The Ambassador
Remarks by Ambassador Robert A. Bradtke
at 231st Marine Corps Ball in
· Gunny Smith, thank you for that introduction. Members of the Marine Security Guard Detachment Zagreb, thank you for having me as your Guest of Honor this evening.
· Colonel Head, my American and Croatian colleagues from the Embassy community, and all of our other guests, particularly our Croatian guests, it is a great pleasure to be here with you this evening to celebrate the 231st birthday of the United States Marine Corps.
· As Gunny Smith mentioned in his introduction, I served in
· One of the problems with having been around that long is - as my former boss in London Admiral Crowe used to say - that the older you get, the more you start having stronger and stronger memories of things that didn't actually happen.
· So, with that warning, I cannot help but think back this evening to last time I had dinner in this hotel.
· Back then, this hotel was the Intercontinental. It was the newest, fanciest, and most expensive hotel in town. As a junior officer, with a modest salary, I didn't eat here often, only on special occasions, but I remember an elegant dining room on the top floor, with a view out over the lights of
· Thirty years ago, of course, our Consulate General was housed not far from here on a street that was then known as Brače Kavurića. There were only ten Americans serving at our Consulate General, and there was no/no marine detachment.
· Visitors to the Consulate simply walked in the door off the street, went up a short flight up steps, stated their business to one of our Croatian employees, and then just went on to one of our offices.
· At the end of the day, whichever one of us was the duty officer, stayed until everyone else had left, walked through the building from the top floor to the bottom, checked to see whether any classified material had been left out (I can't say I remember a lot of security violations), locked the front door and left.
· Needless to say times have changed.
·
· The old Intercontinental Hotel is now the Westin.
· Our old consulate is the French Embassy.
· And, of course, the rest of the world has changed, too. We face new threats and challenges in the world, threats and challenges which I could not even have imagined or which would have seemed remote thirty years ago, including new, more deadly and destructive forms of terrorism, and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.
· One thing which has not changed, however, is that 231 years after its founding, the United States Marine Corps is still protecting Americans, our friends and our allies around the world.
· Even as we celebrate tonight, we remember the many Marines who are in harm's way.
· We remember the 31 Marines who died in October in
· We remember the Marines who are patrolling the streets of Fallujah.
· We remember the Marines who are helping to restore electricity and water in Ramadi.
· And, we remember the Marines who are engaging the Taliban in eastern
· Marines are risking their lives to give these young democracies in
· Marine Balls, like this one around the world, are not only an occasion to mark the birthday of the Marine Corps and remember the sacrifices of those who serve. These Balls also are times when we celebrate a unique partnership, a partnership between the Marine Corps and the State Department, which was established 57 years ago, in 1949.
· Today there are more than 1,200 Marines serving should-to-shoulder with our diplomats in 149 of our embassies and consulates, providing essential security for us, and keeping us safe.
· We rely on each other, as in the attack on our Consulate in Jeddah two years ago when quick action by a Marine Guard to secure the Consulate saved the lives of American and Saudi employees.
· We face threats together, as in the bombing of our Embassy in Damascus this year, where the Marine Guards, including Staff Sergeant Jenkins, who is here tonight, reacted with "poise and perfection" in the words of the Assistant Secretary of State for Security.
· And, happily here in
· Tonight, while we remember dangers, past and present, while we celebrate the Corps birthday and our partnership around the world, I hope we will all be able to enjoy such a moment of relaxed friendship.
· Finally, in closing, I would like to read Secretary Rice's message on the occasion of the 231st anniversary of the United States Marine Corps.
· "On behalf of the men and women of the Department of State, I offer my warmest congratulations and best wishes to the United States Marine Corps on its upcoming 231st anniversary on November 10.
· You stand at the front lines of the War on Terror, supporting democracy and freedom globally. You also protect our Missions and personnel in the most dangerous regions of the world, for which the Department is especially grateful.
· Thank you for your devotion, your courage, and your selfless service to your county, Most importantly, thank you for your crucial contribution to diplomacy.
· I stand proudly with all members of the Department of State in wishing you a very happy birthday."