 Welcome to the Medal of Honor Induction Ceremony in honor of Captain Gary Michael Rose, United States Army, retired. Captain Rose was presented our nation's highest and most prestigious award for valor by the President of the United States, the Medal of Honor. This morning he will formally be inducted into the Pentagon's most sacred place, the Hall of Heroes. Our hosts for today's ceremony are the Deputy Secretary of Defense, the Honorable Patrick M. Shanahan. The Acting Secretary of the Army, the Honorable Ryan D. McCarthy. The Vice Chief of Staff of the Army, General James C. McConville. And the Sergeant Major of the Army, Daniel A. Daly. Ladies and gentlemen, please stand for the arrival of the official party and remain standing for the singing of our national anthem by Master Sergeant Lee Ann Hinton and the invocation delivered by Chaplain Paul Hurley. Almighty God, we begin today this morning in thanksgiving for this time to honor life's given in service to restore and bring peace. You have revealed to us the sacred call to defend and protect the most needy and vulnerable in the most dangerous circumstances. May the heroic actions of Captain Mike Rose, his life, his selfless actions, trace the way for all who answer the sacred call. May this time, this hero, and this morning be a source of strength for all our nation and for our world. And we ask all this in your holy name. Amen. Well, good morning and thank you all for attending. It's great to see so many people here as we pay tribute to Captain Gary Mike Rose. This morning he joins a small and distinguished group of national heroes who displayed uncommon acts of valor under extraordinary circumstances. But before I discuss Mike's actions, I'd like to take an opportunity to recognize and thank the Vietnam veterans that are present. You know, we're very blessed today that our soldiers can't walk through an airport, go into a restaurant, or shop in mall without the American people thanking them for this service. And this was not always the case with our Vietnam veterans. So I would ask that the Vietnam veterans please stand and be recognized and let us thank you for your service. We stand proudly on your shoulders. Mike has stated many times that he feels this award is a collective medal. It honors all who fought, it honors all who were wounded, and it honors all those perished in that operation. It truly was a team effort, Operation Tailwind. It included the great Green Berets who fought heroically against overwhelming odds. It was the mountain yards. It was the Marine Aviation crews who ensured the teams in hot LZs and provide us continuous Cobra support. It was the Air Force pilots who flew close air support after close air support to make sure that the great Green Berets on the ground were protected. Lieutenant Colonel Gene McClelly, then the company commander, called in the air so close that Mike said he could almost read their name tags and how close they were. There's incredible heroics that went on. And so what I'd like to do right now is ask all the soldiers, marines, and airmen that participated in the Tailwind, could you please stand so we can recognize you all? Yes, sir. Thank you, sir. Your heroics are legendary and very proud to have you here. You know, yesterday Captain Mike Rose became the 33,500th recipient of the Medal of Honor. And the 174th soldier to receive the award for displaying extraordinary heroism during the Vietnam War. This award is 47 years overdue, 47 years. But it's never too late to do the right thing. It's never too late to do the right thing. And that's what's been done this week. So we're very, very proud to be part of this. We also have many distinguished Medal of Honor recipients, gentlemen, could you stand and we could recognize you also? I'd like to welcome our Deputy Secretary of Defense, Patrick Shanahan, our Acting Secretary of the Army, Ryan McCarthy, our Sergeant Major of the Army, Daley, General Officer's Leaders from the Army, our Joint Forces, Friends, and Distinguished Guests. Thank you. This is a very, very important event. And most importantly, I'd like to welcome Mike's family, his wife, Margaret, of 46 years, incredible. His, it is, it is, you want to, how about, probably heard a few war stories in that time. And Sarah Mike's daughter, Caitlyn, and Christian, Christian had a chance to spend some time with the President yesterday and got a note from the President, so when he goes back to school, he'll be all set for homework, so that's great too. And Claire's Mike's daughter and fiance, Patrick Hinman are here, and then Mike's son and wife, Rachel. So this is a very, very special event for the family and we're glad to have you all here. You know, I've had the opportunity to spend some time with Mike over the last couple of days, and he is a very, very special person. You know, Mike is a three-time volunteer. He won't say this, but you know, I'm doing the speech, so I get to make it up as we go along. And as they say, you know, war stories are like good wines, they get better with age. And so anyways, as Mike and I talked, he volunteered to serve in the Army. He volunteered to join the elite special forces and he volunteered to go to Vietnam. He became an 18 Delta, that's a special forces medic. He was a quiet professional, and he wore the green beret of the fifth special forces group. And the fifth special forces group took on some of the toughest missions in Vietnam. I wanna put that in perspective. They established a legendary reputation. They were in 14 Vietnam campaign streamers. In 18, I say again, 18 medals of honor during the unit six years in Vietnam. Absolutely incredible. So all the fifth special forces folks here, I hand for you all. For Mike, it all began in April of 1970, when then Sergeant Rose was assigned to the military assistant command Vietnam, MacVeas was called. Studies and observation group. Now, what a strange name. You know, you have this vision of a bunch of folks with clipboards going around and doing studies and observations, but nothing can be farther true. This was an elite organization that went on some of the toughest missions behind enemy lines, against enemy safe havens during the Vietnam War. And Operation Tailwind was one of those missions. And it began on September 11th of that year. Sergeant Mike Rose is his team along with 16 fellow Americans, a South Vietnamese advisor and approximately 120 Vietnam's and Degas fighters known as the Montiards, went in on that mission. The company mission was to attack targets of opportunity in enemy territory and draw North Vietnamese forces away from the Laos forces that were in that area. The company's survival depended on their ability to move day and night. And that's exactly what they did because there were overwhelming enemy forces in that area. For 96 hours after the small team landed, they would face continuous harassment, continuous attacks by fiercely proficient North Vietnamese fighters. The CH-53 Super Stallion that inserted the force was raked by enemy fire. The crew of the Marine aircraft carrying Mike said that there were 53 bullet holes in that aircraft when it landed. Mike told me that the crews were put in 100 mile an hour tape over the holes in spray-patent them so the pilots would know how bad the aircraft were. It was a day one with an hours being inserted to Americans. Bernie Bright and Mike Hagan, I think they're here today, were wounded during the initial insertion. And Mike treated them to keep them in the fight. And they continued the fight. They fought Westwood. The company encountered an incredible supply of ammunition and supplies. And they destroyed it. And if the enemy didn't know they were there after they destroyed that cache, they certainly knew they were there, and they came after them. You know, I often wonder how many lives you all saved by destroying that enemy cache so that could not be used against American soldiers. Very, very important mission. And then there was day two. And on day two, Mike was wounded by a rocket-propelled grenade that detonated beside him, spraying shrapnel up his leg and back and puncturing a hole through his right foot. He ignored his injuries. He continued to treat the wounded, hobbling on a crutch made of bamboo when he could crawl on the enemy fire when he had to and constantly moving, taking care of his fellow soldiers. Still, the company pressed on. Now it's day three. The force is exhausted. I'm exhausted about reading it. Incredible, credible horizons. For more than 72 hours of near-continuous combat, they established a small perimeter and employed fires to keep from being overrun. Marine Colbert gunships and Air Force A1, E3 provided close air support, holding the North Vietnamese off. Yet the enemy kept coming, kept proven, and Mike kept taking care of his wounded comrades. And then when the Don broke a day four, the team attacked again, an enemy base camp inflicting enemy heavy North Vietnamese casualties. And shortly after that, they received a report, estimated 500 enemy soldiers coming after them. And with that, they decided to do an extraction. And Mike assisted with loading the wounded onto the first two helicopters. And Marine Air and Air Force Air continued to support their missions as they went forward. But that was in the end. Mike got on the last helicopter, and the last helicopter was shot down. So it doesn't end there. And Mike was among those thrown from the helicopter, along with the company first sergeant, Morris Adair. I think Morris Adair might be here. Right there. It was Morris, was right there. So Mike, Harbin and One Fort in Seville, he regained his wits and began checking on his teammates. He found his soldiers, bloody and incoherent, but alive. Fuel was everywhere. Smoke was rising, but he climbed back into that CH-53 and began taking out the wounded and began saving his life. And at the end, they were finally extracted. During that operation of tailwind, then Sergeant Mike Rose was wounded by enemy fire three times. He's credited with treating more than 60, I say again, 60 wounded soldiers, saving a life for a Marine Lance Corporal and recovering at least two incapacitated and isolated men in the face of enemy fire. Astanley, every American service member, survived the four-day near-continuous firefight. Tragically, three Montiards perished, but as a result of Mike's grit, his skill and determination, a lot of folks that are here today are sitting here today. Today, we honor Captain Mike Rose for his extraordinary valor, and by honoring him, we also honor the heroes who are sitting here, fought by his side and those who sacrificed for this nation, the Green Berets and every soldier, Marine Airman that was there, who raised their hand, defend the Constitution, and all it stands for. Mike's rose, concerned for his fellow warriors, conspicuous gallantry and his intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the Call of Duty, make him a national hero and leave us with a lasting legacy of an extraordinary soldier. Mike, thank you for your service. Thank you for your heritage. Thank you for the example. You have left the young soldiers today. You're an inspiration to them all. God bless all you for coming today and God bless our soldiers who are serving in harm's way. And now please join me in welcoming our acting Secretary of the Army, Ryan McCarthy, a proven combat ranger in Afghanistan, sir. Thank you for being here. Thanks, General Conville. Good morning. I'm deeply honored to be here to pay long, overdue tribute to a heroic soldier, Mike Rose, alongside a truly distinguished assembly of guests. The most important of these is Margaret, the devoted wife of 46 years, their children, Michael, Claire, Sarah, and grandchildren, Caitlin and Christian. Margaret, I hope you enjoyed the fine weather driving up from Alabama and the scenic areas of our country. It's an honor and pleasure to have you all with us here today. Welcome also to Mike's comrades from Operation Tailwind, from Military Assistance Command Vietnam Studies and Observation Group, the fabled MacVisog. Gentlemen, speaking as a veteran of the special operations community, your heroism and professionalism are legendary even today, among those who strive to follow in your footsteps. Thank you for your service to our nation and for setting the example for others to follow. A special thanks and welcome as well to the Medal of Honor recipients that are here with us today. It's an absolute honor to be in your company. Greetings as well to Deputy Secretary of Defense Shanahan and many other leaders from across the Army and the Joint Force who are with us this morning. We're gathered here today in the Company of Heroes to celebrate Army Captain Mike Rose's induction into the Hall of Heroes. He earned the Medal of Honor and induction into this hall for the sublime patriotism and heroism he displayed on a battlefield in Laos nearly a half century ago. But Mike's heroism extends far beyond that. He is one of the rare few, the quiet heroes who are shaping lives and uplifting their communities day after day and year after year. As we honor Mike's heroism and the maelstrom of combat, let us honor a life lived in selfless service to others. Over the past week, I've had the distinct honor to get to know Mike a little bit better. I know that there are few among us who make such a profound impact on their community and touch as many lives around them. We are now familiar with his bravery, but I would also like to tell you about his dedication and his selflessness. Mike is a quiet hero who has always been focused on making a personal difference. In a conversation a little over a week ago, Mike told me that a measure of man's life is how he interacts with his fellow man, not the trinkets he accumulates. Even if we were to put aside Mike's medal of honor and his military service, he still would measure among the best of us. He has lived a life defined by his faith, his family, and his friends. Mike Rose lives his faith through active participation in volunteer work with the Knights of Columbus. The Knights of Columbus have been a key part of Mike's life for many decades. And I know he's pleased to welcome Supreme Knight Carl Anderson, who came down from Connecticut. Who's with us today. Like myself and many other Catholic boys over the years, he spent many childhood Sundays sitting in the back of the church with his older male relatives who were ushers. Like them, he joined the Knights of Columbus as a way to express his faith through involvement in charity. In Mike's case, these charities include work with the intellectually disabled, enriching their lives with companionship and opportunities. Mike and his fellow Knights volunteer with a food kitchen and go into Huntsville schools each Friday to fill hungry disadvantaged kids' backpacks with meals for the weekend. Mike also volunteers his time and effort helping local veterans and their families with reintegration, over 75% of whom are veterans of our conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. It makes sense that Mike would be so heavily involved in charity. As veterans at our foundation, we're selfless servants. Selfless service is one of the Army values and it's in our DNA. What sets Mike's charitable work apart is the personal aspect. He is consciously devoted to local charity and enables him to make a difference directly in individual people's lives and in the community that he and his family call home. The people he helps are friends and neighbors and this is a personal bond that mimics the bond forged between soldiers in combat. Families and military units have quite a bit in common. They're composed of individuals, each with their own quirks and personalities, but they're united by a deeper bond that forges these individuals into a cohesive whole. They share in the good times, but they're also there and they're most important at the worst of times, the most painful and difficult of times. New members join and they're brought along in the rules, warnings and traditions that define the way their life and interact with each other. They look to their history and the stories they hear over meals and cramped vehicles around campfires to inspire their own aspirations. Mike experienced this in his own family, deeply proud of his father's service with the United States Marine Corps in World War II. This Southern California boy volunteered for the Army at the height of the Vietnam War, like nearly all soldiers before and since. His exact motivations for enlistment inspire a grin and a chuckle years later. In Mike's case, his motivations are more understandable than most. He volunteered for the Army to avoid even the possibility of being drafted in the United States Navy. That's true by the way. We've not heard the story of Mike's service, his training, his path into special forces. His experience in Southeast Asia and the details of those harrowing days during Operation Tailwind. Those of us who are veterans share an understanding of the deep bonds forged between Mike and the many served with, their family. Like his real family, they had been there for him when times got hard, as they have again and again. Mike relied on both of his families through dark valleys of loss and pain that would crush a man alone. His wife, his children, his comrades, his fellow Knights, they've been there for him as he has always been there for them. It's no surprise that Mike considers his Medal of Honor to be an award for all of his comrades in MacVsog. They kept him alive just as surely as he kept them alive. They stood side by side, sharing everything, holding nothing back. They will always be part of a brotherhood. In a very real way, this Medal of Honor is a long overdue vindication of both Mike and the quiet professionals who served in MacVsog and similar units. Their missions are highly classified and the special breed of men who served in their ranks do not brag or seek publicity. They had been unfairly tarred and libeled with false accusations. Speaking as the son of a Vietnam veteran, I have seen firsthand how they have been misunderstood, overlooked and forgotten by too many of their fellow Americans. But on this day, gentlemen, America's looking you straight in the eyes, at long last and finally saying thank you. You were right. You served bravely and well. You stood by each other while throwing war and on the decades since. You are the core of a warrior band of brothers that continues to this day. And although you are too humble to say it, you yourselves are heroes. You Captain Rose are a hero. Heroes make our world a better place. Mike does this one person at a time. But that personal service has benefited tens of thousands of lives at the very least. There's no way of knowing exactly how many American lives Mike and his comrades saved during Operation Tailwind, which tied down and disrupted thousands of North Vietnamese troops. But we do know that Mike personally saved many lives over the course of those four days. It is a fact. There are veterans whose names are not inscribed on a black wall just across the Potomac because of Mike Rose. Instead, those veterans have led productive lives of their own. They've raised families, coach teams, run businesses, mentored sons and daughters, dote on grandchildren, and made their own contributions to faith, family and friendship. They include Lance Corporal Thomas Stevens, the tail gunner in the CH-53 helicopter piloted by then Lieutenant Don Persky. Lance Corporal Stevens took a round through the throat while extracting the survivors of Operation Tailwind. Mike tended to Lance Corporal Stevens's wound inside the helicopter and then dragged him out along with other injured men when the aircraft crash landed. Lance Corporal Stevens survived this ordeal thanks to Mike and went on to live many years before finally passing at the age of 63. They include Lieutenant Colonel Eugene McCarley, highly decorated Army Special Operations Officer in his own right who was Mike's company commander on the tailwind mission. Mike treated then Captain McCarley's injuries along with every other American on the mission and nearly one in three of the 120 mountain yards and South Vietnamese personnel. Gene McCarley is no stranger to combat or to heroism. He served with four other Medal of Honor awardees across his three combat tours in Vietnam from 1967 to 1971. He maintains that he can think of no one who deserved the award more than Mike Rose. After Mike kept him in the fight, Gene McCarley went on to assume leadership role in rescuing thousands of mountain yards from oppression and retribution at the hands of vengeful Vietnamese communists. Story likes these are still being written. As the Huntsville area veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan build their lives and futures with Mike's personal help. Hungry children with a good meal that Mike provided learned that they too have someone they can rely on when times get tough. The same can be said for the disabled individuals blessed to have him in their lives. A hero to them in a way that is every bit as real as the Medal of Honor that hangs around your neck. Mike, you've succeeded in making a difference and you've achieved what any man could aspire to by your own measure or any other. This room, your town and the wider world are filled with people whose lives have changed for the better. They're proud to call you husband, grandfather, dad, son, brother, friend and mentor. I'm proud to call you hero and soldier. Our country recognizes what you've accomplished. Thank you for a lifetime of service to our nation. You're an inspiration to us all. Please join me in unwelcoming the Deputy Secretary of Defense the Honorable Patrick Shammy. You'll be careful Ryan's gonna be running for office pretty soon. Look him in the eye. Yeah. Thank you Secretary McCarthy. On behalf of Secretary Mattis and the Department of Defense I'm honored to pay my respects to you, Captain Rose and the intrepid men of Military Assistance Command Vietnam Studies and Observation Group. Studies and Observation Group. Now we're putting the budget together. Got a new idea. Part two. As Secretary McCarthy said, this honor is long overdue. But it comes as a critical moment. Last week our department recognized the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam War. We gathered in this very room to honor those who answered the call, put on the uniform and sacrificed for our country. We did this because as time goes on we risk growing more and more remote from the Vietnam generation. Those boys from the Bronx, Detroit, Oakland and everywhere in between, all the young men and women who carried arms and each other through rice paddies and jungles, they can seem stranded in time. Captain Rose, once again you come to the aid of your brothers in arms. 47 years ago you preserved their lives. Today you preserve their legacy. You give us a chance to remind our country of the sacrifices and heroism of the whole Vietnam generation. Just when we need that reminder most, like Ryan, as a son, as the proud son of a Vietnam Army veteran, I'm very grateful. Thank you for waiting. Thank you for bringing recognition to these good and faithful servants. We have heard about Mike Rose, the soldier, and Mike Rose, the man. I'd like to speak briefly about Mike Rose, the teacher. Though not a professional educator, his service offers us powerful lessons I'd like to reflect on just a few. The first lesson is the meaning of the Medal of Honor. A medal that represents the ideals we try to inspire in America's warriors. Courage, selflessness, love for country and each other. These are virtues upon which our whole enterprise rests. Without them, nothing else matters. Not our gear, not our gadget, not our bombs, or our budgets. The Medal of Honor is a marker of courage, our most precious natural resource. Unlike other resources, the more we act on courage, the more of it we find in ourselves and others. Today, Captain Rose takes his place in the Hall of Heroes where his name will become one star in a great constellation of courage. By those stars we chart our course on land, see an air. They burn brightest when the night is darkest. This leads me to the second lesson, the need for heroes. Certainly, Mike is a hero to us and the ones he saved in those days in September, 1970. But even heroes have heroes. Growing up in Southern California, Mike had an elderly neighbor named Mr. Klepper. He was a World War I veteran who fought in the trenches of France. His story is filled, Mike, with a sense of awe. I don't think Mr. Klepper knew he was inspiring a future combat medic and recipient of the Medal of Honor. Do any of you know who, do any of you know if you're doing the same for a little neighbor boy, a niece, a nephew, or for your own child? Mr. Klepper serviced an end when he came home in 1918. It lived on in Mike Rose. And Mike serviced an end when he left active duty. It lives on in his army and all who marvel at his deeds. I will note that another of Captain Rose's heroes was here today, his old Sergeant Major Thomas Tomlin. Thomas, are you here? Well, Thomas, we're here. Captain Rose would say that Sergeant Major could do you in with a cotton ball. And Mike would say he must have seen some potential in me that we did think I was kind of hard on my derriere at times. Sergeant Major Tomlin, well done. And when we do see him, we'll thank him. Captain Rose believes he learned the most from his NCOs. They never taught him, they taught him never to make the same mistake twice. This brings us to the next lesson. Take every advantage to learn in whatever role you're in. You never know when your training will make all the differences in your life and career or someone else's. Mike says, and I quote, if the army sends you to a pencil sharpening school, take it. The military will send you to school about something you know nothing about and you're going to come out an expert. If you can do that, you can go into any business and learn most anything. The military has the ability to give you the skills and life to succeed. But with success must come humility. This is the last lesson and it's a tough one. Being humble is not a natural act. But if Mike Rose can stay humble, so can all of us. When asked how he went all those long years without full recognition for his heroism, Mike gave a powerful answer. And I quote, at the time I received the Distinguished Service Cross in January 1971, I thought I was over-recognized for what I did. If I did not do what I had done, then I would not have kept faith with myself, my unit, or the army. Mike had a great love for his team during Operation Tailwind and he knew they had it for him. He says, as a medic, you don't worry about enemy machine guns firing. There are people out there who are going to take care of that. And they did. The joint team took care of each other, the Green Berets, the Marine Aviators and crews, the Air Force Pilots, that's us. That's the U.S. Department of Defense. So to Captain Mike Rose, to every member of Operation Tailwind, thank you, we honor you. We're proud of you, God bless America. Mr. McCarthy, General McConville, Sergeant Major of the Army Daily, and Captain Rose will now join Deputy Secretary Shanahan on stage for the induction ceremony. Ladies and gentlemen, please remain seated during the presentation. The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, March 3rd, 1863, has awarded in the name of Congress the Medal of Honor to Sergeant Gary M. Rose, United States Army for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. Sergeant Gary M. Rose distinguished himself by acts of gallantry and intrepidity while serving as a special forces medic with a company-sized exploitation force, Special Operations Augmentation Command and Control Central, BITS Special Forces Group, Airborne, First Special Forces Republic of Vietnam. Between 11 and 14 September, 1970, Sergeant Rose's company was continuously engaged by a well-armed and numerically superior hostile force deep in enemy-controlled territory. Enemy B-40 rockets and mortar rounds rained down while the adversary sprayed the area with small arms and machine gun fire, wounding many and forcing everyone to seek cover. Sergeant Rose, braving the hail of bullets, sprinted 50 meters to a wounded soldier's side. He then used his own body to protect the casualty from further injury while treating his wounds. After stabilizing the casualty, Sergeant Rose carried him through the bullet-ridden combat zone to protective cover. As the enemy accelerated the attack, Sergeant Rose continuously exposed himself to intense fire as he fearlessly moved from casualty to casualty, administering life-saving aid. A B-40 rocket impacted just meters from Sergeant Rose, knocking him from his feet and injuring his head, hand, and foot. Ignoring his wounds, Sergeant Rose struggled to his feet and continued to render aid to other injured soldiers. During an attempted medevac, Sergeant Rose again exposed himself to enemy fire as he attempted to hoist wounded personnel up to the hovering helicopter, which was unable to land due to unsuitable terrain. The medevac mission was aborted due to intense enemy fire and helicopter crash a few miles away due to enemy fire sustained during the attempted extraction. Over the next two days, Sergeant Rose continued to expose himself to enemy fire in order to treat the wounded, estimated to be half of the company's personnel. On September 14, during the extraction, the company's eventual helicopter extraction, the enemy launched a full-scale offensive. Sergeant Rose, after loading wounded personnel on the first set of extraction helicopters, returned to the outer perimeter under enemy fire, carrying friendly casualties and moving wounded personnel to more secure positions until they could be evacuated. He then returned to the perimeter to help propel the enemy until the final extraction helicopter arrived. As the final helicopter was loaded, the enemy began to overrun the company's position and the helicopter's Marine door gunner was shot in the neck. Sergeant Rose instantly administered critical medical treatment on board the helicopter, saving the Marines life. The helicopter carrying Sergeant Rose crashed several hundred meters from the evacuation point, further injuring Sergeant Rose and the personnel on board. Despite his numerous wounds from the past three days, Sergeant Rose continued to pull and carry unconscious and wounded personnel out of the burning wreckage and continued to administer aid to the wounded until another extraction helicopter arrived. Sergeant Rose's extraordinary heroism and selflessness above and beyond the call of duty were critical to saving numerous lives over the four-day time period. His actions are in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself, the First Special Forces and the United States Army. At this time, the Medal of Honor flag will be presented to Captain Rose. On 23 October 2002, Public Law 107-248, Section 8143, established the Medal of Honor flag to recognize service members who had distinguished themselves by gallantry in action above and beyond the call of duty. The Medal of Honor flag commemorates the sacrifice and bloodshed for our freedoms and gives emphasis to the Medal of Honor being the highest award for valor by an individual serving in the armed forces of the United States. The light blue color with gold fringe bearing 13 white stars are adapted from the Medal of Honor ribbon. The Medal of Honor plaque will now be unveiled and ducting then Sergeant Rose into the Hall of Heroes. Thank you Deputy Secretary Shanahan, Mr. McCarthy, General McConville and Sergeant Major of the Army Daily. Ladies and gentlemen, Captain Gary Michael Rose. You know, and I was putting some thoughts together about today and this whole week. A number kept popping in my head. RA-1884-6904. And it was interesting in the fact that why my head kept going back to that. And I think it is because it's kind of a major dividing line, the end of maybe from part one to part two in a book or something to that effect because up until that point, I had been a student, you know, a kid on the block. I had the opportunity to live in a neighborhood where most of the adult males and some, even some of the, several of the mothers had actually been nurses in the Second World War. So, and then of course my good dear friend who I still think almost 70 years after his passing, Mr. Klepper, and sir, I appreciate you. You mentioned the gentleman. He was, in fact, a little interesting fact about him. When he returned from the trenches of the First World War, his first job was selling buggy whips and horse tech. And he went on to sell a lot of things in his lifetime. And he was a humble man and he always teched time to talk to that little kid on the block. And it's amazing sometimes the people that cross your lives that get you a certain point. I remember Mrs. Clark, my fourth grade teacher. God bless her, she gave me the love of reading. And then there was Mrs. Smith who pounded the idea that you gotta use proper grammar, not only in what you write, but what you speak. Mr. Sam Perry, a junior high school teacher, introduced me to the idea and the love of history. And Mr. Thomas, a high school teacher, he took that further in the fact that he developed a sense of not only history, but the idea of American history. And the more I read and talked to people who had participated in places like Guadacanal, Monday, Tarawan, Normandy, Normandy, it gave me a really a privileged sense that man, I've met these giants, these heroes. At least they were my heroes. And then that number was given to me by a sergeant at the AFI station there in Los Angeles. And it's the first experience where he said that by the time you get off this bus, and I'm sure it wasn't as calm and collected as that, that number, beginning with RA, should be embedded in the back of your eyeballs or something to that effect. And so that began a journey that lasted almost 20 years on April 4th, 1967. I credit how I got to 11 September, 1970, not so much to my doing, but those drill sergeants I had at basic training, AIT, the instructors I had for so many months in special forces training. And then the opportunity to be part of the seventh special forces group for a while where we trained and trained and trained. I thought, my God, that's all we do is train. And then I went to Thailand, and not only did we train, but then we became instructors for the Thai army and later I worked at the Thai National Police Force where we developed a basic medical training course for the Thai police, the Tommels as they called them. And all that gave me the skills and the knowledge and the purpose of why I was there. And you get a sense of accomplishment when you can walk away from an assignment and know that that school was done and there were young ties that are gonna go out there and they're gonna act as medics and they're gonna help because Thailand at the time in the north and the south was just being ravaged by, well in the north supposedly communists and they called them that in the south, but to be honest with you, I think we find they were really just pirates because they had been doing that for five or 600 years. But the 46th company trained them and trained them well in the Thai police force. And it just wasn't me, but it's all the people that have been involved in training, not only the individuals, but the units and the people that provide the equipment and the materials on a continuous basis. And then the idea, I've always considered a very great privilege just to be a member of the United States Army and to be even part of special forces is a privilege that if I had walked away with at the end of my three or four years with a national defense ribbon and a good conduct medal, I would have been the proudest young man that could be. And I've always felt that I've been way over recognized for just doing what I think that I owed to my fellows in my unit. And then you come back to that mission those four days. It's not just me, but my fellows in B company. But those Air Force crews and those Marine Corps crews that were returning, they were going back to their unit, re-arming, refueling, getting out to do their business and take a sandwich and cup of coffee and get back in there and fly those crates that were so full of holes that I'm surprised the aerodynamics alone would have kept them on the ground. And then when I left Vietnam and I continue to serve, run into veterans of the Vietnam War, most of us were my good friend who is sitting out here, John Williams who served two tours, Charlie Model gunships and a Cobra pilot. And you get to serve with these men and you serve and you get that idea of service and the idea of continuing to be things that make not the whole country or the state you live in or the base you live on because you can't fix it as an individual. But you can go out and take all that stuff that the Army has taught you, all that stuff by just good association with good decent people and you can help fix your neighborhood and your little local community. And when you do that, you make the city a little better, the state a little better and the country a little better. And when I look out here with all these uniforms and all these old, I guess we're, I guess the word old and veteran could be applied, I guess to most of us or many of us here. And it does my heart good to see so many of you young people and no offense, sir, but you are unfortunately, even the secretaries and those people sitting here with four stars on their shoulder are somewhat youngsters. So, but the thing is that this institution here and the locations we have around the world, they function and they function well. And it is a legacy that I'm proud of in the fact that we, the Vietnam veteran, had a hand in. And I am so grateful that all of you sitting here today continue to carry on that legacy that we have a piece of paper called The Constitution of the United States. And I, when I go up and I talk to children, I talk in reference to the fact that you have a constitution that's 230 years old. It's a piece of paper and it, and a piece of paper can be shredded or burnt. But because of the people that are sitting here in this room now and those of us who served earlier, that piece of paper is going to be here for me and my grandchildren and hopefully my great, great, great grandchildren. And it all goes back to one thing, the courage of a bunch of people, men and women, who regardless of the consequences are what they face are going to do it. Because they know there is a better, better world out there as long as they keep on going down the road. And I would like to thank all of you active duty members for all the things that you do for this country today. And I know that you deserve every credit and every accolade that you come about. So with that, I think I have exhausted my time here at this podium. And again, sir, secretaries and Sergeant Major, with that we'll say thank you and have a good day. Thank you, Captain Rose. Ladies and gentlemen, please remain standing and join in singing the Army Song. The words to the Army Song can be found in your program. March along, sing a song of free. Count the brave, count the true. And to build the nation's might and the army goes rolling along, goes rolling along. Ladies and gentlemen, please pause for a moment at your seats to allow the official party, Captain Rose, his family and battle brothers to exit the auditorium.