[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 7 (Tuesday, January 12, 2016)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E39]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 RECOGNIZING GENERAL JOHN F. KELLY FOR 45 YEARS OF SERVICE TO THE U.S. 
                              MARINE CORPS

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. DUNCAN HUNTER

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, January 12, 2016

  Mr. HUNTER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize a great American 
and fearless leader of Marines--General John Kelly, who is retiring 
this week after 42 years of honorable service to this nation. Few 
officers can claim General Kelly's long list of accomplishments, but 
that's just a part of what he's known for. He's also one of the 
savviest and most proficient officers among a very deep bench of 
leaders within the American military. And because of his talents and 
acumen, he's also among the most respected.
  I really got to know General Kelly during my first Iraq deployment in 
2003. He had a reputation as someone who was willing to get his hands 
dirty, which isn't always true of many officers at that level. Looking 
back at that deployment, I am proud and honored to call General Kelly a 
mentor, and I am especially grateful that I was able to see up-close 
the value and significance of true leadership.
  General Kelly also has a way with words. He can honor or even 
memorialize Marines in one breath, and then motivate and inspire in the 
next. In fact, in one of his many inspirational moments, General Kelly 
eulogized two Marines who died as a result of a suicide vehicle. That 
speech, now known by the title ``Six Seconds to Live,'' is widely cited 
by Marines, military leaders and veterans alike, and exists as a 
testament to Marine combat ethos and dedication to duty.
  General Kelly also experienced an enormous hardship of his own when 
his son, Marine First Lieutenant Robert Kelly, was killed in action in 
Sangin, Afghanistan. We know, Mr. Speaker, that there is no greater 
sacrifice a Marine and his or her family can make--and as a nation, we 
are forever grateful for such a sacrifice. Some people might have 
walked away from their military careers at that point, but not General 
Kelly, whose oldest son is also a Marine. The Kellys are a military 
family--more importantly, they are Marine Corps family, and service to 
the nation is in the Kelly bloodline. General Kelly's resolve and 
courage, during the toughest of times, is a testament to his character, 
his strength and his commitment to his nation and his family.
  Mr. Speaker, the Marine Corps and the entire nation benefited from 
General Kelly's service and his many contributions, from a commander in 
Iraq to the head of U.S. Southern Command, where he's closing out his 
career. He leaves behind him a trail that he blazed over 40-plus 
years--and I can tell you, Mr. Speaker, there will continue to be many 
Marines who will aspire to walk down that same path. He would have been 
a great Marine Corps commandant, and he could have served anywhere and 
done anything--without limits. But as his Marine Corps career ends, 
knowing General Kelly, he'll be spending lots of quality time with 
friends and family--and it's time that's well deserved for his 
contributions as one of my generation's top military leaders.
  To General Kelly, I say Semper Fi. Thank you, on behalf of this 
entire institution and the nation. We are grateful for your service.