It is such a great honor for me to be back here in New York City. I have found that whenever I come here, it just gives you a sense of adrenaline because of all the action and activity, but it also reminds me of what is so great about America. I truly believe that anyone can make it here, and if you can make it here, you can make it anywhere. [laughter] I truly believe those words because that is what this country is about.
So I always like to include some historical stuff in my remarks, and I found out that tonight is the 102nd birthday of Vince Lombardi. [laughter] Coach Lombardi's ties to New York are legendary. He coached at St Cecilia High School in New Jersey and for two years at Fordham University in the Bronx. He then went on to coach and mentor our cadets at West Point. But New Yorkers will always remember the illustrious "crowning achievement" of his Hall of Fame career when he was an assistant coach for the New York Giants when they won the League Championship in 1956. [laughter] Oh, by the way, he may have done something else in the upper mid-West, but I don't remember what that was. [laughter]
Tonight, here at the Union League we are here to celebrate another very special birthday, one that is very near and dear to my heart, the birthday of the United States Army. Mr. Chris Page, thank you for all the work you do and everything you have done, not only this evening but well beyond that to bring attention to all those who serve and all of our great Veterans that serve here in New York. Please join me in a round of applause.
My friends, the NYC fire commissioner and the NYC fire chief, thank you so much for being here. We have developed a very close relationship between the Army and the NYC Fire Department. We do a lot of joint work together. There are a lot of things that are very central to what we both do, and I just thank you so much for being here. It is a relationship that we will continue, and a relationship that I honor very much. I am so proud of the relationship we have with the fire department. Chief, Commissioner - thank you so much for being here this evening.
I would also like to extend a special welcome and thank you to the Families of our fallen Soldiers who are here with us tonight. In this business that we are in, we sacrifice and some sacrifice more than others. As I have gotten to know the families of our fallen, the one thing that I always find in common with them is how much their Soldiers loved what they were doing. Although it is tragic that we lose such great young men and women as they serve our Nation and our great Army, the best part of it is that they were doing what they wanted to do and they were doing what they believed in. They believed in this great country of ours, and I believe we should never, never forget that. So thank you very much for being here. We honor our sons and daughters who gave their lives for this great country.
It is fitting that we all come together to celebrate the 240th Army Birthday here in New York City. This is an exceptionally resilient city. One that has proven time and again its ability to cope with adversity and one that is committed to supporting all of our Service Members, especially our Soldiers, Veterans, and their Families.
As we gather tonight, our Soldiers continue to be actively engaged combating the growing complexities of the international security environment. We continue to see deployments of our Active Duty, National Guard, and Reserve Soldiers across five continents around the world. From Afghanistan to Korea, from Eastern Europe to the Persian Gulf; we are supporting our allies and partners in countering Russian aggression in Europe; we are training alongside our multinational counterparts in places such as Africa and across the entire Pacific; and we continue to train and advise our partners on countering extremist activities in the Middle East.
Like those Soldiers who have celebrated the Army Birthday for two hundred and forty years, the Soldiers of today continue to display the ingenuity, flexibility, and adaptability that our Nation relies on. Our military continues to remain strong and stands ready to perform across the wide range of military operations. What most people don't understand is that the reason we really have a military is to prevent conflict. It's about us being able to deter others. It's about us being able to compel others so we don't have to fight. And so we can bring peace and stability to the world around us. But if necessary, we will always be prepared to ensure that we are able to sustain the liberties and freedoms that we so much enjoy in this great country, just as we have done over the past 240 years.
New York City has its own storied 240 year history with the Army. Volunteers once joined together here to form our Nation's Army in the wake of the American Revolution. The "Fighting Sixty Ninth" from New York City has served our Nation in five major wars and can trace its lineage back to the Revolutionary War. For the past 240 years, countless New Yorkers have volunteered to defend this Nation, many still serving today around the world, while many others have paid the ultimate sacrifice in defense of this great Nation. Each of these New Yorkers are American heroes.
Sergeant Christian Engeldrum, a member of the 69th Infantry and also a New York City firefighter, was known for his patriotism, heroism, and duty. On September 11th, 2001, SGT Engeldrum responded to the World Trade Center attacks, risking his life and helping his fellow New Yorkers escape the debris from the falling World Trade Towers. SGT Engeldrum spent the following months clearing the debris and searching for survivors until his reserve unit deployed to Iraq. In 2004, while deployed with the Fighting 69th, he was killed in action while on a combat patrol in Baghdad. SGT Engeldrum risked his life for his fellow New Yorkers and fellow countrymen at the World Trade Center and gave his life for his fellow Americans in Iraq. He was a New Yorker, and he was an American Hero.
Staff Sergeant James McNaughton, a New York Police officer in the Transit Bureau in lower Manhattan and a member of the 306th Military Police Battalion, based out of Long Island, led a life of service, one instilled in him by his family. In 2004, he volunteered to deploy to Iraq, where SSG McNaughton gave his life training our Iraqi Police partners. He was a New Yorker, an American Hero.
Major Khirsten Schwenn, a UH-60 pilot, today, and Brigade Executive Officer for the 82nd Airborne Division, 82nd Combat Aviation Brigade, just returned from a deployment to Afghanistan, leading our Soldiers in combat. She has served multiple tours in both Iraq and Afghanistan, and she continues today to live a life of service for love of her country, her Soldiers, and the Army crediting her success to the values instilled in her by her family. She is a New Yorker, an American Hero.
Major Schwenn, Staff Sergeant McNaughton, Sergeant Engledrum, and every Soldier joining us here tonight embody the essence of all of our Soldiers and represent what every man and woman strives to be. Our Soldiers are individuals who have earned the trust, a trust built over the last 240 years, of this great Nation. They possess a humility and selflessness that we all respect; they embrace esprit de corps; and routinely demonstrate a strength of character and dedication to their profession, all traits that epitomize the ethos of the American Soldier. Traits that also, I believe, describe every New Yorker, government or civilian worker, fire fighters, and police officers alike.
Just like the brave fire fighters and police officers who rushed into danger on 9-11, our Soldiers, together with them, are American Heroes. Because of the support and commitment from families, organizations, and cities like New York, that faith and trust is what drives them. They know that the military and our Nation supports both them and their Families, today, tomorrow, and into the future.
New York City and the businesses and people within in it are committed and innovative supporters of all of our services but especially, our Army, and are profoundly dedicated to the welfare of our Soldiers, Veterans, and their Families. Many companies here are committed to hiring over hundreds of thousands of military veterans and are looking to hire thousands more. Many people ask me, what can you do for those who serve? All our Soldiers ever ask is to just give them an opportunity. Once they are done serving, give them an opportunity. Give them an opportunity to continue to serve in whatever capacity that might be. I appreciate all the work you do in supporting our Veterans and the assistance that you give them no matter what they choose to do.
I am always so proud to come back here because everywhere I look, New York City exudes National pride. You see American flags flying all over this great city, and the support that they give to our Soldiers, Families, and Veterans is quite remarkable.
As I stand here, having served 39 years in the Army, I have never been more proud to wear this uniform and represent the great men and women who everyday are willing to raise their right hand and swear an oath to the Constitution of the United States to defend us against all of our enemies, foreign and domestic. I watch them every day sacrifice, wherever they might be, because they believe in this Nation. They believe in the people they represent, and frankly, that is what the Army's birthday is about.
It's about those who came before us who are willing to fight for this country. Whether it be in the Revolutionary War; whether it be storming the beaches of Normandy; whether it be in Vietnam; or whether it be today in Iraq, Afghanistan, Korea, or anywhere else around the world, they are willing to do that because they believe in this Nation. As we celebrate this birthday, it's important to remember that and what they stand for. That is why I am so proud to stand here and wear this uniform because of all of those who have done it decade after decade. They did it because they love this great country of ours.
I have had the chance to travel to many places around the world, and I tell everyone that whenever I come back home, I realize how fortunate I am to have been born in this great country of ours. There is no country like it in the world. For 240 years, the United States Army has done everything they possibly can to ensure that we maintain this great country.
I want to thank all of you this evening for being here. You honor us by your presence. You honor us by your support. Just remember those who serve today. As I stand here, there are 143,000 Soldiers in 150 countries around the world continuing to serve to ensure we can maintain this incredible country of ours.
Thank you New York City, thank you Union League Club, and thank all of you for being here this evening and supporting us.
The strength of our Nation is our Army.
The strength of our Army is our Soldiers.
The strength of our Soldiers is our Families.
And that is what makes us Army Strong!
Thank you very much.
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