2026 NSA Cryptologic Memorial Day Observance Ceremony Highlight Video Transcript
(Music)
There's over 180 military and civilian
names etched on that wall.
And today we add two more to it.
Staff Sergeant Jacob Galliher and
Sergeant Jacob Durham.
Let me first recognize the most important
people in this room.
It's the families.
But just know that there is nothing
more significant than the
sacrifice that you all have endured
and given on behalf of the nation.
With the loss of our two heroes.
Let's talk a little bit about
these two heroes.
The tale of two Jacobs, both in
different armed services.
There's a lot of similarities
between these two.
Their patriotism, their commitment,
their leadership.
This one's a little personal.
Had both these tragic events happened
a few years earlier.
I would have been their operational
commander.
We will likely never share the details of
what they're doing given the
secrecy around it.
I'm going to tell you right now the
mission that both these men
were performing was in support of making
sure that we avoid war.
Nothing we can do will bring them back.
Nothing will ease your loss and pain.
But I promise you, we will
never forget them.
When I was thinking through, hey,
what story of Jake do I want to share?
Was the day that we had absolute
chaos going on in our unit.
We had just been told, hey,
time to typhoon evac
and those are crazy.
When those things start kicking off
in Japan, typhoons are wild.
Jake popped out with this perfectly
combed hair.
Just surfer bro look.
And he looked me in the eyes and he
was like, Sir, it makes zero
sense for you to spin anybody else up.
I'm already here. I got my bags packed.
I'm ready to go. It caught me off guard.
I had to step back into my office and
I was like, this is straight
out of the book of Isaiah, right?
Like when you think of here
I am, Lord send me.
This was it.
But it's in those moments where you
see somebody's character.
It's not in front of a bunch of people.
It's when they approach you and they say,
hey, don't make somebody else go do this.
I'm here. I'm willing.
I'm ready to go. Send me.
This is just an absolutely unshakable
testament to who he was, Ivy.
He loved you. He loved those boys.
Man, I'll never forget those stories.
His sacrifice is forever woven into the
fabric of this nation's military history.
And for that, I am super grateful, Sir.
Thank you again.
Sergeant Durham was a remarkable
leader, a noncommissioned
officer of Marines,
a steadfast brother in arms within
our first radio battalion.
He embodied the very best qualities
we demand of our Marines, and
his commitment was absolute, both
to the important cryptologic
mission and to his fellow Marines.
He was an ideal teammate who led through
quiet professionalism,
selflessness always placing others
before himself, with a
dedication that made all of us
better for having him within our ranks.
We knew he had an adventurous spirit
when at four years old, he
donned a towel to serve as a cape, turned
on the ceiling fan in his
room, and jumped from his bunk bed
to grab hold of a fan blade.
The blade broke off knocking him to the
floor, but that didn't seem
to deter him because he tried it a
second time, with the same result.
School was not Jake's favorite place,
so his enlistment in the Marines
just really surprised us.
We told him there are no shortcuts in
the Marines, but that didn't deter him.
Nor did he give up when he ended up
in the recovery ward multiple
times for stress fractures
in his legs and hip.
He was determined to become a Marine,
and so a Marine he became,
and he loved it.
We were so proud of the boy that the
young man that Jacob had
become and the life he was
making for himself.
What remains now are all the wonderful
memories of the 22 years that
came before that.
And for that at least, we have found
a way to be grateful.
We will now unveil the name
of Jacob Galliher.
We will now unveil the name
of Sergeant Durham.
Present arms.
[TAPS PLAYING]
| Date Taken: | 06.01.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 06.03.2026 10:14 |
| Category: | Video Productions |
| Video ID: | 1009075 |
| VIRIN: | 260603-D-IM742-2026 |
| Filename: | DOD_111744887 |
| Length: | 00:06:26 |
| Location: | FORT MEADE, MARYLAND, US |
| Downloads: | 0 |
| High-Res. Downloads: | 0 |
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