FAREWELL REMARKS BY SECRETARY OF DEFENSE WILLIAM J. PERRY ARMED FORCES REVIEW AND AWARD CEREMONY FORT MYER, VA JAN. 14, 1997
(These remarks follow presentation of the Medal of Freedom
to Secretary Perry by President Bill Clinton.)
I shall be telling this with a sigh, somewhere ages and
ages hence. Two roads diverged in the wood, and I, I took the
one less traveled by. And that has made all the difference.
Four years ago, America faced a choice, a choice between two
roads that diverged. One road led to isolation and apathy, the
other road to engagement and action.
This century has taught us that the road of isolation and
apathy leads to instability and war. President Clinton chose
the road of engagement and action. He strove to bridge the Cold
War chasms, to reduce its nuclear legacy, to reach out to former
adversaries, to prevent the conditions for conflict and to create
the conditions for peace. And that, as Robert Frost has said,
has made all the difference.
It has made all the difference in Europe, where by
establishing the Partnership for Peace we have replaced an Iron
Curtain which divided the nations of Europe with a circle of
security which brings them together.
It has made all the difference in our own hemisphere, where
all nations save one have chosen democracy, and by establishing
the Defense Ministerial of Americas we have forged new links of
trust and cooperation.
It has made all the difference in the Asia Pacific, where by
establishing a framework agreement we froze the North Korean
nuclear program and prevented a nuclear arms race, and where by
strengthening the security agreement with Japan, we have ensured
America's security presence -- the oxygen that fuels the region's
prosperity.
Choosing the right road has made all the difference around
the world. By executing the Nunn-Lugar program, we have
dismantled 4,000 nuclear weapons that once targeted America's
cities. Today, the threat of nuclear holocaust no longer hangs
like a dark cloud over the heads of our children.
Four years ago, the Department of Defense faced a choice.
One road was well-traveled and easy to follow, but it would have
allowed our forces to atrophy as we completed the post-Cold War
drawdown. The other road was less traveled by, twisting and
bumpy with hard choices -- hard choices to ensure that we had
strong capable military forces ready to respond in a world of new
dangers.
Twice before in this century when faced with that same
choice, we chose the well-traveled road of neglect and we paid
the price -- in Korea with Task Force Smith, and after Vietnam
with a hollow army. This time we chose the road less-traveled by,
the road of readiness. We established training as our highest
priority, training designed to make the scrimmage tougher than
the game. We established the iron logic that quality of life for
our forces meant quality people in our forces. We reformed our
acquisition system to give our quality people the most effective
technology -- technology that enables them to dominate the
battlefield; to win quickly, decisively, and with minimum losses.
And that has made all the difference.
It made all the difference wherever we sent our forces to
prevent, deter, or defeat aggression: In Haiti, where we restored
democracy. In the Arabian Gulf, where we contained a brutal
dictator. In the Korean Peninsula, where we stood firm with an
ally. In Bosnia, where we have stopped the killing and brought to
a war-ravaged people the blessings of peace. The readiness road
ensured the success of each of these missions. Readiness made
all the difference.
Four years ago I faced a personal choice between a well-
traveled road to a quieter life centered around family and
friends, and a less-traveled road that led to turmoil, tension,
and tough decisions. But it also led to an opportunity to serve
our nation, to support the troops I cared for, and to achieve the
dreams I cherished.
I thought long and hard upon that choice and took counsel
from sage friends. I questioned my wisdom, my patience and my
ability to endure. But the courage to take that test came from
the advice of a tough Sergeant Major: Take care of the troops, he
said, and they will take care of you.
I have followed that advice, and that for me has made all
the difference. It made all the difference every time I advised
President Clinton on when and how to use military force. It made
all the difference when I negotiated with ministerial colleagues,
when I met with presidents and
kings. It made all the difference when I decided on force
levels, mission goals and rules of engagement every time we put
our troops in harm's way. It made all the difference when I met
with soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines, in distant lands, on
domestic bases, on training fields, ships at sea and cargo planes
or fighter jets. It made all the difference when I shared
Thanksgiving meals with them in Haiti, in Macedonia, in Bosnia.
That advice -- Take care of the troops, and they will take
care of you -- has made all the difference as I learned from my
mistakes, as I took pride in my achievements.
Today, I say farewell to the President, who honored me by
asking me to serve as Secretary. I say farewell to my colleagues
in the administration who worked with me to achieve common goals.
I say farewell to my friends in the media, and in the Congress,
and to the wonderful friends I have made in the embassies.
And I say farewell to our military leaders who have served
our country so brilliantly. They have prepared our forces for
war, but they are dedicated to peace. Elie Wiesel has said,
Peace is not God's gift to mankind. Peace is our gift to each
other. And for the last four years peace is the gift the we
have given the American public.
But the hardest farewell to say is to the troops who have
served me and whom I have served. Words cannot adequately
describe my pride in you. So my farewell to you is a simple
benediction: May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord
cause His face to shine upon you and give you peace.
Thank you. (Applause.)
