Like the old EF Hutton ads, when Secretary Gates spoke, the Naval Academy’s class of 2011 and all of the assembled family, friends and faculty members listened closely.
After all, this audience knows something about leadership, sacrifice and service to one’s country as well.
Still, Gates’ speech offered extraordinary perspective from a lifetime of service to his country and lessons in chivalry and altruism that can benefit all people. Gates’ speech before the midshipmen marked his last as Secretary of Defense and started off thanking the families for their sacrifice and service before going on to make a joke about Notre Dame football – an easy target these days.
Gates acknowledged that this year’s graduates made quite a remarkable commitment to the service of their country in choosing to enter the Academy and active military service during the toughest stretch of the Iraq war four years ago and commended them for the maturity and courage that decision took.
Today, Gates said, the war has changed. Osama Bin Laden is finally dead and Iraq has a real chance at a peaceful and democratic future. Gates pointed out that “those who step forward to serve in a time of crisis have a place in history,” a sentiment that the new graduates and their families appreciated.
Next Gates remarked on and quoted parts of a speech made almost 100 years ago by President Theodore Roosevelt, a perfect choice for this audience who in choosing to attend the Naval Academy, chose to be a part of a long and rich history themselves. Gates spoke from Roosevelt’s speech “Citizenship in a Republic.”
“In the long run, [our society’s] success or failure will be conditioned upon the way in which the average man, the average woman, does his or her duty. . . The average citizen must be a good citizen if our republics are to succeed.” Roosevelt then went on to say: “the average cannot be kept high unless the standard of the leaders is very much higher.”
Gates drew on the obvious correlation between the leaders President Theodore Roosevelt spoke of and the young men and women of the Annapolis Class of 2011. The graduates of the Naval Academy are far from average citizens, Gates told the assembly, and so they can never be content to be merely “good citizens.” He told the Class of 2011:
“You must be great citizens. In everything you do, you must always make sure that you live up to the highest personal and professional standards of duty, service, and honor – the values of the Navy, the values of the U.S. armed forces, the values of the best traditions of our country. Indeed, when you are called to lead, when you are called to stand in defense of your country in faraway lands, you must hold your values and your honor close to your heart.”{
Gates went on to speak about true leadership and its scarcity. He offered the new graduates some advice based on his own long and distinguished career of leadership. He extolled the virtues of having vision and being able to look beyond tomorrow, he counseled the graduates to have deep conviction – for they have chosen an honorable but difficult path.
He imparted on the Class of 2011 a need to have a fire in their mind and self-confidence to lead with a purity of heart that leaves no room for ego. Secretary Gates spoke to the essential quality of integrity and decency, noting that without it, real leadership is not possible.
Gates struck a chord when he told the midshipmen:
“At some point along your path, you will surely encounter failure or disappointment of one kind or another. Nearly all of us have. If at those times you hold true to your standards, then you will always succeed, if only in knowing you stayed true and honorable.”
It is true that the newly minted Naval officers in attendance that day carry a burden and a maturity greater than that of your average college graduate in 2011. Secretary Robert Gates was the perfect commencement speaker for the Annapolis graduates. He has walked a mile in their shoes and knows of what he speaks. His acquired experience is directly relatable to these officers. In closing Gates wished the Class of 2011:
“May you have fair winds and following seas. Congratulations.”
Did you go to an Academy?
Who spoke at your Commencement?
What from Gates’ speech resonates with you?
This feature was originally posted from JustMilitaryLoans.com and published by permission by JustMilitaryLoans.com.