The local chapter of Operation Homefront organized the regional Freedom Walk event in Lakewood this evening. For those not familiar with the area, Lakewood is a community near Fort Lewis and McChord AFB, and home to a large contingent of veterans (such as fellow blogger Echo9er) and military families.
There were several speeches and presentations, by Lakewood mayor Claudia Thomas and Operation Homefront chapter president Janice Buckley. I also enjoyed listening to LTG Charles Jacoby, the commander of I-Corps, and to Lt. Judith Lemley (a self described Sand Sailor), who was present through the DoD 'Why We Serve" program. And I was surprised to discover that the man sitting in a wheelchair near the speakers was none other than Gen. Shalikashvili!
I was riveted, however, by the speech presented by retired Marine LtCol. Mark Wriggle. As the speakers finished, and the walk proper began, I hung back so that I could shake Mark's hand and thank him for speaking. I asked him for a favor, and he very generously provided the text of his speech, so that I could share it here.
FREEDOM WALK 2007
TODAY MARKS THE 6TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE ATTACK OF SEPT 11TH 2001. I SUSPECT THAT ALL OF US REMEMBER EXACTLY WHERE WE WERE AND WHAT WE WERE DOING THOSE FATEFUL MOMENTS WHEN SOME 3000 PEOPLE PERISHED BY HORRIFIC AND UNIMAGINABLE MEANS IN BARELY 100 MINUTES OF THIS NATION’S HISTORY.
HOMEGROWN HERE IN LAKEWOOD, HAVING RECEIVED MY PRIMARY EDUCATION IN THE SCHOOLS OF THIS DISTRICT THROUGH MY GRADUATION IN 1974, I AM HONORED TO BE AFFORDED THIS OPPORTUNITY JANICE TO TALK WITH MY FELLOW COMMUNITY MEMBERS AFTER SO MANY YEARS OF ABSENCE. AND REALLY, THE REASON FOR MY ABSENCE BROUGHT ME TO THIS PLACE TODAY.
YOU SEE, I AM A RETIRED MARINE WHO HAS INTIMATE EXPERIENCE IN FIGHTING THE GLOBAL WAR ON TERROR. I CAN PERSONALLY ATTEST TO YOU, WITH TWO COMBAT DEPLOYMENTS TO OIF’S I AND II, HAVING BEEN IN RAMADI AND FALLUJAH JUST PRIOR TO MY RETIREMENT EARLY LAST YEAR, AND A DEPLOYMENT TO DESERT SHIELD AND STORM IN THE EARLY 90’S, THAT THE FACE,…AND RESOLVE [MIND YOU]…OF OUR FOE, IS QUITE REAL. IF THAT MAKES YOU FEEL A LITTLE UNCOMFORTABLE, THEN I HAVE DONE MY BIDDING.
PRIOR TO MY SPEECH LAST YEAR, I RESEARCHED THE WEB. AS I WAS PERUSING THAT SPEECH IN PREPARATION FOR TODAY, I DECIDED THAT THE FACTS I PRESENTED THEN ARE EVER MORESO RELEVANT TODAY. WE TRULY ARE STILL FIGHTING FOR OUR PRESENT (AND FUTURE) EXISTENCE.
SO, WHAT’S “THIS” ALL ABOUT? LET ME SHARE THE PURPOSE OF THE FREEDOM WALK WITH YOU; IT ESTABLISHES A NATIONAL TRADITION TO REFLECT ON THE LIVES LOST ON SEPTEMBER 11, RENEW OUR COMMITMENT TO FREEDOM AND THE VALUES OF OUR COUNTRY, AND TO HONOR OUR VETERANS, PAST AND PRESENT.” THEREFORE, I OFFER YOU THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION:
THE WORLD TRADE CENTER WAS COMPOSED OF MORE THAN 200,000 TONS OF STEEL, 425,000 CUBIC YARDS OF CONCRETE (WHICH IS ENOUGH TO BUILD A FIVE-FOOT WIDE SIDEWALK FROM NEW YORK CITY TO WASHINGTON, D.C.), HAD 43,600 WINDOWS WITH MORE THAN 600,000 SQUARE FEET OF SURFACE AREA, HAD A 60,000 TON COOLING CAPACITY (THE LARGEST IN THE WORLD), 239 ELEVATORS AND 71 ESCALATORS. OF THE APPROXIMATELY 3,000 PEOPLE THAT DIED THAT DAY:
• OVER 400 EMERGENCY SERVICES PERSONNEL DIED
• 60 WTC COMPANIES LOST PEOPLE
• 1,402 EMPLOYEES DIED IN TOWER ONE
• 614 EMPLOYEES DIED IN TOWER TWO
• AGE OF THE GREATEST NUMBER WHO DIED: BETWEEN 35 AND 39
• 289 BODIES WERE FOUND "INTACT"
• 19,858 BODY PARTS WERE FOUND
• 1,717 FAMILIES DID NOT RECEIVE ANY REMAINS
• 1,609 PEOPLE LOST A SPOUSE OR PARTNER IN THE ATTACKS
• 3,051 CHILDREN LOST A PARENT
• 20% OF AMERICANS KNEW SOMEONE HURT OR KILLED IN THE ATTACKS
• 98 FDNY VEHICLES DESTROYED
• 1.5M TONS OF DEBRIS REMOVED FROM SITE
• 99 DAYS FIRES CONTINUED TO BURN AFTER THE ATTACK
• THERE WERE 146,100 JOBS LOST IN NEW YORK OWING TO THE ATTACKS
• DAYS THE NEW YORK STOCK EXCHANGE WAS CLOSED: 6
• POINT DROP IN THE DOW JONES INDUSTRIAL AVERAGE WHEN THE NYSE REOPENED: 684.81
• ECONOMIC LOSS TO NEW YORK IN MONTH FOLLOWING THE ATTACKS: $105B
• ESTIMATED COST OF CLEANUP WAS $600M
• $970M OF FEMA MONEY SPENT ON THE EMERGENCY
• APPROXIMATELY $1.4B WAS DONATED TO 9/11 CHARITIES
• ESTIMATED AMOUNT OF INSURANCE PAID WORLDWIDE RELATED TO 9/11: $40.2B
• ESTIMATED AMOUNT OF MONEY NEEDED TO OVERHAUL LOWER-MANHATTAN SUBWAYS: $7.5B
• ESTIMATED $500M RAISED FOR FUNDS DEDICATED TO NYPD AND FDNY FAMILIES
• PERCENTAGE INCREASE IN CIA APPLICATIONS FROM 2001 TO 2002: 50
• 1.4M AMERICANS CHANGED THEIR 2001 HOLIDAY-TRAVEL PLANS FROM PLANE TO TRAIN OR CAR
ARE WE AT WAR OR NOT? WHAT OTHER EVIDENCE DO YOU REQUIRE?
IN 1978, A YOUNG MAN HAD RECENTLY FINISHED HIS FIRST ENLISTMENT IN THE MARINES, AND ANOTHER MAN, SADDAM HUSSEIN HAD LED THE BAATH PARTY IN A COUP TO TAKE OVER IRAQ. WHILE IN COLLEGE, THE YOUNG MAN DECIDED TO FOLLOW HIS CALLING AND BECAME A MARINE OFFICER. SINCE HIS COMMISSIONING IN 1983, WELL OVER 150 SEPARATE TERRORIST ORGANIZATIONS AND KNOWN SUBSIDIARIES, THE WORLD OVER, HAVE BEEN FOUND TO EXIST.
TERRORISM HAS EXISTED, IN FACT, MUCH LONGER THAN THIS COUNTRY. I WOULD HOWEVER, LIKE TO OFFER SOME MORE RECENT EVENTS SINCE THAT PINNACLE YEAR OF 1983. LET ME NAME SOME OF THE MORE MEMORABLE ATTACKS OF THE 100’S THAT HAVE OCCURRED.
CHRONOLOGICALLY:
THE MARINE BARRACKS IN BEIRUT 1983 (WHILE I WAS AT TBS)
THE SS ACHILLE LAURO 1985
TWA FLIGHT 847 HIJACKING 1985, SEAMAN ROBERT STETHEM
ROME AND VIENNA ATTACKS 1985
TWA FLIGHT 840 BOMBING 1986
THE BERLIN DISCOTHEQUE 1986
KAL FLT 858 1987
PAN AM FLT 103 1988
ISREALI EMBASSY BOMBING IN BUENOS AIRES 1992
WORLD TRADE CENTER 1993
TOKYO SUBWAY SARIN GAS ATTACK (WHILE I WAS STATIONED AT ATSUGI NAF) 1995
THE OKLAHOMA CITY BOMBING 1995
DERAILED TRAIN IN PALO VERDE, AZ 1995
KHOBAR TOWERS 1996
JAPANESE EMBASSY IN LIMA, PERU 1996-1997
U.S. EMBASSY IN KENYA 1998 (I SPENT SIX MONTHS THERE IN 2003 AFTER OIF I)
THE U.S.S. COLE 2000
ANTHRAX ATTACKS ON CONGRESS & NEW YORK GOVERNMENT OFFICES 2001
THE LAX EQYPTIAN GUNMAN 2002
BALI 2002
CASABLANCA 2003
MOSCOW CITY BOMBINGS 2003-2004
PHILIPPINES SUPERFERRY BOMBING 2004
SPAIN’S COMMUTER TRAIN BOMBING 2004
AND LONDON’S DOUBLE-DECKER BUS AND TRAIN STATION BOMBINGS 2005
PALESTINIAN KASSAM ROCKET ATTACKS ON GAZA 2006
DAHAB, EGYPT RESORT 2006
TEL AVIV RESTAURANT BOMBING 2006
PHILIPPINES BOMBINGS 2007
AL QAEDA ALGIERS BOMBING 2007
THERE ARE COUNTLESS OTHER ATTACKS NOT SO POPULARIZED AND SEVERAL RECENTLY FOILED ATTEMPTS AS WELL. MY QUESTION IS SIMPLE: “WHAT ADDITIONAL PROOF DO YOU NEED?”
THE LATEST STATISTICS REGARDING OUR SERVICEMEMBERS AND WHAT THEY HAVE COMMITTED TO DATE ARE:
DEATHS - 3,774
WIA - 27,186
HOW MANY MORE CASUALTIES ARE NECESSARY FOR THIS COUNTRY TO SURVIVE? MY ANSWER IS: AS MANY AS IT TAKES. FOR MY CHILDREN, YOUR CHILDREN, FOR THEIR CHILDREN, AND THEIR CHILDRENS’ CHILDREN.
FREEDOM, VALUES, AND THOSE WHO PUT THEMSELVES IN HARM’S WAY TO PROTECT US. THAT’S WHAT WE’RE HERE FOR. OUR COUNTRY IS FIGHTING FOR ITS EXISTENCE. WHAT ARE WE ALL GOING TO DO TO INSURE ITS SURVIVAL? WHETHER WE CARE TO ADMIT IT OR NOT WE ARE IN THE MIDST OF A CLASH OF CULTURES. MY DAD ONCE SAID TO ME AS A YOUNG TEEN, “AS LONG AS THERE ARE TWO MEN ON THE PLANET, ONE WILL HAVE TO DOMINATE AND THE OTHER WILL SUBMIT.” WHICH ONE DO YOU WANT TO BE?
TODAY, WE ALL WALK FOR FREEDOM. LET EVERY STEP WE TAKE TODAY MOVE US CLOSER TO FREEDOM AND PROSPERITY FOR ALL, THE PHILOSOPHY WHICH THIS GREAT COUNTRY OF OURS WAS FOUNDED.
THANK YOU
I wish you could hear it the same way that I did, and hear the passion and intensity in his voice as he spoke. He told me that it could be made more flowery, but that some things just have to be said ... popular or not.
Couldn't agree more. I think it's just right, as is.
[Bio on Mark from the Clover Park School District site:
Mark Wriggle recently retired from the Marines after 26 years of service in both the enlisted and officer ranks. He returned to Lakewood where he attended Clover Park Schools from elementary through high school graduation at Lakes. His three sons currently attend Clover Park High School. Wriggle is involved in international business development activities, is an Advisory Board member for Operation Homefront helping wounded veterans and their families, and is a of the Clover Park Rotary, the Military Officers Association of America, and the Marine Corps League. He is working towards his MBA in Global Entrepreneurship and plans to make Lakewood his long-term home. He is committed to a quality education for the students of our community while building a safer and increasingly-involved community.] |
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