General McChrystal’s retirement speech, for those of you who missed it:
This is frustrating. I spent a career waiting to give a retirement speech and lie about what a great soldier I was. Then people show up who were actually there. It proves what Doug Brown taught me long ago; nothing ruins a good war story like an eyewitness.
To show you how bad it is, I can’t even tell you I was the best player in my little league because the kid who was the best player is here tonight. In case you’re looking around, he’s not a kid anymore.
But to those here tonight who feel the need to contradict my memories with the truth, remember I was there too. I have stories on all of you, photos on many, and I know a Rolling Stone reporter. (Laughter.) (Applause.)
To paraphrase the Bard, nothing in his service became him as his leaving it.
Well said! I wish i could remember the name of the fighter pilot, who wheropon assuming command, thanked his parents for allowing him to live through his teen years. One of the great comments in a COC I have heard.
Damn; in the moderation penalty box again. I’d really rather spend months in the MPB than have to put up with idiots from HUFPO, etc who want to inject their garbage here. Moderation is good LEX, keep it up
VX and I whine about it, but it’s a good natured whine. And in our cases, it’s well aged as well
I had an outgoing CO who gave a 45 minute long speech going over all the minuate he felt was important to impart upon our unit…all while our unit of 75 Chiefs & Petty Officers stood in formation…my knees were killing me –
Our new CO gave his speech, which I have memorized – The New CO (who was the DA for the City of New Orleans) stated:
” I’m going to teach your outgoing CO the meaning of the word ” Brevity ” –
You’re going to work harder than you’ve ever have before – You’re going to do more than you’ve ever done before – You’re going to give me more than you’ve ever done before – That’s it, I’m done.”
And with those words, he walked off the stage….
He was the Best Damn CO we ever had…bar none.
Name of the DA from N.O. SK1? I might know him personally..
If memory serves me right, it was Captain Capella – I’d have to review the rosters in my Navy file (buried in the barn along with every other piece of paper the navy ever gave me…Never throw it away, they might ask you for it…
Been 15 years and I do have memory issues….something about being under too many mortar/rocket attacks and how that *fuses* the circuits….
I know he took the Chief’s mess to a Superbowl Game at the Superdome as he had a suite there….of course none of the E-6′s or lower ranks got to go….
Name doesn’t ring a bell. He’s probably too young for this geezer to remember. He probably would have been one of a hoard of Assist. D.As that staff the office. New Orleans had only ONE *DA*–Harry Connick Sr. for almost 30 yrs (77-2003) followed by ineffectual clown black former US ATTNY Eddie Jordan who was forced out in disgrace, and now held by Joe Cannizzaro, Jr. (son of a HUGE local R. E developer) Can’t remember the guy prior to Connick. At one time in the early 70s I had 4 fraternity bros and another good friend in the Asst DA’s office fresh out of law school (One was fired by Connick because he blew off a required late Fri afternoon office case-mgt meeting to go to his Duck hunting camp in Guyden to get a start on the weekend . LOL Raleigh didn’t care, just opened up a highly successful pvt practice. NOTHING came between Raleigh and Duck hunting!)
VX, how could you forget the infamous Jim Garrison who started a JFK assassination investigation and became a laughing stock. My mom was the Head Nurse on St. Margaret’s Hall at the old Hotel Dieu and had him for a patient once. Said he was the bigest pain in the rear she ever encountered. Connick followed Garrison as DA in 73.
That’s right, boss, for some reason I was thinking there was a short interim guy. I’ve got some wild tales about Garrison!
VX, tell us some of the garrison stories over in flight deck. We can get some of the pressure off Lex to entertain us. I wouldn’t mind hearing some of them. I hear the man was a real case.
Great speech. Good Man. And our Ladies are the best part of us, aren’t they?
Subsunk
Bravo Zulu, General. Fair Winds and Following Seas, Sir…
Now that is what the words “class act” were invented for. The line about the Rolling Stone reporter is priceless.
I hope he writes a book, makes a bundle of money and enjoys his well-earned retirement richly and deeply, sucking the marrow out of life.
It’s at times like these that fame becomes a dual-edged sword. It will open doors for him, but it will close others.
I wonder, after some well deserved time off, what he will do next?
He won’t have to do anything he doesn’t want to do.
I have friend in Dayton, OH who is a retired AF O-6 who hasn’t had a paying job since he retired in ’86. He stays plenty busy with the cave Research Foundation, as general partner in Diamond Caverns just outside Mammoth Cave National Park, and Aviation History activities around Dayton (he helped with some restoration work on the Wright’s Bike shop). He’s also active with the AF Geezer’s Club (a name used for lack of a better one, on my part, not his) which meets frequently around Dayton.