 The President of the United States. Constellation! It's been our privilege and honor to show you a little bit of what we do in Constellation and carrier aviation. And it's even a greater pleasure for me to present to you those men who make it happen. We're going to be participating in a re-enlistment ceremony. Mr. President and the men assembled here in front of the platform. 39 Constellation, air wing 9, carrier group 7, and a few other commands that heard you were coming and wanted to re-enlist in front of you, are assembled here for varying years of re-enlistment in the Navy. And you know that that's what's going to keep our Navy strong, is that we can retain our good men. It was our privilege just three weeks ago today to be present in Pearl Harbor for the change of command ceremony in which Admiral Red Dog Davis was relieved as Commander-in-Chief of the Pacific Fleet by Admiral James D. Watkins, who flew his flag first in Constellation as Commander of the Pacific Fleet. Admiral Watkins is consented to administer the oath of enlistment, and it's our honor that you as our Commander-in-Chief and President are here to witness these fine men as they start another enlistment in the greatest Navy the world has ever or will ever know. Thank you, Captain Brooks. Mr. President, members of the President's Party and the great crew of the USS Constellation. Mr. President, before I issue the oath of office, I'd like to take this opportunity again to echo what Captain Brooks just said about the crew and how important you are to the capability of the United States to carry out its mission within the Naval establishment, which is to conduct sustained and prompt combat operations at sea when our Commander-in-Chief said it's in the best interest of the nation to do so. We're ready to do that. It was demonstrated today. You prepared this ship beautifully for the Presidential visit, and we're very proud to be a part of that visit today. And we thank the President in particular for taking a number of hours out of his very scarce time to come aboard and spend a few hours with you all to get to know you and to witness this ceremony, which is symbolic of a traditional process that goes on in the Navy all the time. Mr. President, you should understand that only a week ago I asked the commanding officer about how many men he would have assembled for a re-enlistment ceremony. This was before he knew you were coming. He said about seven or ten because we just had a large group out in Pearl Harbor re-enlist. When they heard you were coming, we're up to 40. So if you would give us about a month of your time, Mr. President, we're going to take you to every ship in the Pacific Fleet and we're going to solve our manpower problem overnight. I'll administer the oath of re-enlistment, and I'll ask the prospective re-enlistees to raise their right hand with me and to repeat the oath. Do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic. That I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same. And that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God. Thank you very much. Now the President has consented to congratulate each one of the re-enlistees today and I'll ask the executive officer to call their names, have them pass up here and have an opportunity to be congratulated by the President. Aviation Metal Smith Structures Chief Goodman Aviation Anti-Submarine Warfare Technician Chief Hawke Senior Chief Dispersing Clerk Guy Tahn MESS Specialist First Class Lontock Dispersing Clerk First Class Ron Keough Aviation Boses Maid Handler First Class Ferdig Person Elman Second Class Nemo Kat Kat Aviation Jet Mechanic Second Class Lewis Aviation Metal Smith Hydraulic Second Class Learned Aviation Jet Mechanic First Class Meyer Aviation Electrician First Class Golden Operations Specialist Second Class Brown Re-enlisting for $15,334 bonus Dental Technician First Class Bot MESS Specialist Second Class Grepo MESS Specialist First Class Magia Boiler Technician First Class Beck Machinists Maid Second Class Daily Re-enlisting for $16,000 bonus Aviation Boses Maid Fuels First Class Wernz Yeoman First Class Boston Re-enlisting for $1,200 Aviation Boses Maid Fuels Third Class Pinson Aviation Metal Smith Hydraulic Second Class Maisonet Aviation Storekeeper Third Class Park Boses Maid First Class Hinton Aviation Maintenance Administration Men First Class Maid Operations Specialist First Class Altam Re-enlisting for $3,752 Aviation Metal Smith Second Class Jackman Aviation Ordnance First Class Nestigard Airman Kingery Data Systems Technician Seaman Bledsoe Re-enlisting for $13,374 Electronics Technician Second Class Collins Re-enlisting for $14,328 Boiler Technician First Class Dulack Constellation Crew, the President of the United States, Ronald Reagan Thank you very much. Thank you all very much for this warm hospitality and this greeting and Admiral Watkins, Captain Brooks, the officers and men of the Constellation. You know, presidents are permitted to experience a great many things but I can assure you this day will be long remembered as a most special experience that I have had. It is my first time to ever be on a carrier as I told many of you on the horn this morning when I arrived I'm an old ex-horse cavalryman and I'll remind you that there was an admiral of the Navy that rode a horse into Tokyo at the end of World War II so maybe we have something in common but this ship, when I've seen today in the officer and crew you all make me very proud to be able to say I'm the commander and chief of all of you. The demonstration of firepower and efficiency by the air wing was impressive but what's most important it is also impressive to the enemies the freedom in the world and we had an example of that just night before last in the carrier minutes this carrier and its air wing represent the cutting edge of our naval power. It takes an extra bit of dedication to do this job. I know it's rough it's rough on you, rough on your families but it's never been more necessary at any time in our history than it is right now. Without someone willing to put in the long hours willing to suffer the frustrations, willing to risk the dangers our country wouldn't be sure of continued peace and freedom there's no greater gift that you can give to your family your community or your country than the protection that you afford all of them by this job that you are doing I know there have been times when the military has been taken for granted it won't happen under this administration we're going to make sure to the best of our ability that your pay is fair and that you have the equipment that is needed to do the job right from spare parts to new ships. Today military adventurism and subversion threaten in far away areas of the world providing security for the United States is the greatest challenge and a greater challenge than ever but we'll meet that challenge. We're committed to a 600 ship navy, a navy that is big enough to deter aggression wherever it might occur. Let friend and foe alike know that America has the muscle to back up its words and ships like this and men like you are that muscle. When more than equipment is needed you deserve compensation worthy of the sacrifices you're making and you'll get it. We're taking the steps necessary to encourage you to stick with the service because you are needed and I am so proud and so thrilled by the evidence of that that we've seen here today but you know that it takes more than money to keep you out here the word patriotism is defined as love for or devotion to one's country and that can't be bought but it's present on this great ship on the destroyer Fletcher, the cruiser Jewett, the frigate Wadsworth as well. There's a new spirit I can tell you sweeping America and you're part of it. The navy's pride and professionalism campaign is part of it. The push for quality by American workers is part of it. Young Marine Sergeant Jimmy Lopez and the naval aviator commander Don Sherer who wouldn't bend to their Iranian captors during the days of the hostages were part of it. Maybe some of you don't know that Sergeant Jimmy Lopez before he left his place of confinement in Iran wrote on the wall in Spanish which evidently they couldn't understand long live the red, white and blue. Your country won't forget that while those people were held hostage you were nearby ready to help. Setting a new record for the number of continuous days of any conventional ship has been at sea and your countryman knew what that meant long hours, strenuous effort the pain of being away from love once and yet there were many out here that were a part of that long stretch who re-enlisted and are still here with the constellation. I don't know whether you've read the book there's a book by the novelist James Mitchner the Bridges at Tokori he wrote very movingly of the men who had fought in that Korean conflict but in the final scene of the book Mitchner writes of the admiral standing on the darkened bridge of his carrier waiting for the pilots who had flown off the carrier's deck that day to bomb the Tokori bridges and who now must try to find that deck big as it is when you're on it but a postage stamp when it's out there in an ocean in the dark for men trying to find it and the admiral wondered at their selflessness standing there alone in the darkness and then in the book he asked aloud where do we get such men well you're the answer to that question those men he was speaking of came from cities and towns as you have come from farms and villages all the product of the freest and the greatest society that man has ever known. When you and I seek together peace you're doing it with what you are doing here and you are as I said to the crew of the Fletcher when they went by this morning you are ensuring peace just by doing what you're doing because any potential enemy has to see that the price of aggression is just more than he might want to pay and that's the that's the greatest service that can be performed you know today your ship's motto the spirit is old the pride is new fits this nation as well as the vessel and I have a little chore that I'm going over here for just a second to do and then I'll just finish with a few remarks there is a or was a Commodore John Barry in the United States Navy back in the days of the revolution and he has been called by many the father of the United States Navy so I'm going to go over here and tell you a little bit of what it is that I'm signing and then I'll finish telling you something a story that I think you might like to hear for us just go to the table this is a proclamation it was passed by the 97th Congress of the United States authorizing and requesting me to designate September 13th 1981 as Commodore John Barry Day he was a hero of the American Revolution holder of the first commission in the United States Navy he was born in 1745 in County Wexford Ireland he was commissioned to command the Brig Lexington equipped for the revolution and became a national hero with the capture of a British man of war the Prince Edward April 17th 76 following the revolution when the sovereignty of this new nation was threatened by pirates Commodore Barry was placed in command of the first ships authorized under the new constitution and was named senior captain of the United States Navy in 1794 as I said he's considered by many as the father of the United States Navy he was honored in 1906 when the Congress had a statue of him erected in Lafayette Square in Washington DC and since then a statue was already also been erected by our government in County Wexford Ireland so now therefore be it resolved that the President is authorized and requested to designate