WEBVTT

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- [Announcer] On behalf of
the Secretary of the Navy,

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welcome to today's Reverend Doctor

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Martin Luther King Jr. Day ceremony.

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Honoring African American contributions

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as part of the greatest generation.

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Providing our music this morning

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is the Pacific Fleet Band
playing under the direction

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of Lieutenant JG Michael
Shay, United States Navy.

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Please join me in recognizing them

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for their outstanding
pre-ceremony concert.

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(audience applauding)

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In just a moment, the
Secretary of the Navy,

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Thomas Modly, the Commander
United States Pacific Fleet,

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Admiral Chris Aquilino, will arrive.

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In an effort to allow all our guests

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the opportunity to view
the entire ceremony,

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I will provide direction when appropriate

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to stand or remain seated.

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To preserve the dignity of this ceremony,

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we ask that you silence
all cellular phones

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and other wireless devices at this time.

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We welcome and are honored to have

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many distinguished guests with us today

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serving in both civilian
and military positions.

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Please allow me to recognize

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several of our guests at this time.

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I request that you hold your applause

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until all have been introduced.

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Military representatives
from the Republic of Korea,

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New Zealand.

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Our Pacific component
command component commanders.

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State senators and
representatives of Hawaii.

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Activities duty and retired flag officers

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and members of our
Senior Executive Service.

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(audience applauding)

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And now it is my distinct pleasure

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to introduce our platform party.

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Now, we are very, very fortunate
to be joined this morning

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by the honorable Eddie Bernice Johnson,

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representative for Texas 30th district.

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(audience applauding)

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Representative Johnson
chairs the House Space

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Science and Technology Committee,

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and is a senior member of the House

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Transportation and
Infrastructure Committee.

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She is a member of the
Army caucus, and a member

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and former chair of the
Congressional Black Caucus.

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The Honorable Bill Flores
of Texas 17th district.

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(audience applauding)

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Representative Flores serves
on the House Budget Committee

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and the House and Energy
and Commerce Committee.

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He is a member of the Army and
Joint Strike Fighter caucuses

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and the Congressional Hispanic Conference.

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The Honorable Ed Case,

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United States representative
from the state of Hawaii.

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(audience applauding)

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US Representative Ed
Case proudly represents

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Hawaii's first congressional district,

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Oahu from Makapuu through
Central Honolulu and Leeward

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to Mililani, Waipahu, Ewa,
Kapolei, and Ko Olina.

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Former Acting Secretary of the Navy,

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the Honorable B.J. Penn.

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(audience applauding)

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Rear Admiral Julius Caesar,
United States Navy retired.

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(audience applauding)

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Rear Admiral Sinclair Harris,
United States Navy retired.

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(audience applauding)

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Miss Henrietta Bledsoe
Miller of Fort Worth, Texas.

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(audience applauding)

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Miss Flocetta Miller and Miss Brenda Haven

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of Midland, Texas.

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(audience applauding)

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Pacific Fleet, Fleet
Master Chief, James Honey.

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(audience applauding)

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Ladies and gentlemen, please rise

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for the arrival of the official party

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and remain standing for the parading

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of the national colors, the
playing of the National Anthem,

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and the Hawaii State song,

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and honors to Secretary Modly.

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This will be followed by Hawaii
blessing and the invocation.

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(bell ringing)

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Pacific Fleet arriving.

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(upbeat music)

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(bell ringing)

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Navy arriving.

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(upbeat music)

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(guns firing)

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Ready, two.

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Boson, retire the side buoys.

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Parade the colors.

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(drums drumming)

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Ladies and gentlemen,
the Pacific Fleet Band

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will now play our national anthem.

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♪ Oh say can you see ♪

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♪ By the dawn's early light ♪

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♪ What so proudly we hailed ♪

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♪ At the twilight's last gleaming ♪

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♪ Whose broad stripes and bright stars ♪

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♪ Through the perilous fight ♪

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♪ O'er the ramparts we watched ♪

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♪ Were so gallantly streaming ♪

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♪ And the rocket's red glare ♪

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♪ The bombs bursting in air ♪

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♪ Gave proof through the night ♪

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♪ That our flag was still there ♪

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♪ Oh say does that star-spangled ♪

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♪ Banner yet wave ♪

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♪ O'er the land of the free ♪

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♪ And the home of the brave ♪

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Ready, two.

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Ladies and gentlemen,
the Hawaii State song,

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"Hawai'i Pono'i."

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(singing in foreign language)

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Retire the colors.

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And salute.

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(drums drumming)

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Ready, two.

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Kahu Kordell Kekoa will now
deliver a Hawaiian blessing.

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(Kahu speaking in foreign language)

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- I'd like to read
something from the Queen,

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Queen Lili'uokalani as we begin

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this wonderful service today.

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She reminded us, you must remember,

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never cease to act because
you fear you may fail.

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The way to lose any earthly
kingdom is to be inflexible,

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intolerant, and prejudicial.

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Another way is to be too flexible,

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tolerant of too many wrongs,

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and without judgment at all.

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It is a razor's edge.

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It is the width of a
blade of a pili grass.

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To gain the kingdom of heaven
is to hear what is not said.

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To see what cannot be seen
and to know the unknowable,

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that is Aloha.

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All things in this world are two.

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In heaven, there is but one.

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I'm going to do an oli to
begin our ceremony today.

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(Kahu chanting in foreign language)

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- [Announcer] Chaplain
Pittman will now offer

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the invocation.

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- Let's pray together.

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Our God and our king.

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Lord, we thank you
because today is the day

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that you have made, and we
will rejoice and be glad in it.

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Lord, we have gathered
together today on this day,

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when we celebrate the
contributions to our society

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of Martin Luther King Jr.

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And Lord, it is so amazing that today

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we will name a ship, Lord, a carrier.

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Lord, we know that in numerous ways,

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the military was a leading
institution in our struggle

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for civil rights, and we
thank you for our leaders,

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Captain Jack Bernard, Admiral Chadwick,

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and the Secretary of the
world's greatest navy

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to make this day possible.

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Lord, as we name this ship,
we do not think of ourselves,

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but we think of the over 100,000 sailors

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who will serve on her during her lifetime.

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Lord, some as young as 18.

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Many of them, Lord, we know
have not been born yet.

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So as we commence with the ceremony,

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we ask that your spirit be
with us and to guide our hearts

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and direct our actions,

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and it is your most
holy name that we pray.

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Amen.

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- [Announcer] Ladies and
gentlemen, please take your seats

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and remain seated throughout
the remainder of the ceremony.

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Military guests may uncover.

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At this time I would like to introduce

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the Joint Base Pearl
Harbor-Hickam Gospel Choir,

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who will today be performing
"Lift Every Voice and Sing"

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and one other selection.

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("Lift Every Voice and Sing")

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♪ Lift every voice and sing ♪

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♪ Til earth and Heaven rings ♪

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♪ Ring with the harmonies of liberty ♪

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♪ Let our rejoicing rise ♪

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♪ High as the glistening skies ♪

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♪ Let it resound loud as the rolling sea ♪

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♪ Sing a song ♪

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♪ Full of the faith that the
dark past has taught us ♪

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♪ Sing a song ♪

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♪ Full of the hope that the
present has brought us ♪

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♪ Facing the rising sun
of our new day begun ♪

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♪ Let us march on 'til victory is won ♪

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♪ Sing a song ♪

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♪ Full of the faith that the
dark past has taught us ♪

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♪ Sing a song ♪

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♪ Full of the faith that
the present has brought us ♪

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♪ Facing the rising sun
of our new day begun ♪

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♪ Let us march on 'til victory is won ♪

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♪ Now God of our weary years,
God of our silent tears ♪

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♪ Thou who hast brought
us thus far on our way ♪

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♪ Thou who hast by thy might,
led us into the light ♪

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♪ Keep us forever in the path, we pray ♪

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♪ Lest our feet ♪

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♪ Stray from the places,
our God, where we met thee ♪

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♪ Lest our hearts ♪

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♪ Drunk with the wine of
the world, we forget thee ♪

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♪ Shadowed beneath thy
hand, may we forever stand ♪

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♪ True to our God, true
to our native land ♪

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(audience applauding)

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("Rock of Ages")

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♪ Rock of ages, cleft for me ♪

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♪ Let me hide myself in thee ♪

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♪ Let the water and the blood ♪

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♪ From thy riven side which flowed ♪

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♪ Be of sin the double cure ♪

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♪ Safe from that and make me pure ♪

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♪ Could my tears forever flow ♪

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♪ Could my zeal no longer know ♪

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♪ These four sins could not atone ♪

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♪ Thou must save and thou alone ♪

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♪ In my hands no price I bring ♪

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♪ Simply to thy cross I cling ♪

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♪ Rock of ages, cleft for me ♪

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♪ Let me hide myself in thee ♪

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♪ Let the water and the blood ♪

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♪ From thy riven side which flowed ♪

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♪ Be of sin the double cure ♪

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♪ Safe from that and make me pure ♪

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♪ While I draw this fleeting breath ♪

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♪ When my eyes shall close in death ♪

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♪ When I rise to worlds unknown ♪

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♪ And behold beyond the throne ♪

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♪ Rock of ages, cleft for me ♪

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♪ Let me hide myself in thee ♪

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♪ Rock of ages, cleft for me ♪

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♪ Let me hide myself in thee ♪

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♪ Let the water and the blood ♪

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♪ From thy riven side which flowed ♪

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♪ Be of sin the double cure ♪

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♪ Safe from that and make me pure ♪

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♪ Rock of ages, rock of ages ♪

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♪ Rock of ages, rock
of ages, cleft for me ♪

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♪ Rock of ages, rock of ages ♪

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♪ Rock of ages, rock
of ages, cleft for me ♪

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♪ Rock of ages, rock of ages ♪

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♪ Rock of ages, rock
of ages, cleft for me ♪

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♪ Rock of ages, cleft for me ♪

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♪ Let me hide myself in thee ♪

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♪ Let the water and the blood ♪

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♪ From thy riven side which flowed ♪

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♪ Be of sin the double cure ♪

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♪ Safe from that, safe from that ♪

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♪ Safe from that and make me pure ♪

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♪ Safe from that and make me pure ♪

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♪ Safe from that and make me pure ♪

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♪ Safe from that and make me pure ♪

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(audience applauding)

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- [Announcer] Thank you,
Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam

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Gospel Choir for those
wonderful renditions.

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(audience applauding)

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It is now our honor to introduce
the honorable B.J. Penn,

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former Acting Secretary of the Navy,

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and Assistant Secretary of the Navy

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for Installations and Environment.

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(audience applauding)

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- Aloha.

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- [Audience] Aloha.

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- Test.

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Secretary Modly, Admiral,

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distinguished guests, members.

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I've been blessed to do a
lot of things in my life.

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It is truly a great honor to
stand here on Kilo Pier today

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to welcome you to the celebration

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of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr's day.

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This is a hallowed site and memorial

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to the sailors and marines
that demonstrated courage,

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commitment, and competence

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during the surprise attack
on 7th December, 1941.

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The sacrifices made here were not in vain.

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Our valiant forces, heroes set
the standard for performance

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that led us to victory
during World War II.

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Heroes ruled the day then

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and continue to rule today.

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We are in debt to our
armed service personnel

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and their families.

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Who was the Reverend
Dr. Martin Luther King?

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This could easily take
the rest of the day.

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Briefly, he was born in 1929,

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died in 1968.

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Was a Baptist minister
who changed the social

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and political fabric of America
during the 20th century.

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In his own words,

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he was a drum major for justice,

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a drum major for peace, and a
drum major for righteousness.

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He was transformative as
a leader for human rights.

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He was influenced by
the non-violent advocacy

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of Mahatma Gandhi.

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He was responsive to
the biblical injunctive

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of Micah 6:8, that commands
us to pursue justice,

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embrace mercy, and to walk humbly.

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Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
was a conscience of America

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during the latter part
of the 20th century.

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It was Dr. King that said,

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"The arc of the moral universe is long,

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"but it bends towards justice."

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I believe that Dr. King
would recognize and applaud

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the US Navy leadership
of Admiral Elmo Zumwalt,

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who truly changed the Navy,

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and we continue to make
progress under our leadership.

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A few miles from here,

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I began my services as a Naval aviator

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at Naval Air Station Barbers Point.

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I won't give you the
date, but I was told that

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you weren't even born.

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It's been a while.

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We lived in Radford
Terrace, which at the time

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was behind Coco's Restaurant.

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I had three children, all
born at Tripler Army Hospital.

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And at that time,

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there were only 225 African
American officers in the Navy.

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The senior officer was
Commander Dave Barham,

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Chaflain Corps.

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Here in Hawaii, we had Lieutenant
Commander Wesley Brown,

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who was the first African
American to graduate

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from the Naval Academy.

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Then, Lieutenant Commander
Samuel L. Gravely,

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who was the commanding officer of DE-324,

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the USS Falgout based at Pearl Harbor.

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He later achieved the
rank of Vice Admiral,

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and on 20th November, 2010,

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DDG-107 was commissioned as
the USS Samuel L. Gravely.

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Captain Frank Peterson, Marine Corps,

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was stationed in BFF-232

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at Kennyway Bay, flying FA Crusaders.

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He went on to fly F4s in Vietnam,

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shot down, repatriated, we got him back,

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we picked him up the same day.

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On 8th October 2018, DDG-121

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was christened as the
USS Frank E. Peterson Jr.

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Since 1968,

32:24.820 --> 32:29.820
56 African American naval
officers have achieved flank rank,

32:30.380 --> 32:35.093
along with 25 African American
Marine Corps officers.

32:36.770 --> 32:39.130
America is stronger when we underscore

32:39.130 --> 32:42.040
our meritocracy with integrity.

32:42.040 --> 32:45.113
The United States
military set the standard.

32:47.100 --> 32:49.740
We owe a debt to all who have served,

32:49.740 --> 32:51.543
particularly in harm's way,

32:52.420 --> 32:56.133
and who have otherwise
kept our honor clean.

32:57.650 --> 33:00.260
The bond between our
warriors and their families

33:00.260 --> 33:03.280
and the leadership of our intrepid leaders

33:03.280 --> 33:06.870
will always generate
sustainable performance

33:06.870 --> 33:09.580
that will lift the symbol of freedom,

33:09.580 --> 33:13.103
the American flag, wave from our ships,

33:14.330 --> 33:18.650
naval stations, air stations, embassies,

33:18.650 --> 33:22.453
state houses and cities
throughout our grateful nation.

33:24.540 --> 33:27.143
I have been privileged to
serve this great nation.

33:28.060 --> 33:32.520
And after visits to dozens of nations,

33:32.520 --> 33:35.000
each time I return home,

33:35.000 --> 33:36.633
I feel like kissing the ground.

33:37.890 --> 33:39.813
This land is our land.

33:41.170 --> 33:44.183
Heroes will always rule the day.

33:46.257 --> 33:49.424
(audience applauding)

33:57.840 --> 33:59.650
- [Announcer] Please welcome the honorable

33:59.650 --> 34:02.730
Eddie Bernice Johnson,
United States representative

34:02.730 --> 34:04.033
for the state of Texas.

34:04.908 --> 34:08.075
(audience applauding)

34:11.830 --> 34:13.108
- Aloha.

34:13.108 --> 34:14.800
- [Audience] Aloha.

34:14.800 --> 34:16.253
- I hope I did that right.

34:19.320 --> 34:22.820
To the Secretary Thomas Modly,

34:22.820 --> 34:25.390
all of the other officers,

34:25.390 --> 34:29.010
my colleagues, family of Doris Miller,

34:29.010 --> 34:32.383
and all of you who've
assembled here today,

34:33.750 --> 34:38.513
I am so pleased to be here.

34:38.513 --> 34:42.940
I am so grateful to the Secretary

34:42.940 --> 34:46.643
for the message he
delivered to me last week.

34:48.730 --> 34:53.473
For you see, when I was
just starting to school,

34:54.890 --> 34:57.963
Dorie Miller was here.

35:00.290 --> 35:03.990
And I followed my father
all over the neighborhood

35:04.940 --> 35:08.570
to collect money, to give something

35:08.570 --> 35:10.943
to Dorie Miller when he came home.

35:12.290 --> 35:14.253
So you know I'm old.

35:15.120 --> 35:18.483
But you also know that all of my life,

35:19.470 --> 35:23.707
I have heard of how
great Doris Miller was.

35:26.020 --> 35:28.003
And I believed every word.

35:29.780 --> 35:34.323
And I have worked from the
time I went to Congress,

35:35.230 --> 35:37.363
and I'm in my 28th year,

35:38.290 --> 35:41.983
to try to get the Medal
of Honor for Dorie Miller.

35:44.570 --> 35:47.480
My journey is not quite over.

35:47.480 --> 35:49.850
But I'm so grateful.

35:49.850 --> 35:53.083
This is an emotional moment for me.

35:54.190 --> 35:56.053
When you grow up as a kid,

35:57.040 --> 36:00.100
and told by your favorite father

36:01.280 --> 36:05.260
that Dorie Miller have
to save the United States

36:06.110 --> 36:10.510
by shooting down Japanese invasion planes,

36:10.510 --> 36:14.620
true or not, you never forget it.

36:14.620 --> 36:16.770
I love America.

36:16.770 --> 36:18.847
We're indebted to our armed forces

36:18.847 --> 36:23.393
for never having to fight
a war on our shores.

36:24.413 --> 36:27.580
(audience applauding)

36:33.240 --> 36:35.673
When I was first elected to office,

36:37.230 --> 36:40.663
I again thought of Dorie Miller

36:41.650 --> 36:44.240
as my childhood hero.

36:44.240 --> 36:47.960
In 1972, when I was elected

36:47.960 --> 36:50.640
to the Texas House of Representatives,

36:50.640 --> 36:53.730
one of the first things
that I did when I returned

36:53.730 --> 36:56.750
to Waco, Texas, my hometown,

36:56.750 --> 37:01.750
was look up Mrs. Miller,
Dorie Miller's mother,

37:02.090 --> 37:07.090
to let her know that it was
a spirit of Dorie Miller

37:07.480 --> 37:11.130
that made me appreciate being American

37:11.130 --> 37:13.330
more than anything else.

37:13.330 --> 37:17.373
Because in the days of real segregation,

37:18.750 --> 37:22.590
a black man from my hometown

37:22.590 --> 37:26.660
had stepped up to help save America.

37:26.660 --> 37:28.080
I was proud.

37:28.080 --> 37:31.530
And it's notable today that we celebrate

37:31.530 --> 37:35.053
Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday,

37:36.680 --> 37:40.560
because Dr. King was also a hero of mine

37:40.560 --> 37:42.710
and many, many others.

37:42.710 --> 37:46.250
But he said the ultimate measure of a man

37:46.250 --> 37:49.120
is not where he stands
in moments of comfort

37:49.120 --> 37:52.020
and convenience, but where he stands

37:52.020 --> 37:54.783
at times of challenge and controversy.

37:55.680 --> 38:00.680
He also said the time is
always right to do right.

38:03.040 --> 38:08.040
And so I am so overcome with emotion today

38:09.430 --> 38:14.430
and thankfulness to see
all of these sailors,

38:15.050 --> 38:20.050
my father was inducted that same year

38:20.060 --> 38:24.360
right after the Pearl Harbor,
and he and his brother

38:24.360 --> 38:27.553
went to the Navy, and they survived.

38:28.570 --> 38:33.570
And so that started my
dedication to our armed forces.

38:36.440 --> 38:39.260
And everybody in Waco knows,

38:39.260 --> 38:42.270
although I don't represent Waco,

38:42.270 --> 38:46.100
they know their hometown girl never forgot

38:47.250 --> 38:52.183
that it was Dorie Miller's
spirit that gave me the oof

38:53.500 --> 38:58.030
to move forward, to help us continue

38:58.030 --> 39:01.560
our thrust and our lust

39:01.560 --> 39:06.400
for our great democracy in
the country that we live.

39:06.400 --> 39:11.400
All of us know that a
democracy is what you make it.

39:11.490 --> 39:16.260
It is lifelong, it is
moving, it is never final.

39:16.260 --> 39:21.260
But Dorie Miller started
the civil rights movement,

39:21.450 --> 39:25.410
and perhaps even gave
Martin Luther King Jr.

39:25.410 --> 39:30.190
the spirit to lead us
the era of which he did.

39:30.190 --> 39:33.820
So it's important for
me today to say to you

39:33.820 --> 39:35.653
as a noun or a woman,

39:37.410 --> 39:41.500
how much I appreciate the fact

39:41.500 --> 39:43.530
that I am an American,

39:43.530 --> 39:47.110
and how much I appreciate the military

39:47.110 --> 39:50.640
for making it the America it is today,

39:50.640 --> 39:55.050
where we can walk safely
and we can feel free

39:55.050 --> 39:59.340
to continue to build on our democracy.

39:59.340 --> 40:03.100
This has done so much

40:03.100 --> 40:07.670
to recognize that no matter
the color of your skin,

40:07.670 --> 40:11.710
you can achieve, no matter
the color of your skin,

40:11.710 --> 40:16.533
although you might not
get the Medal of Honor,

40:17.790 --> 40:22.283
it could be just delayed and not denied.

40:23.210 --> 40:27.310
So, thank you, thank you, thank you today

40:27.310 --> 40:30.310
for this ceremony and for this recognition

40:31.510 --> 40:36.510
of my childhood hero that saved America.

40:36.860 --> 40:37.870
Thank you.

40:37.870 --> 40:41.037
(audience applauding)

40:52.640 --> 40:55.820
- [Announcer] Now, please welcome
the Honorable Bill Flores,

40:55.820 --> 40:59.006
United States representative
for the state of Texas.

40:59.006 --> 41:02.173
(audience applauding)

41:04.480 --> 41:08.333
- Let me start by saying howdy,
which is Texas for Aloha.

41:09.980 --> 41:11.780
You Texans know that.

41:11.780 --> 41:15.430
Secretary Modly and Admiral Aquilino,

41:15.430 --> 41:18.070
it's great to be here, Secretary Brown,

41:18.070 --> 41:21.270
excuse me, former Secretary
Penn, General Brown,

41:21.270 --> 41:24.160
it's great to be with you for
this important recognition

41:24.160 --> 41:27.030
to honor African American contributions

41:27.030 --> 41:31.360
to the greatest generation
during World War II and beyond.

41:31.360 --> 41:35.290
I also wanna recognize
Flosetta, Henrietta, and Brenda.

41:35.290 --> 41:39.103
So, the nieces of Dorie
Miller for being here today.

41:40.240 --> 41:44.470
And I want to recognize
my friend and colleague,

41:44.470 --> 41:47.790
Congresswoman Eddie Bernice
Johnson for being with us today.

41:47.790 --> 41:51.900
As you heard, she's a Waco hometown girl.

41:51.900 --> 41:56.450
And I am honored to represent Waco.

41:56.450 --> 41:58.260
It's an honor to be part of this event,

41:58.260 --> 42:01.680
to name the United States
Navy's newest aircraft carrier,

42:01.680 --> 42:06.560
CVN-81, in honor of Petty
Officer Doris Miller.

42:06.560 --> 42:09.400
Today we recognize Petty Officer Miller

42:09.400 --> 42:12.030
not just for his service to the Navy,

42:12.030 --> 42:14.570
but specifically for
his bravery and courage

42:14.570 --> 42:16.830
during the attacks on Pearl Harbor

42:16.830 --> 42:19.433
on 7th December, 1941.

42:20.340 --> 42:22.310
Having been the first African American

42:22.310 --> 42:24.290
to be awarded the Navy Cross,

42:24.290 --> 42:28.880
Petty Officer Miller will now
be the first enlisted sailor

42:28.880 --> 42:32.409
to have an aircraft
carrier named in his honor.

42:32.409 --> 42:35.576
(audience applauding)

42:42.440 --> 42:45.880
It's an honor to pay tribute
to one of America's heroes

42:45.880 --> 42:48.150
from the greatest generation.

42:48.150 --> 42:51.650
A man who exemplifies
the hearts of our sailors

42:51.650 --> 42:54.880
and the spirit of Reverend
Martin Luther King Jr.,

42:54.880 --> 42:57.250
who we also recognize today.

42:57.250 --> 42:59.200
As you heard Eddie Bernice say,

42:59.200 --> 43:00.883
Dr. King once said, quote,

43:01.757 --> 43:06.757
"The time is always right to
do something right," unquote.

43:07.270 --> 43:10.170
That is what Petty Officer Miller did.

43:10.170 --> 43:12.750
His story of bravery is a testament

43:12.750 --> 43:15.500
to his courage and commitment to serve

43:15.500 --> 43:19.980
both his fellow sailors and his country.

43:19.980 --> 43:21.610
During the attack on Pearl Harbor

43:21.610 --> 43:23.890
and while under heavy enemy fire,

43:23.890 --> 43:25.940
Petty Officer Miller's bravery

43:25.940 --> 43:28.730
rose above and beyond the call of duty

43:28.730 --> 43:32.370
by leaving the laundry and
aiding the mortally wounded

43:32.370 --> 43:34.640
captain of the ship, and then manning

43:34.640 --> 43:38.230
a 50 caliber anti-aircraft machine gun.

43:38.230 --> 43:39.760
He returned fire upon the enemy

43:39.760 --> 43:41.610
until he was out of ammunition,

43:41.610 --> 43:45.700
and is believed to have shot
down one or more enemy planes.

43:45.700 --> 43:47.230
I think Eddie Bernice has confirmed

43:47.230 --> 43:49.200
that he has several kills.

43:49.200 --> 43:52.050
After the signal to abandon ship,

43:52.050 --> 43:56.600
and in the final moments before
the USS West Virginia sank,

43:56.600 --> 43:59.610
Petty Officer Miller carried
many of his wounded shipmates

43:59.610 --> 44:01.860
to safety, and saved the lives

44:01.860 --> 44:03.563
of many of his fellow sailors.

44:04.509 --> 44:06.410
In May of 1942,

44:06.410 --> 44:09.600
in recognition of his
heroism at Pearl Harbor,

44:09.600 --> 44:12.600
then Secretary of the Navy Frank Cox

44:12.600 --> 44:15.670
and Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz

44:15.670 --> 44:19.100
awarded Petty Officer
Miller the Navy Cross,

44:19.100 --> 44:23.500
the second highest military
decoration for valor.

44:23.500 --> 44:26.747
Admiral Nimitz commented
that his bravery, quote,

44:26.747 --> 44:29.217
"Marks the first time in this conflict

44:29.217 --> 44:33.167
"that such a high tribute has
been made in a Pacific fleet

44:33.167 --> 44:36.547
"to a member of his race,
and I'm sure that the future

44:36.547 --> 44:39.970
"will see others similarly
honored for his brave acts,"

44:39.970 --> 44:41.400
unquote.

44:41.400 --> 44:44.313
Petty Officer Miller's
story has grown since then

44:44.313 --> 44:47.450
into one of the most
iconic tales of bravery

44:47.450 --> 44:49.190
told of World War II,

44:49.190 --> 44:52.410
with his actions being
memorialized on the big screen

44:52.410 --> 44:55.410
by actor Cuba Gooding Jr.

44:55.410 --> 45:00.410
in the 2001 movie, "Pearl Harbor."

45:01.170 --> 45:03.920
Again, I'm proud to say
that Petty Officer Miller

45:03.920 --> 45:07.960
is from Waco, Texas, where
he is a hometown hero

45:07.960 --> 45:11.340
and an inspiration to
all of our community.

45:11.340 --> 45:13.250
Today's significant recognition

45:13.250 --> 45:16.770
of this African American
hero serves an inspiration

45:16.770 --> 45:20.550
to all of our Navy's enlisted
male military men and women

45:20.550 --> 45:23.330
who come from a diversity
of backgrounds and origins

45:23.330 --> 45:25.690
to serve in our armed forces.

45:25.690 --> 45:29.750
The naming of CVN-81
is a capstone addition

45:29.750 --> 45:33.770
to the prior recognitions
of our local Waco hero.

45:33.770 --> 45:36.940
This actually builds upon
one of my most humbling

45:36.940 --> 45:39.070
activities during my time in Congress,

45:39.070 --> 45:42.360
which was to memorialize
Dorie Miller's legacy

45:42.360 --> 45:44.590
in his hometown by leading a group

45:44.590 --> 45:47.610
of our Texas congressional colleagues

45:47.610 --> 45:50.540
to rename the Waco VA Medical Center

45:50.540 --> 45:52.300
as the Doris Miller Department

45:52.300 --> 45:54.323
of Veteran Affairs Medical Center.

45:56.640 --> 45:59.800
Today, along with our
central Texas constituents,

45:59.800 --> 46:02.750
I join all Americans to celebrate

46:02.750 --> 46:06.880
and promote Petty Officer Doris
Miller's legacy of service

46:06.880 --> 46:09.750
and sacrifice as a national hero,

46:09.750 --> 46:11.960
motivating current and future generations

46:11.960 --> 46:14.737
of American sailors as
they selflessly serve

46:14.737 --> 46:17.460
to defend our liberty and freedom.

46:17.460 --> 46:20.940
So thank you, God bless
the lives and legacies

46:20.940 --> 46:24.100
of Dr. Martin Luther
King and Doris Miller,

46:24.100 --> 46:25.530
God bless our sailors,

46:25.530 --> 46:27.870
and God bless the United
States of America.

46:27.870 --> 46:28.740
Thank you.

46:28.740 --> 46:31.907
(audience applauding)

46:37.840 --> 46:40.650
- [Announcer] Please welcome
Admiral Chris Aquilino,

46:40.650 --> 46:42.983
Commander, United States Pacific Fleet.

46:44.114 --> 46:47.281
(audience applauding)

46:50.520 --> 46:51.353
- Aloha.

46:51.353 --> 46:54.040
- [Audience] Aloha.

46:54.040 --> 46:56.130
- Before I have the distinct honor

46:56.130 --> 46:58.023
to introduce our guest speaker,

46:58.880 --> 47:01.373
I'd like to say a couple of things.

47:02.540 --> 47:06.190
First, from the Hawaii community,

47:06.190 --> 47:09.040
I'd like to pass our deepest condolences

47:09.040 --> 47:12.630
to the family and friends of the innocent

47:12.630 --> 47:15.163
residents that were killed
in yesterday's events.

47:16.520 --> 47:20.520
In particular, two
Honolulu police officers

47:20.520 --> 47:23.483
gave their life in the defense of others.

47:24.390 --> 47:27.933
Additionally, in just recent months,

47:28.770 --> 47:32.780
we lost a couple of
fallen civilian warriors

47:32.780 --> 47:34.740
from the shipyard.

47:34.740 --> 47:38.603
So, if you would please indulge
me in a moment of silence.

47:53.510 --> 47:54.613
Thank you very much.

47:56.630 --> 47:58.660
Before I get to introduce
our guest speaker, though,

47:58.660 --> 48:02.240
there are numerous individuals

48:02.240 --> 48:04.143
that deserve recognition today.

48:05.350 --> 48:08.720
I know Governor Ige was hoping
to be here and he wouldn't,

48:08.720 --> 48:10.900
but I'd like to thank him
personally for all the things

48:10.900 --> 48:12.913
he does here in Hawaii for the military.

48:14.080 --> 48:17.080
Congressman Case, it's good to
see you, sir, thank you also.

48:18.200 --> 48:19.610
Representative Bernice Johnson,

48:19.610 --> 48:21.393
thank you, ma'am, for being here.

48:22.740 --> 48:24.723
Congressman Flores also.

48:26.750 --> 48:29.190
Some famous friends that have

48:29.190 --> 48:31.780
returned for this wonderful event.

48:31.780 --> 48:34.563
Secretary Penn, sir, it's
great to see you again.

48:35.400 --> 48:38.110
General Brown, my battle
buddy with General Craparotta,

48:38.110 --> 48:40.330
thank you both for attending today.

48:40.330 --> 48:42.040
All the distinguished members of the flag

48:42.040 --> 48:44.470
and general wardroom, thanks.

48:44.470 --> 48:47.610
Specifically Jules, thank
you for being here sync,

48:47.610 --> 48:50.280
I know you're out in the crowd somewhere.

48:50.280 --> 48:52.920
Thanks, my brother, it's
good to see you too.

48:52.920 --> 48:54.760
All of the representatives

48:54.760 --> 48:56.670
from the Hawaii State Legislature,

48:56.670 --> 48:58.660
thank you very much for taking care of us

48:58.660 --> 49:00.530
each and every day.

49:00.530 --> 49:01.983
It's wonderful to see you.

49:04.620 --> 49:07.020
Lastly, the distinguished
members of the consular corps,

49:07.020 --> 49:08.230
it's good to see you, my friends,

49:08.230 --> 49:11.050
and thank you for honoring
us with your presence today.

49:11.050 --> 49:12.793
It's great to spend time with you.

49:13.800 --> 49:18.100
Lastly, but certainly not
least, to the Miller family.

49:18.100 --> 49:19.710
Thank you all for being here today

49:19.710 --> 49:21.640
and spending time with us.

49:21.640 --> 49:23.630
It's been my pleasure
and honor to meet you

49:23.630 --> 49:25.810
and spend some time with you,

49:25.810 --> 49:27.980
and I hope to continue that
friendship in the future.

49:27.980 --> 49:30.147
Thank you very, very much.

49:30.147 --> 49:33.314
(audience applauding)

49:38.660 --> 49:39.600
Okay.

49:39.600 --> 49:41.230
Many of you have been to the Kilo Pier,

49:41.230 --> 49:44.050
but it never stops holding a

49:44.050 --> 49:46.330
very special spot in our hearts.

49:46.330 --> 49:50.310
Behind us bookends World War II,

49:50.310 --> 49:52.890
both the start and the finish.

49:52.890 --> 49:55.300
Arizona and Missouri.

49:55.300 --> 49:58.663
They represent the tragic
start and victorious end.

49:59.910 --> 50:02.980
The determination and sacrifice
of our greatest generation

50:02.980 --> 50:06.070
secured a free and open Indo-Pacific

50:06.070 --> 50:08.123
for these last 75 years.

50:09.980 --> 50:13.670
Those of us who now come behind them

50:13.670 --> 50:16.033
can never repay them for their costs.

50:17.250 --> 50:20.083
We can know and should
remember their example.

50:21.570 --> 50:25.473
They serve as the standard
both in wartime and peace.

50:27.820 --> 50:32.820
And we strive to be worthy.

50:35.450 --> 50:38.030
With that is in our mind,
and I'm particularly humbled

50:38.030 --> 50:41.300
to participate in this
historic event today.

50:41.300 --> 50:43.430
And I do have the distinct honor

50:43.430 --> 50:45.760
of introducing the guest speaker.

50:45.760 --> 50:49.600
His take no prisoners,
forward leaning leadership

50:49.600 --> 50:53.970
is keenly focused on
delivering and sustaining

50:53.970 --> 50:58.970
lethal combat ready forces
necessary to keep the peace.

51:01.510 --> 51:06.220
And in absence of that
peace, that same force

51:06.220 --> 51:08.733
will be able to fight
and win when challenged.

51:10.850 --> 51:12.860
Just days ago, in his recent

51:12.860 --> 51:15.790
leadership guidance to the Navy,

51:15.790 --> 51:20.420
he reminded us that the 355 ship Navy

51:20.420 --> 51:21.663
is the law of the land.

51:23.200 --> 51:25.400
And he's redoubled our nation's efforts

51:25.400 --> 51:27.763
to reach that goal within 10 years.

51:29.510 --> 51:32.023
The combination of those lethal ships,

51:33.170 --> 51:37.680
our uniformed sailors,
our civilian warriors

51:40.030 --> 51:45.030
will help ensure the free
and open Indo-Pacific.

51:50.270 --> 51:55.270
That is so all nations
with our values of freedom,

51:56.760 --> 52:01.163
rules-based order, and
human rights can prosper.

52:02.560 --> 52:05.570
Ladies and gentlemen,
please help me in welcoming

52:06.450 --> 52:10.253
the Secretary of the Navy,
Honorable Thomas Modly.

52:11.552 --> 52:14.719
(audience applauding)

52:23.350 --> 52:24.293
- Thanks, Admiral.

52:25.710 --> 52:27.457
Aloha, everybody.

52:27.457 --> 52:28.573
- [Audience] Aloha.

52:30.980 --> 52:33.020
- Before I start, I just wanna

52:33.020 --> 52:35.563
say some things about my staff.

52:37.620 --> 52:40.683
When we first started
talking about this idea,

52:41.670 --> 52:43.980
they embraced it more

52:43.980 --> 52:46.143
than I could have ever expected or wanted.

52:47.270 --> 52:50.310
And they took it on as if Doris
Miller was their own uncle

52:52.100 --> 52:52.953
or father.

52:55.290 --> 52:57.450
And there are literally hundreds of people

52:57.450 --> 52:59.930
that came together to
make this day possible.

52:59.930 --> 53:03.050
And so I just would like
to publicly recognize them

53:03.050 --> 53:05.840
and thank them for their dedication,

53:05.840 --> 53:08.220
for their commitment to making this day

53:08.220 --> 53:11.550
as special as possible for everybody here,

53:11.550 --> 53:15.052
for everyone across this
country, so thank you.

53:15.052 --> 53:18.219
(audience applauding)

53:23.060 --> 53:24.780
Special greetings again

53:24.780 --> 53:27.610
to all our distinguished guests here.

53:27.610 --> 53:30.400
Representative Case, Representatives

53:30.400 --> 53:33.340
Eddie Bernice Johnson and Bill Flores.

53:33.340 --> 53:35.860
All of our senior officers
who are here today.

53:35.860 --> 53:38.160
Our allies and partners,
and we have several of them,

53:38.160 --> 53:40.920
represented from the UK, Australia,

53:40.920 --> 53:44.320
Republic of Korea, New
Zealand, Japan, France,

53:44.320 --> 53:45.883
Singapore and Taiwan.

53:46.870 --> 53:51.870
Fleet Master Chief James Honea,
Professor Thomas Coutraire.

53:52.400 --> 53:55.750
And special thanks especially
to the entire Miller family,

53:55.750 --> 53:58.020
including Doris Miller's nieces,

53:58.020 --> 54:00.840
who you've been introduced to
a couple times today already,

54:00.840 --> 54:03.903
Henrietta, Flosetta, and Brenda.

54:05.470 --> 54:08.240
It's an honor to join you all here

54:08.240 --> 54:10.860
on the birthday of one of our nation's,

54:10.860 --> 54:14.000
and the world's greatest spiritual,

54:14.000 --> 54:16.313
intellectual, and moral leaders.

54:17.300 --> 54:19.940
But before I begin,
please allow me a moment

54:19.940 --> 54:22.360
to recognize the families

54:22.360 --> 54:25.610
of those shipyard workers
who lost their lives

54:25.610 --> 54:28.813
in the very recent horrible
tragedy here at Pearl Harbor.

54:29.900 --> 54:32.477
To the families of Vince Kapoi Jr.,

54:33.750 --> 54:37.470
Roldan Agustin, I want you all to know

54:37.470 --> 54:40.833
that our entire Navy family
is grieving with you.

54:42.330 --> 54:47.250
To Roger Nakamine, a
survivor of the shooting,

54:47.250 --> 54:49.230
we are also with you

54:49.230 --> 54:51.453
as you recover from
your physical injuries,

54:52.470 --> 54:54.090
and the non-physical injuries

54:54.980 --> 54:58.113
and emotional trauma that you
had to experience that day.

54:59.050 --> 55:01.440
We all understand that
service to our nation,

55:01.440 --> 55:03.960
particularly here in
this incredibly strategic

55:03.960 --> 55:07.110
and beautiful location,
has at certain times

55:07.110 --> 55:09.370
in our own history exacted at a price

55:09.370 --> 55:12.183
that seems disproportionate and unjust.

55:13.040 --> 55:14.203
We hear this.

55:15.210 --> 55:18.220
And we trust that you
understand that we are committed

55:18.220 --> 55:21.100
to understanding the
truth behind this tragedy,

55:21.100 --> 55:23.120
and that we will pursue that truth

55:23.120 --> 55:25.410
with a primary commitment
to bring you a complete

55:25.410 --> 55:29.510
and transparent understanding
of what happened and why.

55:29.510 --> 55:30.343
We are with you.

55:31.810 --> 55:34.700
We want this understanding
as much as you do.

55:34.700 --> 55:36.930
We want it so that we
can do everything we can

55:36.930 --> 55:39.570
to ensure that no other families

55:39.570 --> 55:42.870
in our broad naval community
have to feel the pain

55:42.870 --> 55:44.870
that you're all still feeling today.

55:44.870 --> 55:48.130
But most importantly, so that you can heal

55:49.220 --> 55:50.890
and have a sense of peace

55:50.890 --> 55:54.070
about the tragic sacrifice
of your loved ones.

55:54.070 --> 55:56.470
You have my personal commitment

55:56.470 --> 55:59.530
that we will pursue and
communicate the truth,

55:59.530 --> 56:02.683
and we will do whatever we can
to help you heal as a family.

56:03.980 --> 56:06.580
Ultimately we all understand
that service to our nation

56:06.580 --> 56:09.460
extends beyond those we see in uniform.

56:09.460 --> 56:11.500
We have an obligation to protect all those

56:11.500 --> 56:15.403
who enter our gates every day
to make our Navy stronger.

56:16.820 --> 56:18.640
We take that obligation seriously

56:18.640 --> 56:21.420
and we are heartbroken
over what has happened here

56:21.420 --> 56:24.610
and in Pensacola, and in
Little Creek, Virginia,

56:24.610 --> 56:25.830
over the last several weeks.

56:25.830 --> 56:29.363
We grieve with you and we
will find answers for you.

56:31.560 --> 56:33.190
Dr. Martin Luther King understood

56:33.190 --> 56:36.823
what it meant to sacrifice
oneself for a greater cause.

56:37.760 --> 56:39.503
He eloquently observed, quote,

56:40.357 --> 56:44.247
"Everybody can be great
because anyone can serve."

56:45.310 --> 56:47.370
And no one understands the importance

56:47.370 --> 56:49.670
and true meaning of the word service

56:49.670 --> 56:53.170
more than those who have
volunteered to serve and support

56:53.170 --> 56:55.803
the United States Navy and Marine Corps.

56:58.410 --> 56:59.243
I love that.

57:00.600 --> 57:03.230
These are the people we
ask daily and directly

57:03.230 --> 57:05.990
to face tyrannical forces around the world

57:05.990 --> 57:08.483
that threaten stability and peace.

57:09.380 --> 57:12.400
These are the people who
put the needs of others,

57:12.400 --> 57:15.870
of their nation above themselves.

57:15.870 --> 57:19.900
They see personal sacrifice
and supportive liberty

57:19.900 --> 57:22.640
and human dignity as their duty.

57:22.640 --> 57:26.100
But we see it as a precious virtue

57:26.100 --> 57:29.543
unmatched in the history
of the human experience.

57:30.460 --> 57:32.340
Throughout the history of our nation,

57:32.340 --> 57:36.070
the finest of every
generation has stepped forward

57:36.070 --> 57:38.633
to serve the cause of
freedom around the world.

57:39.680 --> 57:42.180
But today, especially today,

57:42.180 --> 57:45.600
as we celebrate the legacy
of Martin Luther King Jr.,

57:45.600 --> 57:49.010
we recognize that for too
many of these warriors,

57:49.010 --> 57:52.610
the liberty they defended
overseas was denied

57:52.610 --> 57:55.260
to them and their families here at home

57:55.260 --> 57:57.943
simply because of the color of their skin.

57:59.350 --> 58:03.040
In his letter from a Birmingham
jail, Dr. King wrote,

58:03.040 --> 58:08.040
quote, injustice anywhere is a
threat to justice everywhere.

58:09.780 --> 58:14.780
75 years ago, a war against
injustice started right here.

58:16.330 --> 58:18.980
And on the days that followed,
our nation bound together

58:18.980 --> 58:22.330
to secure victory against
an existential threat

58:22.330 --> 58:26.330
to ourselves, but also
to secure opportunities

58:26.330 --> 58:30.053
for broader liberty and
justice for the entire world.

58:31.070 --> 58:35.250
It was a moment of national unity

58:35.250 --> 58:36.773
that we should all treasure,

58:38.090 --> 58:40.750
and hold it as a standard
for what it means

58:40.750 --> 58:41.973
to be an American,

58:43.820 --> 58:47.253
no matter where we come
from or how we look.

58:48.410 --> 58:50.600
But even as we are unified
in the pursuit of justice

58:50.600 --> 58:53.810
and peace for the world,
we are not perfect

58:53.810 --> 58:56.603
in our own pursuits of
these values here at home.

58:57.650 --> 59:01.860
That contradiction is an
undeniable part of our history.

59:01.860 --> 59:04.790
One that cannot be
glossed over or forgotten.

59:04.790 --> 59:05.623
It's real.

59:06.670 --> 59:10.660
And when we study it and open
our eyes to it, it hurts.

59:10.660 --> 59:13.410
It hurts our perceptions of ourselves,

59:13.410 --> 59:16.690
of our nation and of our history.

59:16.690 --> 59:19.050
But we should not despair.

59:19.050 --> 59:20.403
We should continue to look.

59:21.960 --> 59:24.610
Nor should we use those failings
as the basis for eroding

59:24.610 --> 59:26.963
the value of the ideals we have pursued.

59:28.850 --> 59:32.210
Because the story of our
nation is not about that.

59:32.210 --> 59:36.360
It's about much, much more
than our imperfections.

59:36.360 --> 59:39.310
It's much more about how
when we've fallen short,

59:39.310 --> 59:43.460
extraordinary Americans
persevered with honor,

59:43.460 --> 59:48.170
dignity and courage to remind
us of our founding principles,

59:48.170 --> 59:50.563
and to what values we all truly aspire.

59:51.530 --> 59:54.190
And they have led us forward
out of those weaknesses

59:54.190 --> 59:56.650
towards something we
all know that is right

59:56.650 --> 59:59.010
and just and good.

59:59.010 --> 01:00:01.540
And on this day and every day,

01:00:01.540 --> 01:00:04.510
we must remember all those who fought

01:00:04.510 --> 01:00:06.803
and died for this aspiration.

01:00:07.820 --> 01:00:10.970
An aspiration that
treasured life, liberty,

01:00:10.970 --> 01:00:14.950
and the pursuit of happiness,
not only for themselves,

01:00:14.950 --> 01:00:18.120
but for all the generations
that would follow.

01:00:18.120 --> 01:00:23.120
They represent everything
that is good about our nation.

01:00:23.330 --> 01:00:26.440
They must stand at the
center of our common memory,

01:00:26.440 --> 01:00:30.570
and our understanding about
the unique place that we hold

01:00:30.570 --> 01:00:32.193
in the history of civilization.

01:00:33.430 --> 01:00:35.420
During the Civil War, Frederick Douglass

01:00:35.420 --> 01:00:38.040
urged Abraham Lincoln to
open the doors of service

01:00:38.040 --> 01:00:39.690
to African Americans.

01:00:39.690 --> 01:00:42.747
He said, quote, "Once let the black man

01:00:42.747 --> 01:00:46.477
"get upon his person the brass letters US,

01:00:46.477 --> 01:00:49.007
"let him get an eagle on his button

01:00:49.007 --> 01:00:53.767
"and a musket on his shoulder
and bullets in his pocket,

01:00:53.767 --> 01:00:57.667
"and then there will be no power on Earth

01:00:57.667 --> 01:01:00.017
"that can deny him that he has earned

01:01:00.017 --> 01:01:01.677
"the right to citizenship."

01:01:02.560 --> 01:01:04.640
And the African Americans
who answered this call

01:01:04.640 --> 01:01:07.350
during the Civil War
served with distinction

01:01:08.280 --> 01:01:11.870
and honor, both ashore and afloat.

01:01:11.870 --> 01:01:14.120
In fact, by the end of the Civil War,

01:01:14.120 --> 01:01:16.380
the overall enlisted
force of the Union Navy

01:01:16.380 --> 01:01:19.190
was 20% African American.

01:01:19.190 --> 01:01:21.860
With African American
sailors on every ship,

01:01:21.860 --> 01:01:25.483
and the enlisted ranks were
largely an integrated force.

01:01:26.670 --> 01:01:27.930
But in the years that followed,

01:01:27.930 --> 01:01:31.320
African Americans were denied
an equal opportunity to serve,

01:01:31.320 --> 01:01:34.370
and by World War I, that 20% number

01:01:34.370 --> 01:01:39.370
had dwindled to 3% of the
Navy being African American.

01:01:39.970 --> 01:01:43.423
And they served under entirely
segregated conditions.

01:01:44.430 --> 01:01:47.410
On December 7th, 1941,

01:01:47.410 --> 01:01:50.470
there were African Americans
serving here in this place

01:01:50.470 --> 01:01:52.860
right behind me on Battleship Row.

01:01:52.860 --> 01:01:55.340
But all of them were below decks,

01:01:55.340 --> 01:01:58.100
restricted to the
segregated messmans branch

01:01:58.100 --> 01:02:00.423
as personal servants to white officers.

01:02:01.470 --> 01:02:03.770
One of those dedicated sailors

01:02:03.770 --> 01:02:08.770
was Messman Doris Dorie
Miller of Waco, Texas.

01:02:09.910 --> 01:02:12.470
Messman Miller had just
finished serving breakfast

01:02:12.470 --> 01:02:14.940
on board the battleship West Virginia

01:02:14.940 --> 01:02:17.000
when torpedoes began to fall

01:02:17.000 --> 01:02:19.933
right where near we stand today.

01:02:20.820 --> 01:02:23.080
When the explosion
prevented him from reaching

01:02:23.080 --> 01:02:26.120
his battle station as
an ammunition passer,

01:02:26.120 --> 01:02:30.033
Miller was ordered to the ship's
damaged and blazing bridge.

01:02:30.960 --> 01:02:33.540
There, he helped carry the ship's captain

01:02:34.950 --> 01:02:36.610
to greater safety.

01:02:36.610 --> 01:02:41.300
Then he did what we all have heard.

01:02:41.300 --> 01:02:44.880
He took charge of a Browning
50 caliber machine gun,

01:02:44.880 --> 01:02:48.490
a gun that he had not been trained to use

01:02:48.490 --> 01:02:50.743
simply because of the color of his skin.

01:02:52.260 --> 01:02:55.970
On the burning and heavily
listing starboard deck,

01:02:55.970 --> 01:02:58.070
he loaded the weapon and shot back

01:02:58.070 --> 01:03:01.823
at the attacking airplanes
until his ammunition ran out.

01:03:03.230 --> 01:03:05.820
Along several officers and enlisted men,

01:03:05.820 --> 01:03:07.970
Miller fought fires on the bridge,

01:03:07.970 --> 01:03:12.890
protecting the captain until
he was pronounced dead.

01:03:12.890 --> 01:03:16.910
Then he traversed hand over
hand to the ship's deck,

01:03:16.910 --> 01:03:19.420
where he saved the lives of many sailors

01:03:19.420 --> 01:03:21.393
by pulling them from the burning water.

01:03:22.480 --> 01:03:24.860
When the order came to abandon ship,

01:03:24.860 --> 01:03:27.003
he stayed behind to help.

01:03:27.860 --> 01:03:28.763
And he helped.

01:03:30.450 --> 01:03:33.150
Messman Miller was one
of the last three sailors

01:03:33.150 --> 01:03:36.163
to leave the West Virginia
that fateful morning.

01:03:37.410 --> 01:03:38.683
For his actions,

01:03:41.120 --> 01:03:43.790
Doris Miller was awarded the Navy Cross,

01:03:43.790 --> 01:03:46.643
the first African American
to be so decorated.

01:03:47.750 --> 01:03:52.060
And it is now my pleasure
to invite my friend

01:03:52.060 --> 01:03:56.090
and fellow Clevelander,
Rear Admiral Julius Caesar,

01:03:56.090 --> 01:03:58.560
to read the original citation.

01:03:58.560 --> 01:04:00.880
The same words that were read on the deck

01:04:00.880 --> 01:04:04.370
of the USS Enterprise
right here in Pearl Harbor,

01:04:04.370 --> 01:04:07.310
where Admiral Chester
Nimitz pined that Navy Cross

01:04:07.310 --> 01:04:08.353
on Doris Miller.

01:04:14.040 --> 01:04:16.240
- Navy Cross medal to mess attended

01:04:16.240 --> 01:04:20.040
second class Doris Miller
of the United States Navy,

01:04:20.040 --> 01:04:22.900
for services as set
forth in the following.

01:04:22.900 --> 01:04:26.290
For distinguished devotion to
duty, extraordinary courage,

01:04:26.290 --> 01:04:28.980
and disregard for his own personal safety

01:04:28.980 --> 01:04:31.860
during the attack of the
fleet in Pearl Harbor,

01:04:31.860 --> 01:04:34.360
Hawaii, territory of Hawaii,

01:04:34.360 --> 01:04:39.360
by Japanese forces on December 7th, 1941.

01:04:39.620 --> 01:04:42.890
While at the side of his
captain on the bridge,

01:04:42.890 --> 01:04:46.580
Miller, despite enemies
strafing and bombing,

01:04:46.580 --> 01:04:48.870
and in the face of serious fire,

01:04:48.870 --> 01:04:50.890
assisted in moving his captain,

01:04:50.890 --> 01:04:54.550
who had been mortally wounded,
to a place of greater safety.

01:04:54.550 --> 01:04:57.400
And later manned and
operated a machine gun

01:04:57.400 --> 01:05:01.500
directed at enemy Japanese
attacking aircraft

01:05:01.500 --> 01:05:03.523
until ordered to leave the bridge.

01:05:12.700 --> 01:05:16.353
- But that story, it did not
end here in Pearl Harbor.

01:05:17.380 --> 01:05:20.220
Dorie Miller's example, his leadership,

01:05:20.220 --> 01:05:24.550
and his courage under fire
went on to inspire millions,

01:05:24.550 --> 01:05:26.690
and increased pressure on the Navy

01:05:26.690 --> 01:05:29.820
to expand opportunities
for African Americans

01:05:29.820 --> 01:05:31.663
to serve in every capacity.

01:05:33.080 --> 01:05:35.400
In the words of historian Thomas Couturier

01:05:35.400 --> 01:05:37.187
and Michael Parrish, quote,

01:05:37.187 --> 01:05:40.007
"Doris Miller's heroic
actions of Pearl Harbor

01:05:40.007 --> 01:05:42.437
"and his quiet but persuasive voice

01:05:42.437 --> 01:05:45.337
"as an advocate for positive change

01:05:45.337 --> 01:05:48.347
"constituted a vital contribution

01:05:48.347 --> 01:05:52.247
"toward the full and equal
acceptance of black men and women

01:05:52.247 --> 01:05:56.193
"in the US Navy in the nation
that it serves," unquote.

01:05:57.670 --> 01:06:00.060
Dorie Miller's story also had profound

01:06:00.060 --> 01:06:02.700
and lasting impact beyond the Navy.

01:06:02.700 --> 01:06:05.350
Newspapers around the
country cited his story

01:06:05.350 --> 01:06:08.113
as an argument for broader
civil rights and equality.

01:06:09.010 --> 01:06:11.880
The great civil rights
leader A. Philip Randolph

01:06:11.880 --> 01:06:14.740
cited Miller as he successfully pressured

01:06:14.740 --> 01:06:17.340
President Roosevelt to end discrimination

01:06:17.340 --> 01:06:19.340
in the defense industry.

01:06:19.340 --> 01:06:21.630
Randolph also use Miller's story

01:06:21.630 --> 01:06:26.350
as inspiration for a planned
march on Washington DC.

01:06:26.350 --> 01:06:30.920
A march that would finally
come to fruition so famously

01:06:30.920 --> 01:06:35.023
and so consequentially in August of 1963.

01:06:36.140 --> 01:06:37.783
So in a very real sense,

01:06:38.750 --> 01:06:41.600
those who witness Dr. King

01:06:41.600 --> 01:06:44.717
unabashedly state "I have a dream,"

01:06:45.710 --> 01:06:48.110
they all have Dorie Miller to thank

01:06:49.100 --> 01:06:53.660
and to honor and to respect
for his contributions

01:06:53.660 --> 01:06:57.763
for making that day 20
years later possible.

01:06:58.860 --> 01:07:01.140
And for bringing our nation closer

01:07:01.140 --> 01:07:04.390
to coming to grips with our own history.

01:07:04.390 --> 01:07:06.960
A history not defined by perfection,

01:07:06.960 --> 01:07:09.253
but rather by the pursuit of it.

01:07:10.580 --> 01:07:14.040
In 1942, Dorie Miller was ordered
home for a war bonds tour,

01:07:14.040 --> 01:07:16.620
and he was asked to address
the graduating class

01:07:16.620 --> 01:07:18.858
at Camp Robert Smalls,

01:07:18.858 --> 01:07:22.500
where they were finally
receiving some advanced training.

01:07:22.500 --> 01:07:25.030
And his message to them was very simple,

01:07:25.030 --> 01:07:27.020
and it was very apolitical.

01:07:27.020 --> 01:07:29.060
And he demonstrated that
he understood what service

01:07:29.060 --> 01:07:31.250
in the United States Navy means.

01:07:31.250 --> 01:07:32.987
To these sailors, he said,

01:07:32.987 --> 01:07:36.827
"Take advantage of every
opportunity while in training,

01:07:36.827 --> 01:07:40.187
"and I'm sure you'll
accomplish something later on

01:07:40.187 --> 01:07:42.457
"for which you will all be proud

01:07:42.457 --> 01:07:43.967
"for the rest of your lives."

01:07:45.200 --> 01:07:47.843
He was speaking to African Americans.

01:07:49.640 --> 01:07:51.980
African American sailors.

01:07:51.980 --> 01:07:56.410
But he's really talking
about what it means to serve,

01:07:56.410 --> 01:08:00.480
about being prepared,
about being courageous,

01:08:00.480 --> 01:08:02.880
and about being proud to be a sailor

01:08:02.880 --> 01:08:05.130
in the United States Navy.

01:08:05.130 --> 01:08:08.630
Shortly after the speech,
he returned to sea

01:08:08.630 --> 01:08:09.923
and he never came home.

01:08:10.940 --> 01:08:14.053
On November 24th, 1943,

01:08:14.053 --> 01:08:16.230
a torpedo from a Japanese submarine

01:08:16.230 --> 01:08:20.930
struck the escort carrier,
Liscome Bay, amid ships,

01:08:20.930 --> 01:08:24.470
where Dorie Miller then
served as a ship's cook

01:08:24.470 --> 01:08:26.083
third class petty officer.

01:08:27.160 --> 01:08:30.290
The torpedo penetrated
the ship's light armor

01:08:30.290 --> 01:08:34.230
and detonated the aircraft bomb magazine,

01:08:34.230 --> 01:08:36.340
igniting that entire section of the ship

01:08:36.340 --> 01:08:38.120
and killing most of the crew

01:08:38.120 --> 01:08:40.510
who were working there instantly.

01:08:40.510 --> 01:08:44.320
23 minutes later, the
entire ship went down.

01:08:44.320 --> 01:08:49.320
Of that ship's crew of over
900, only 272 survived.

01:08:50.340 --> 01:08:55.340
Ship's cook third class Doris
Miller was not among them.

01:08:57.130 --> 01:08:59.450
He died as he lived,

01:08:59.450 --> 01:09:03.020
an American sailor defending our nation,

01:09:03.020 --> 01:09:06.113
shoulder to shoulder with
his shipmates to the end.

01:09:07.360 --> 01:09:11.270
Dorie Miller stood for
everything that is good

01:09:11.270 --> 01:09:12.970
about our nation.

01:09:12.970 --> 01:09:16.440
His story deserves to be
remembered and repeated

01:09:16.440 --> 01:09:20.710
wherever our people continue
to stand the watch today.

01:09:20.710 --> 01:09:23.970
He is not just the story of one sailor.

01:09:23.970 --> 01:09:26.320
It is the story of our Navy,

01:09:26.320 --> 01:09:31.320
of our nation, and our
ongoing struggle to form,

01:09:31.620 --> 01:09:35.363
in the words of our Constitution,
a more perfect union.

01:09:36.250 --> 01:09:40.850
That is why it's my honor
today to announce formally

01:09:40.850 --> 01:09:43.463
that our next forward air class carrier,

01:09:44.410 --> 01:09:49.410
CVN-81, will be named
the USS Doris Miller.

01:09:50.746 --> 01:09:53.913
(audience applauding)

01:10:18.520 --> 01:10:21.550
This will be the second ship
named after Doris Miller,

01:10:21.550 --> 01:10:24.570
sailing in the wake of a Knox
class frigate, USS Miller,

01:10:24.570 --> 01:10:26.420
which served throughout the Cold War.

01:10:27.313 --> 01:10:30.560
In its 1973 commissioning,
Congressman Barbara Jordan

01:10:30.560 --> 01:10:34.117
predicted, quote, "The Doris Millers

01:10:34.117 --> 01:10:39.117
"of the future will be
captains as well as cooks."

01:10:39.380 --> 01:10:41.010
She was right.

01:10:41.010 --> 01:10:44.330
But perhaps even Representative
Jordan's prediction

01:10:44.330 --> 01:10:47.140
was not quite ambitious enough.

01:10:47.140 --> 01:10:50.350
Today, that list of
Dorie Miller successors

01:10:50.350 --> 01:10:54.500
include admirals and generals as well.

01:10:54.500 --> 01:10:57.620
With African American men and
women serving at every rank

01:10:57.620 --> 01:11:00.200
and every specialty throughout our Navy

01:11:00.200 --> 01:11:01.383
and Marine Corps team.

01:11:02.370 --> 01:11:04.980
Many more African American
men and women will doubtless

01:11:04.980 --> 01:11:07.260
be among the officers and crew

01:11:07.260 --> 01:11:10.160
when the USS Dorie Miller takes to sea.

01:11:10.160 --> 01:11:12.400
She will be the first aircraft carrier

01:11:12.400 --> 01:11:16.323
we've ever named for an
African American naval hero.

01:11:17.310 --> 01:11:21.280
But what I want to note, that
it will also be the first one

01:11:21.280 --> 01:11:23.693
we've ever named for an enlisted sailor.

01:11:24.695 --> 01:11:27.862
(audience applauding)

01:11:36.420 --> 01:11:39.180
In selecting his name, we
honor the contributions

01:11:39.180 --> 01:11:42.450
of all of our enlisted
ranks, past and present,

01:11:42.450 --> 01:11:46.770
men and women of every race,
religion and background

01:11:46.770 --> 01:11:50.470
to form a ship's crew
or a Marine Corps unit.

01:11:50.470 --> 01:11:53.080
Today we remember the
countless boatswain's mates,

01:11:53.080 --> 01:11:55.510
gunners mates, radio and radar operators,

01:11:55.510 --> 01:12:00.110
yeomen, messman, infantry
men, from the newest recruits

01:12:00.110 --> 01:12:03.170
to the most experienced
chiefs and sergeants.

01:12:03.170 --> 01:12:06.980
With this naming, we honor
all of our enlisted personnel,

01:12:06.980 --> 01:12:09.260
and all who served in that capacity

01:12:09.260 --> 01:12:12.520
throughout the history of
our Navy and Marine Corps.

01:12:12.520 --> 01:12:16.780
They are the backbone of our naval force.

01:12:16.780 --> 01:12:19.113
The steel spine of our ships.

01:12:19.970 --> 01:12:21.863
And perhaps most importantly,

01:12:22.720 --> 01:12:27.030
they are the faces of our
great and diverse country,

01:12:27.030 --> 01:12:30.500
and they take that face to
every corner of the world

01:12:30.500 --> 01:12:32.733
where they steam and where they serve.

01:12:33.720 --> 01:12:37.010
Finally, with this naming,

01:12:37.010 --> 01:12:41.000
we dedicate CVN-81 to all those who served

01:12:41.000 --> 01:12:43.910
and sacrificed in World War II.

01:12:43.910 --> 01:12:47.433
And as we all know, with each passing day,

01:12:48.940 --> 01:12:52.503
another one leaves us
and proceeds to heaven.

01:12:55.550 --> 01:12:58.980
Despite the infamy that we
associate with Pearl Harbor,

01:12:58.980 --> 01:13:01.990
the words of Lincoln at
Gettysburg could just as easily

01:13:01.990 --> 01:13:05.020
be applied to these
sacred waters behind me.

01:13:05.020 --> 01:13:08.107
He said, "The world will little note

01:13:08.107 --> 01:13:11.407
"nor long remember what we say here,

01:13:11.407 --> 01:13:13.967
"but it can never forget
what they did here."

01:13:14.860 --> 01:13:17.200
Likewise, we can never forget

01:13:17.200 --> 01:13:19.430
what they did here at Pearl Harbor

01:13:19.430 --> 01:13:24.060
and in the four years of
brutal war that followed.

01:13:24.060 --> 01:13:27.200
The fate of humanity was in the hands

01:13:27.200 --> 01:13:30.080
of young sailors, Marines, soldiers,

01:13:30.080 --> 01:13:32.730
airmen, and coast guardsmen.

01:13:32.730 --> 01:13:34.850
And they answered the call.

01:13:34.850 --> 01:13:37.783
And they answered that
call without hesitation.

01:13:39.230 --> 01:13:41.460
When asked about his actions
on the West Virginia,

01:13:41.460 --> 01:13:44.667
Dorie Miller told the
Dallas Morning News, quote,

01:13:44.667 --> 01:13:46.657
"There wasn't much time to think.

01:13:46.657 --> 01:13:48.557
"It just seemed like the thing to do."

01:13:49.910 --> 01:13:53.053
And isn't that what we
expect from every sailor?

01:13:54.560 --> 01:13:59.083
Dorie Miller knew what was
necessary, and he did it.

01:13:59.920 --> 01:14:02.080
Just like thousands of
brave young Americans

01:14:02.080 --> 01:14:05.110
would do on that day,
and millions would do

01:14:05.110 --> 01:14:06.843
in the long years that followed.

01:14:07.770 --> 01:14:10.690
And because Dorie Miller's
generation, quote,

01:14:10.690 --> 01:14:14.290
knew what to do and sacrificed to do it,

01:14:14.290 --> 01:14:17.220
we have the freedoms that we enjoy today.

01:14:17.220 --> 01:14:19.020
We must honor them all.

01:14:19.020 --> 01:14:22.470
Because every day we enjoy the
freedom they bequeath to us

01:14:22.470 --> 01:14:24.613
is a tribute to their legacy.

01:14:26.220 --> 01:14:30.740
Last year, my wife Robin and I
joined one of these veterans,

01:14:30.740 --> 01:14:32.733
96 year old veteran of World War II.

01:14:34.047 --> 01:14:36.120
He was named Emory Crowder.

01:14:36.120 --> 01:14:38.640
And he joined us for a
performance of the Messiah

01:14:38.640 --> 01:14:40.500
at the Naval Academy.

01:14:40.500 --> 01:14:42.750
Never been to the Naval Academy before,

01:14:42.750 --> 01:14:45.163
never been to the Naval
Academy Chapel before.

01:14:46.100 --> 01:14:47.470
Like Dorie Miller,

01:14:47.470 --> 01:14:50.170
Emory Crowder served
in the Pacific theater,

01:14:50.170 --> 01:14:52.260
earning a silver star as a corpsman

01:14:52.260 --> 01:14:54.310
serving with the Marine Corps.

01:14:54.310 --> 01:14:58.780
And who knows, Emery and
Dorie may have crossed paths

01:14:58.780 --> 01:15:01.100
somewhere west of here in
the vastness of this great

01:15:01.100 --> 01:15:05.420
Pacific Ocean between 1941 and 43.

01:15:05.420 --> 01:15:06.523
Only they'll know.

01:15:07.820 --> 01:15:10.860
Emery stormed the beaches
at Saipan and Tinian,

01:15:10.860 --> 01:15:14.210
and saved lives under fire
with what equipment he could.

01:15:14.210 --> 01:15:16.480
On his way to Okinawa, his ship was sunk

01:15:16.480 --> 01:15:18.680
by a kamikaze pilot.

01:15:18.680 --> 01:15:20.620
And he was rescued from
the cold Pacific Ocean

01:15:20.620 --> 01:15:21.783
a few hours later.

01:15:22.987 --> 01:15:26.790
And of all the things he told
me about his war experience,

01:15:26.790 --> 01:15:31.343
I'll never forget how after
that performance of the Messiah,

01:15:32.430 --> 01:15:34.660
when he was surrounded by midshipmen

01:15:34.660 --> 01:15:38.560
who took pictures with him
and thanked him for service,

01:15:38.560 --> 01:15:40.053
I'll remember what he said.

01:15:41.610 --> 01:15:44.957
He said, "Thank you.

01:15:44.957 --> 01:15:49.857
"I did it so that you
could have this life."

01:15:51.600 --> 01:15:54.750
I've never heard such
a cogent and poignant

01:15:54.750 --> 01:15:57.143
explanation of service in my entire life.

01:15:58.010 --> 01:16:00.020
These veterans did what they did

01:16:00.020 --> 01:16:03.683
so that we could have this life, not them.

01:16:05.470 --> 01:16:07.690
All of us who enjoy this life today

01:16:07.690 --> 01:16:11.180
owe a debt to all the Emory
Crowders, all the Dorie Millers,

01:16:11.180 --> 01:16:13.490
all who served in the
Pacific, the Atlantic,

01:16:13.490 --> 01:16:15.670
and around the world in World War II.

01:16:15.670 --> 01:16:20.510
It is each of them, regardless
of race, creed or color,

01:16:20.510 --> 01:16:23.203
whom we celebrate as we
name this ship today.

01:16:24.236 --> 01:16:27.620
The USS Doris Miller
will be our most advanced

01:16:27.620 --> 01:16:29.380
and lethal warship.

01:16:29.380 --> 01:16:31.530
More than that, it will
be the most advanced

01:16:31.530 --> 01:16:34.770
and lethal ship the world has ever seen.

01:16:34.770 --> 01:16:38.450
But beyond her capabilities
as a warfighting platform,

01:16:38.450 --> 01:16:42.180
wherever this ship and her
strike group may travel,

01:16:42.180 --> 01:16:46.890
the USS Doris Miller
will also be a reminder

01:16:46.890 --> 01:16:48.840
of the ongoing journey for justice

01:16:48.840 --> 01:16:51.050
that has defined our nation,

01:16:51.050 --> 01:16:53.410
a tribute to our enlisted personnel,

01:16:53.410 --> 01:16:56.190
and a living, tangible memorial

01:16:56.190 --> 01:16:58.853
to all those who fought in World War II.

01:17:00.410 --> 01:17:03.160
Every sailor and Marine who sails on board

01:17:03.160 --> 01:17:08.110
the USS Doris Miller must
honor its namesake's legacy

01:17:08.110 --> 01:17:11.020
by showing the same
initiative, professionalism,

01:17:11.020 --> 01:17:14.490
and commitment that Messman Miller did

01:17:14.490 --> 01:17:18.130
under the harshest possible
conditions imaginable.

01:17:18.130 --> 01:17:20.690
And then every one of us here today

01:17:20.690 --> 01:17:23.460
must honor the dignity and leadership

01:17:23.460 --> 01:17:27.400
Doris Miller showed as he
spoke across the country,

01:17:27.400 --> 01:17:29.870
igniting a moral fight for justice

01:17:29.870 --> 01:17:32.680
and catalyzing change
that would eventually

01:17:32.680 --> 01:17:36.793
transform our country, and
transform it for the better.

01:17:38.330 --> 01:17:41.030
Wherever and whenever the
people of the world will see

01:17:41.030 --> 01:17:46.020
the USS Doris Miller, they
will know what we value,

01:17:46.020 --> 01:17:49.670
what we stand for, and
who we are as a people.

01:17:49.670 --> 01:17:52.700
And they will remember
the extraordinary journey

01:17:52.700 --> 01:17:54.530
that brought us here.

01:17:54.530 --> 01:17:56.890
How we have never relented

01:17:56.890 --> 01:17:59.620
in pursuing justice at home and abroad.

01:17:59.620 --> 01:18:04.070
And the ongoing work and
peace that we must pursue

01:18:04.070 --> 01:18:05.733
as long as we remain a nation.

01:18:07.280 --> 01:18:10.000
Doris Miller was the
son of a sharecropper,

01:18:10.000 --> 01:18:11.830
a descendant of slaves.

01:18:11.830 --> 01:18:14.700
He was not given the same
opportunities that men

01:18:14.700 --> 01:18:17.080
of a different color were
given to serve his country.

01:18:17.080 --> 01:18:22.040
But on December 7th, 1941, just behind me,

01:18:22.040 --> 01:18:25.823
he would not be defined by the
prejudice of other peoples.

01:18:26.870 --> 01:18:31.380
He was not just a sailor,
he was an American sailor.

01:18:31.380 --> 01:18:34.670
So designated by the uniform that he wore.

01:18:34.670 --> 01:18:37.793
The same uniform all
American sailors wear,

01:18:38.840 --> 01:18:43.800
and still wear, regardless
of race, ethnic background,

01:18:43.800 --> 01:18:48.070
accent, religion, or political persuasion.

01:18:48.070 --> 01:18:50.140
He was the greatest of sailors

01:18:50.140 --> 01:18:53.400
because he was an American sailor.

01:18:53.400 --> 01:18:55.440
And as an American sailor,

01:18:55.440 --> 01:18:58.423
in the violence and chaos
of that awful December day,

01:18:59.758 --> 01:19:04.080
it was his character, not his
skin color or his uniform,

01:19:04.080 --> 01:19:07.493
that ordained that he become
something even more than that,

01:19:08.370 --> 01:19:12.130
that he would become an American hero.

01:19:12.130 --> 01:19:15.480
And it's for that reason that Doris Miller

01:19:15.480 --> 01:19:19.320
will sail into history from
this point in place forward,

01:19:19.320 --> 01:19:23.790
adorning the most powerful
American warship in the world

01:19:23.790 --> 01:19:26.053
for the better part of this century.

01:19:27.250 --> 01:19:31.800
It is an honor that he, his family,

01:19:31.800 --> 01:19:34.260
and all those who
struggle for civil rights

01:19:34.260 --> 01:19:37.523
within our Navy and our
nation duly deserve.

01:19:38.600 --> 01:19:42.020
And it is an honor I
am extremely privileged

01:19:42.020 --> 01:19:45.773
to have the opportunity
and authority to bestow.

01:19:47.350 --> 01:19:48.880
Yesterday I was speaking with

01:19:49.940 --> 01:19:52.993
Doris Miller's niece, Brenda,
who's here with us today.

01:19:54.640 --> 01:19:55.473
Hey, Brenda.

01:19:56.530 --> 01:19:57.670
That's Brenda on the end.

01:19:57.670 --> 01:20:01.160
She told me with great
conviction and gratitude

01:20:01.160 --> 01:20:04.840
that finally, because of
what we are doing here today,

01:20:04.840 --> 01:20:09.113
her uncle Doris, the
quiet sailor, was awake.

01:20:10.970 --> 01:20:13.160
Did you see the rainbow this morning?

01:20:13.160 --> 01:20:15.680
He's awake, he's awake.

01:20:15.680 --> 01:20:17.790
I have no doubt that this is true

01:20:17.790 --> 01:20:20.070
and that he's watching all of us.

01:20:20.070 --> 01:20:22.040
He's awake, Brenda.

01:20:22.040 --> 01:20:24.910
And he is seizing this moment to gaze upon

01:20:24.910 --> 01:20:27.090
the proud faces of his family

01:20:27.090 --> 01:20:29.963
who are here with you
at this sacred place.

01:20:31.220 --> 01:20:34.630
As I have learned more
about Doris Miller, however,

01:20:34.630 --> 01:20:37.380
I'm pretty certain he's wasting no time

01:20:37.380 --> 01:20:39.663
listening to the words we speak about him.

01:20:47.170 --> 01:20:49.770
Rather, he is using this moment

01:20:51.090 --> 01:20:53.403
to awaken as many other souls as he can.

01:20:54.750 --> 01:20:58.600
Souls that have dedicated to
American sailors and Marines

01:20:58.600 --> 01:21:00.653
with whom he served and sacrificed,

01:21:01.668 --> 01:21:05.400
so that he can share this honor with them

01:21:07.270 --> 01:21:09.970
in a place where there's no race

01:21:10.960 --> 01:21:14.960
and no rank and no branch of service,

01:21:14.960 --> 01:21:17.592
although I'm pretty sure the
Army's in a different part.

01:21:17.592 --> 01:21:20.592
(audience laughing)

01:21:21.710 --> 01:21:23.820
Because that is what American heroes do

01:21:24.870 --> 01:21:26.063
and always will do.

01:21:26.920 --> 01:21:28.230
Thank you so much for being here

01:21:28.230 --> 01:21:29.930
to participate in this moment.

01:21:29.930 --> 01:21:34.460
May God protect all those who
sail on the USS Doris Miller,

01:21:34.460 --> 01:21:36.770
and may God continue to bless this nation

01:21:36.770 --> 01:21:39.720
and all of the sailors and
Marines who go in harm's way

01:21:39.720 --> 01:21:43.330
every day to keep us
safe and to keep us free.

01:21:43.330 --> 01:21:47.510
Go Navy, go Doris Miller, go Pearl Harbor,

01:21:47.510 --> 01:21:50.850
mahalo, and as always, beat Army.

01:21:50.850 --> 01:21:52.094
Thank you.

01:21:52.094 --> 01:21:55.261
(audience applauding)

01:22:13.550 --> 01:22:15.140
- [Announcer] Now the ushers will lead

01:22:15.140 --> 01:22:18.960
the entire Miller family on
stage for a special unveiling

01:22:18.960 --> 01:22:23.077
of the future United
States ship, Doris Miller.

01:23:11.011 --> 01:23:14.178
(audience applauding)

01:23:45.730 --> 01:23:47.770
On behalf of the Secretary of the Navy,

01:23:47.770 --> 01:23:50.400
it is our great honor today to invite

01:23:50.400 --> 01:23:53.683
Miss Henrietta Bledsoe Miller
to make closing comments.

01:23:55.933 --> 01:23:59.100
(audience applauding)

01:24:02.931 --> 01:24:05.098
- It's kind of hard to go.

01:24:15.690 --> 01:24:18.470
As I was saying, it's kind of
hard to go beyond all this.

01:24:18.470 --> 01:24:22.230
The Miller family are honored to be here

01:24:22.230 --> 01:24:27.230
to represent the Miller family
at this historical event.

01:24:28.910 --> 01:24:29.880
Y'all have to excuse me,

01:24:29.880 --> 01:24:31.763
'cause I'm impressed at this moment.

01:24:34.090 --> 01:24:39.090
I often say we have
these why not me moments.

01:24:41.530 --> 01:24:44.270
When all the guards decided
that he was gonna step up

01:24:44.270 --> 01:24:46.560
to the machine gun and shoot,

01:24:46.560 --> 01:24:48.783
it was his why not me moments.

01:24:49.750 --> 01:24:51.860
And as we go through this life,

01:24:51.860 --> 01:24:55.353
we're all gonna be confronted
with why not me moments.

01:24:56.960 --> 01:24:59.800
Whether they be small
or whether they affect,

01:24:59.800 --> 01:25:03.500
but each one you will be affecting someone

01:25:03.500 --> 01:25:05.843
if you take an action upon that moment.

01:25:08.660 --> 01:25:11.640
At the time that he did
this, he did not realize

01:25:12.810 --> 01:25:16.443
how proud he was gonna make this family,

01:25:17.360 --> 01:25:19.140
not that we weren't already.

01:25:19.140 --> 01:25:20.900
My grandmother often talked about him

01:25:20.900 --> 01:25:24.473
along with my uncles and my dad.

01:25:26.410 --> 01:25:29.500
But we also have my
sister who's now deceased

01:25:29.500 --> 01:25:32.210
that kept this alive.

01:25:32.210 --> 01:25:36.763
She made sure that his
memories would be memorable.

01:25:38.940 --> 01:25:41.270
What I'm asking you all to do today

01:25:41.270 --> 01:25:43.223
is have those why not me moments.

01:25:45.190 --> 01:25:49.623
I mean, it sort of supersedes race,

01:25:50.580 --> 01:25:53.293
it supersedes gender,

01:25:54.540 --> 01:25:57.340
and all of the other categories
that go along with that.

01:25:58.560 --> 01:26:03.560
I just wanna say thank you for
allowing us to be here today

01:26:03.930 --> 01:26:08.630
to share this memorial
historical memory with you guys.

01:26:08.630 --> 01:26:10.061
Thank you.

01:26:10.061 --> 01:26:13.228
(audience applauding)

01:26:29.600 --> 01:26:32.000
- [Announcer] Ladies and
gentlemen, please remain standing

01:26:32.000 --> 01:26:35.433
for the benediction and the
departure of the official party.

01:26:58.110 --> 01:27:02.220
- Lord, we name this ship,
we pray for this ship.

01:27:02.220 --> 01:27:05.280
And we've asked you to
bless her and keep her,

01:27:05.280 --> 01:27:09.050
to make her face to shine upon
her, to be gracious to her.

01:27:09.050 --> 01:27:11.560
Lord, that you would
lift up your countenance

01:27:11.560 --> 01:27:13.093
upon the crew of this ship.

01:27:14.750 --> 01:27:16.603
And grant them your peace.

01:27:16.603 --> 01:27:19.421
It's your most holy name that we pray.

01:27:19.421 --> 01:27:20.254
Amen.

01:27:20.254 --> 01:27:22.837
(gentle music)

01:28:12.168 --> 01:28:15.585
- [Announcer] Boson, post the side buoys.

01:28:48.463 --> 01:28:53.263
Escorts will now escort the
official party off the stage.

01:29:59.691 --> 01:30:02.274
(bell ringing)

01:30:05.446 --> 01:30:07.446
Pacific Fleet departing.

01:30:16.004 --> 01:30:18.587
(bell ringing)

01:30:22.090 --> 01:30:23.623
Navy departing.

01:30:34.520 --> 01:30:36.690
Ladies and gentlemen,

01:30:36.690 --> 01:30:39.170
our official party will now depart

01:30:39.170 --> 01:30:40.493
along with their families.