COMMANDANT'S HOLIDAY MESSAGE

R 192154Z DEC 07 ZUI ASN-A00353000021 ZYB
FM COMDT COGARD WASHINGTON DC
TO ALLHANDS
BT
UNCLAS //N01000//
SUBJ:  COMMANDANT'S HOLIDAY MESSAGE
1.  I DON'T WANT THE YEAR TO SLIP BY WITHOUT THANKING YOU FOR YOUR
EXTRAORDINARY SERVICE AND DEDICATION.  LAST YEAR, I TOLD YOU THAT I
WAS INCREDIBLY PROUD OF EACH OF YOU FOR MAKING IT ONE OF THE MOST
SUCCESSFUL IN COAST GUARD HISTORY.  THIS YEAR IS NO DIFFERENT.  YOU
HAVE SERVED WITH COURAGE, HONOR AND COMPASSION ACROSS ALL MISSIONS,
THROUGH EVERY EXPANSE OF THE GLOBE.  AT SEA, IN THE AIR, AND IN OUR
PORTS AND RIVERS, YOU ARE SAVING LIVES, DEFENDING OUR NATION AND
PROTECTING THE MARINE ENVIRONMENT.  WHETHER YOU ARE ON THE FRONT
LINES, PROVIDING CRITICAL MISSION SUPPORT, OR VOLUNTEERING YOUR
TIME IN THE AUXILIARY, YOU ARE AMERICA'S LIFESAVERS AND GUARDIANS,
AND ARE VITAL TO THE COAST GUARD, YOUR COMMUNITY AND OUR NATION.
2.  THE HOLIDAYS ARE A TIME WHEN WE TEND TO REFLECT ON OUR FAMILY,
NOT JUST OUR OWN, BUT ALSO OUR EXTENDED COAST GUARD FAMILY.  I
OFTEN THINK ABOUT MY FATHER'S TIME IN THE SERVICE AND HIS SHIPMATES
IN WORLD WAR II.  WE LOST MORE COAST GUARD HEROES FROM HIS
GENERATION THIS YEAR.  MARVIN J. PERRETT, A COAST GUARD HIGGINS
BOAT LCVP COXSWAIN WHO DELIVERED TROOPS TO THE BEACHES OF NORMANDY
AND OKINAWA AND WITNESSED THE RAISING OF THE AMERICAN FLAG ON MOUNT
SURIBACHI IN IWO JIMA, PASSED OVER THE BAR THIS PAST MAY.
HTTP://WWW.USCG.MIL/HISTORY/WEBORALHISTORY/MARVIN_PERRETT_ORAL_HIST
ORY.HTML.  IN SEPTEMBER, WE BID FAREWELL TO A WORLD WAR II HERO,
RAY O'MALLEY, THE LAST SURVIVING CREWMEMBER OF THE CUTTER ESCANABA.
http://www.uscgnewengland.com/go/doc/778/179061/.
3.  WE OFTEN TALK ABOUT THE GREATEST GENERATION, THE HEROIC YOUNG
MEN AND WOMEN LIKE RAY O'MALLEY, WHO FOUGHT FOR FREEDOM AROUND THE
WORLD AND BROUGHT PROSPERITY TO AMERICA.  MANY ARE ONLY WITH US IN
SPIRIT, AND YET THEY INSPIRE US AND SERVE AS OUR MORAL COMPASS.
BUT I WILL TELL YOU, IN THE 21ST CENTURY, YOU WILL BE THE GREATEST
GENERATION.  YOU ARE SETTING THE COURSE FOR AMERICA'S CHILDREN AND
GRANDCHILDREN EACH TIME YOU STAND DUTY, EMBARK ON A MISSION, OR GO
THAT EXTRA MILE FOR SOMEONE IN NEED.  KEEP THAT SPIRIT ALIVE!  IT
IS THE REASON WHY THE COAST GUARD HAS THE REPUTATION WE DO.  2007
WAS A GREAT COAST GUARD YEAR.  I HAVE NO DOUBT, YOU WILL MAKE 2008
EVEN BETTER.
4.  PAM AND I, TOGETHER WITH DCC (RET.) CLYDE AND WILMA ALLEN, WISH
YOU AND YOUR LOVED ONES A HAPPY AND HEALTHY HOLIDAY SEASON AND BEST
WISHES FOR A SUCCESSFUL NEW YEAR.  PLEASE ALSO KEEP IN MIND OUR
FELLOW SERVICE MEMBERS DEPLOYED OVERSEAS AND THROUGHOUT THE UNITED
STATES.  BE SAFE IN ALL THAT YOU DO, AND TAKE CARE OF EACH OTHER.
SEMPER PARATUS!
5.  ADMIRAL THAD ALLEN SENDS.
6.  INTERNET RELEASE AUTHORIZED.
BT
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