God continue to bless the United States of America.
       Army Strong.

                          ____________________