 The story of the 4th Marine Regiment is one of grit, determination, and unwavering loyalty. For more than a century, these brave men and women have stood on the front lines defending our nation. The regiment is one of the oldest and one of the most distinguished units in the United States Marine Corps. It was created as a result of President Wilson's concern over the nation's ability to quickly respond to rising tensions in Mexico. The regiment was activated under the command of Colonel Joseph Pendleton on April 16, 1914, and arrived in Acapulco Harbor aboard the USS South Dakota on April 28. From its infancy, the regiment demonstrated its ability to answer the nation's call on short notice with ready and capable forces. A short two years passed and the regiment took to the waves again, this time in response to a civil war in the Dominican Republic that threatened U.S. interests. The Marines landed in Santiago and fought northwest across the island. It was in these skirmishes where 4th Marines earned its first Medal of Honor. First Sergeant Roswell Winans was awarded the Medal of Honor for manning a machine gun with exceptional valor. He would retire from the Corps as a Brigadier General. In 1927, the regiment earned its place in history as the China Marines and its call sign of Shanghai when it deployed to join Brigadier General Smedley Butler in the protection of the international sediment in Shanghai, China. As the Imperial Japanese and Chinese fought in the streets of Shanghai, the regiment performed the vital duty of protecting its portion of the international sediment along Sucho Creek. As the war with Japan loomed in November of 1941, the Shanghai Regiment joined General MacArthur's forces in the Philippines on the islands of Corregidor and Luzon. The Imperial Japanese forces landed on Luzon in May of 1942. And following the defeat of U.S. forces on Luzon, quickly turned their attention to Corregidor. Here, the Shanghai Regiment would burn its colors and surrender to Japanese forces on May 6, 1942. 4th Marines was reformed on February 1, 1944 from 4 Marine Raider Battalions. In April of 1945, the Shanghai Regiment joined in the Battle of Okinawa as it landed just north of Kadena and initially fought north to Motobu until the Marines were shifted south where the regiment took Sugarloaf Hill and then pressed south into Naha. Following the surrender of Japan on August 14, 1945, the Shanghai Regiment would be the first American troops to set foot on the defeated Emperor's main island. On August 30th, the 4th Marine Regiment came ashore in Tokyo Bay. In the spring of 1965, the Shanghai Regiment landed in Vietnam and remained there through the fall of 1969. The regiment participated in Operation Starlight, Operation Hastings, Operation Prairie, Operation Hickory, Operation King Fisher, and Operation Kentucky, earning 11 medals of honor for their hard fighting and unrelenting courage in the face of death. The Shanghai Regiment found its current home in Okinawa in 1972. Elements of the regiment would fight in the long years of war in Iraq and Afghanistan. In September of 2009, when Dakota Meyer earned his Medal of Honor in the Kunar province of Afghanistan, he was a member of the embedded training team that was formed from the 4th Marine's regimental headquarters. Through bravery and sacrifice, the regiment has earned a reputation as some of the toughest and most capable fighters in the world. Their spirit is unbreakable, their resolve unyielding, and their devotion to each other unending. As we look to the future, we can take pride in the knowledge that the 4th Marine Regiment remains as dedicated and determined as ever. Their commitment to our nation and to each other is unshakable, and their courage and sacrifice will continue to inspire us all. The whole purpose of being a Marine is to be lethal, deadly, capable, and adapted. That's why we won throughout history. I am fully on board and fully understand and agree with the concepts of information warfare and how technology is changing, but the nature of warfare is not changing. In the end, it's going to come down to the mean, well-trained, unflinching Marine getting it done. What we've learned is that the relationships that we've developed in the region over decades are paying off. They're reinforcing that incredibly important relationship between the U.S. and our allies and partners. They unambiguously understand the need to stand shoulder to shoulder with us should we go into crisis of conflict. What they came to find out is that our young Marines, they know what they're doing. Young Marines are well trained, they understand what we want from them, and all we have to do is take off the leash. They're going to fight. As we look at an enemy force, one of the things we're very focused on is what capacity they have to move on a moment's notice without demonstrating indications and warnings that we might perceive about that movement. The force we have is our alert contingency, MACTAF. We will be on the move before the enemy knows we've made a decision. The ACM provides us decision time in order to think about that second move. Our first move's ready to go on a moment's notice. How are we every day preparing ourselves for that 10 seconds? So we're not just making a decision, we're making the best decision. And that decision puts the people that we fight with in the best position possible in order to win. And then you just turn loose. Fourth Marine's Regiment is here, and we will not be stopped.