- [Emcee] At this time, we would like to recognize
all the veterans and their families
that have joined us here tonight,
by performing the songs of the armed services.
When you hear your service song,
or that of a loved one who has served,
we ask that you stand and be recognized.
(bright music)
The United States Coast Guard.
♪ We're always ready for the call ♪
♪ We place our trust in Thee ♪
♪ Through surf and storm and howling gale ♪
♪ High shall our purpose be ♪
♪ "Semper Paratus" is our guide ♪
♪ Our fame, our glory, too ♪
♪ To fight to save or fight and die ♪
♪ Aye! Coast Guard, we are for you ♪
- [Emcee] The United States Air Force.
♪ Off we go into the wild blue yonder ♪
♪ Climbing high into the sun ♪
♪ Here they come zooming to meet our thunder ♪
♪ At 'em boys, give 'er the gun, give 'er the gun ♪
♪ Down we dive, spouting our flame from under ♪
♪ Off with one helluva roar ♪
♪ We live in fame or go down in flame, hey ♪
♪ Nothing can stop the U.S. Air Force ♪
- [Emcee] The United States Navy.
♪ Anchors aweigh, my boys ♪
♪ Anchors aweigh ♪
♪ Farewell to college joys ♪
♪ We sail at break of day, of day ♪
♪ Through our last night on shore ♪
♪ Drink to the foam ♪
♪ Until we meet once more ♪
♪ Here's wishing you a happy voyage home ♪
- [Emcee] The United States Marine Corps.
♪ From the halls of Montezuma ♪
♪ To the shores of Tripoli ♪
♪ We fight our country's battles ♪
♪ In the air, on land, and sea ♪
♪ First to fight for right and freedom ♪
♪ And to keep our honor clean ♪
♪ We are proud to claim the title ♪
♪ Of United States Marine ♪
- [Emcee] Ladies and gentlemen, the Army song.
♪ March along, sing our song ♪
♪ With the Army of the free ♪
♪ Count the brave, count the true ♪
♪ Who have fought to victory ♪
♪ We're the Army and proud of our name ♪
♪ We're the Army and proudly proclaim ♪
♪ First to fight for the right ♪
♪ And to build the nation's might ♪
♪ And the Army goes rolling along ♪
♪ Proud of all we have done ♪
♪ Fighting till the battle's won ♪
♪ And the Army goes rolling along ♪
♪ Then it's hi, hi, hey ♪
♪ The Army's on its way ♪
♪ Count off the cadence loud and strong ♪
♪ For wheree'er we go ♪
♪ You will always know ♪
♪ That the Army goes rolling along ♪
(audience cheering)
(big band music)
♪ God bless America ♪
♪ Land that I love ♪
♪ Stand beside her and guide her ♪
♪ Through the night with the light from above ♪
♪ From the mountains to the prairies ♪
♪ To the oceans white with foam ♪
♪ God bless America ♪
♪ My home, sweet home ♪
- Thank you so much for coming out tonight.
It's nights like this that remind me
how great our country is.
Now if you are able, please stand and join me in singing
this great and patriotic song.
♪ God bless America ♪
♪ Land that I love ♪
♪ Stand beside her and guide her ♪
♪ Through the night with the light from above ♪
♪ From the mountains to the prairies ♪
♪ To the oceans white with foam ♪
♪ God bless America ♪
♪ My home, sweet home ♪
♪ God bless America ♪
♪ My home ♪
♪ Sweet ♪
♪ Home ♪
♪ My home ♪
(audience cheering)
- [Emcee] Good evening.
As a reminder, blank ammunition will be fired
from some of the weapons this evening.
So please be prepared if you or your children
are sensitive to loud noises.
The performance this evening is considered
an outdoor event, and headgear is to be worn
by all military personnel.
Twilight Tattoo celebrates America's Army,
the strength of the nation.
For over 243 years, soldiers of your Army,
active duty, National Guard, and Army Reserve
have remained the nation's force of decisive action.
Committed to protecting our hard-earned rights
and liberties, at home and abroad.
This evening's Twilight Tattoo also commemorates
100 years of mateship between the United States
and the Commonwealth of Australia.
Since first fighting side by side,
and enduring the horrors of trench warfare in World War One,
the United States and Australia have been staunch allies
and valued partners, in a relationship that has spanned
every major conflict of the 20th and 21st centuries.
Both nations recognize that they are founded upon
and sustained by their strongest citizens,
their servicemen and women in uniform.
On behalf of our host, General Joseph F. Dunford,
welcome to Fort Myer, and this evening's performance
of Twilight Tattoo.
(majestic music)
- [Todd] Ready, step.
(drumsticks clicking)
- [Emcee] The American Revolution was our eight-year-long
struggle for independence.
The conflict witnessed the birth of America's Army,
on 14 June 1775.
Though the raw militia units that comprised that force
were severely tested in the early years of the Revolution,
under the leadership of General George Washington,
a professional American Army emerged from the trials
and tribulations of Valley Forge,
as a trained, battle-tested, and highly organized
fighting force, comprised of Continental infantry,
mounted dragoons, and artillery.
- Sound assembly.
(drumming and yelling)
- To the front, march.
(intense music)
- Make ready.
Take aim.
Fire! (gunshots)
Advance firelocks.
To the front,
march!
March!
Charge bayonets.
Charge!
(men yelling)
(drum roll and intense music)
(audience cheering and applauding)
(drums and fifes playing)
- [Man] March!
Right
turn.
- Ready,
face!
- [Man] And one and two,
order, sound off.
- And one and two and three.
- [Todd] Now, order arms!
Now ready, hut!
Dress center, hut!
- And center.
- [Todd] Ready, front!
- And front.
- [Todd] Now dress center, hut!
Now ready, hut!
- [Emcee] The commander of troops this evening
is Lieutenant Colonel Todd Burroughs,
commander, Fourth Battalion, Third United States
Infantry Regiment, the Old Guard.
- [Todd] Now right shoulder, hut!
Now ready, hut.
- [Emcee] This evening's Twilight Tattoo is hosted
by General Joseph F. Dunford, United States Marine Corps,
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
is the most senior military officer in our Armed Forces,
representing the over two million men and women
of the joint force.
This year, the United States and Australia,
separate 100 years of mateship.
This partnership was forged in battle
beginning in Hamel, France, on July 4th, 1918,
and has continued through World War Two,
Korea, Vietnam, the Gulf War, Iraq, and Afghanistan.
General Dunford is honored to host this evening's
Twilight Tattoo, commemorating our first 100 years
of partnership with our Australian allies.
Ladies and gentlemen, please rise as honors are rendered,
and please remain standing for the national anthems
of the United States of America
and the Commonwealth of Australia.
The color guard this evening is comprised of members
of the U.S. Army's Old Guard, as well as service members
of the Australian Defence Force.
The anthems will be sung this evening
by Sergeant Vicki Golding, a former soldier
in the Australian Army, and now a sergeant
in the Washington, D.C. Army National Guard.
- Present arms!
- [Soldiers] And one and two and three.
- [Todd] Step, present,
arms!
(band playing "Ruffles and Flourishes")
(gunshots)
- [Man] Fire!
(gunshots)
- [Man] Fire!
(gunshots)
- [Man] Fire!
(gunshots)
- [Man] Fire!
(gunshots)
- [Man] Fire!
(gunshots)
- [Man] Fire!
(gunshots)
- [Man] Fire!
(gunshots)
- [Man] Fire!
(gunshots)
- [Man] Fire!
(gunshots)
- [Man] Fire!
(gunshots)
(majestic music)
♪ Australians all let us rejoice ♪
♪ For we are young and free ♪
♪ We've golden soil and wealth for toil ♪
♪ Our home is girt by sea ♪
♪ Our land abounds in nature's gifts ♪
♪ Of beauty rich and rare ♪
♪ In history's page, let every stage ♪
♪ Advance Australia Fair ♪
♪ In joyful strains then let us sing ♪
♪ Advance Australia Fair ♪
♪ Oh, say can you see ♪
♪ By the dawn's early light ♪
♪ What so proudly we hailed ♪
♪ At the twilight's last gleaming ♪
♪ Whose broad stripes and bright stars ♪
♪ Through the perilous fight ♪
♪ O'er the ramparts we watched ♪
♪ Were so gallantly streaming ♪
♪ And the rockets' red glare ♪
♪ The bombs bursting in air ♪
♪ Gave proof through the night ♪
♪ That our flag was still there ♪
♪ Oh, say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave ♪
♪ O'er the land of the free ♪
♪ And the home of the brave ♪
(audience cheering and applauding)
- [Emcee] Please be seated.
- [Todd] Order, arms!
- [Soldiers] And one and two.
- [Emcee] Ladies and gentlemen, we are honored
to have special guests for tonight's ceremony.
His Excellency Joe Hockey, Ambassador of the Commonwealth
of Australia to the United States.
Senator The Honorable Michaelia Cash,
Minister for Jobs and Innovation.
The Honorable John Berry, former United States Ambassador
to the Commonwealth of Australia,
and President of the American Australian Association.
The Honorable Thomas Modly, United States
Undersecretary of the Navy.
The Honorable John Gibson, Chief Management Officer
of the Department of Defense.
Lieutenant General Angus Campbell,
Chief of Australian Army, and representative
for the Chief of Australian Defence Force.
General Paul Selva, Vice-Chairman
of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
General Mark Milley, Chief of Staff
of the United States Army.
Mister Dana Deasy, Chief Information Officer
of the Department of Defense.
Miss Mary Miller, performing duties of Assistant Secretary
of Defense for Research and Engineering.
And Admiral Charlie Ray, Vice-Commandant
of the United States Coast Guard.
- [Todd] Right, soldiers face!
- [Man] And one and two.
- [Todd] Right, face.
- [Man] And one and two.
- [Emcee] Once again, welcome to Fort Myer,
and this evening's special performance of Twilight Tattoo,
Army Strong.
(gunshots)
- [Todd] Forward march!
(drums and fifes playing)
- [Emcee] The origin of American military music
can be traced to the fifers and drummers
of the Revolutionary War.
This musical heritage is represented today
by the soldiers of the United States Army
Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps.
These active duty musicians honor the soldiers of the past,
while displaying the discipline, professionalism,
and precision of today's Army to audiences around the globe.
(majestic music)
(drums and fifes playing)
(audience cheering and applauding)
(majestic music)
(drum rolls)
(audience cheering and applauding)
- [Man] Drum roll, hut.
(drums and fifes playing "Yankee Doodle")
- [Emcee] Once again, ladies and gentlemen,
the United States Army Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps.
(audience cheering and applauding)
Less than a generation after the American Revolution,
the Army was again called upon to defend
our national sovereignty in the War of 1812.
In battles that raged from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico,
American soldiers endured and persevered.
As our nation's capital and the entire Chesapeake region
was threatened in the summer of 1814,
a small force of soldiers and militia held out
against an invading British Army and Fleet at a small post
near Baltimore, Maryland.
- Make ready.
Take aim.
Fire! (gunshots)
- [Man] Change step!
- Advance, fire ops.
- [Man] And one and two.
(intense music)
- We've been under constant attack the last two days.
The enemy's pressed us hard,
and they've been shelling Fort McHenry almost nonstop.
But the men,
the men endure the horrors of battle,
and the bombardment like veterans.
The courage and strength of the regular soldiers
and the militia
remains unbroken, despite the hardships.
We have a bond, we trust each other, and our officers,
and we know we will prevail.
This morning at dawn, the fort's commander
ordered an enormous flag to be raised to show the enemy
that we will not be defeated.
They say it can be seen for miles.
That flag is our nation's symbol, our badge of honor,
and it will not be lowered for this or for any foe.
(audience cheering and applauding)
- Forward, march, left,
left,
right, left, left.
- [Emcee] America's Army played a pivotal role
in shaping the early Republic, but in 1860,
clouds of war gathered once again on the horizon.
(bright music)
For four long years, battles raged in places called Shiloh,
Antietam, Gettysburg, and the wilderness.
Over 600,000 Americans died in the War Between the States,
as brother fought brother to determine
the fate of the country.
Many of the fallen were laid to rest in a newly established
cemetery on the grounds of an estate
overlooking Washington, D.C.
(country music)
♪ I never thought that this is where I'd settle down ♪
♪ I thought I'd die an old man back in my hometown ♪
♪ They gave me this plot of land ♪
♪ Me and some other men ♪
♪ For a job well done ♪
♪ There's a big white house sits on a hill just up the road ♪
♪ The man inside, he cried the day they brought me home ♪
♪ They folded up a flag ♪
♪ And told my mom and dad ♪
♪ We're proud of your son ♪
♪ And I'm proud to be on this peaceful piece of property ♪
♪ I'm on sacred ground and I'm in the best of company ♪
♪ I'm thankful for those thankful for the things I've done ♪
♪ I can rest in peace ♪
♪ I'm one of the chosen ones ♪
♪ I made it to Arlington ♪
♪ I remember Daddy brought me here when I was eight ♪
♪ We searched all day to find out where my granddad lay ♪
♪ And when we finally found that cross ♪
♪ He said, "Son, this is what it costs to keep us free" ♪
♪ Now here I am a thousand stones away from him ♪
♪ He recognized me on the day they brought me in ♪
♪ And it gave me a chill ♪
♪ When he clicked his heels ♪
♪ And saluted me ♪
♪ And I'm proud to be on this peaceful piece of property ♪
♪ I'm on sacred ground and I'm in the best of company ♪
♪ We're thankful for those thankful ♪
♪ For the things we've done ♪
♪ We can rest in peace, for we are the chosen ones ♪
♪ We made it to Arlington ♪
♪ Yeah, dust to dust ♪
♪ Don't cry for us ♪
♪ 'Cause we made it to Arlington ♪
♪ Mmm ♪
(audience applauding)
- [Emcee] Today, Arlington National Cemetery
is the final resting place of over 400,000 American heroes,
men and women who proudly wore their nation's uniform
and served in times of peace and war.
We honor their bravery, their sacrifices,
and their commitment to preserving the freedoms
we as Americans continue to enjoy.
The small frontier army that came into being
after the Civil War, and helped open the American West,
would evolve into a larger and more complex
fighting force, that first appeared on the world stage
in the Spanish American War.
Then, in 1917, the Army was called upon to deploy
massive formations overseas, under the command
of General John Pershing, to defeat the armies
of the German Kaiser in World War One.
This year marks the 100th anniversary
of the Battle of Hamel, a battle in France
that was a turning point in the First World War,
and in the relationship between the United States
and Australia.
This was the first time U.S. troops fought
alongside Australian troops.
It was also the first time American soldiers had ever served
under foreign command in an offensive operation,
with the attacking forces led by Australia's
greatest general, John Monash.
Appropriately, Monash chose the Fourth of July, 1918,
to launch an assault to take the village of Le Hamel.
It was a decisive victory that put the German Army
on the defensive until the Armistice four months later.
This was the start of an unbreakable alliance
that would see Australia fighting alongside the U.S.
in every significant conflict
in the 100 years that followed.
(gunshots and soldiers yelling)
(gentle music)
- A little about the battle of Hamel,
on the Fourth of July, 1918.
The Americans fought splendidly,
though not many of them, for they fought in units merged
in the Australia's command.
Before the battle, the commanding officer told them,
the commanding officer told them that they'll be
going in for the first time,
in support with the Australians,
and...
- I've lost a lot of soldiers in hard combat
these last few months as we pushed the Germans back.
One of them was a young man from Iowa,
Private Martin Treptow, just 24 years old.
When we mailed his personal effects to his family,
we found a message written inside the cover of his journal.
He had written, "America must win this war,
"therefore I will work, I will save, I will sacrifice,
"I will endure, I will fight cheerfully and do my utmost,
"as if the issue of this whole struggle
"depended on me alone."
I've asked myself many times, how was he able to maintain
such an outlook in the middle of all this horror?
I still don't know the answer, but I think in all of us,
as American soldiers, there's a sense of duty,
a realization that the sacrifices made by our forefathers
cannot have been in vain.
I've heard it said that freedom is never more
than one generation from extinction.
It's our turn to stand up and fight for the rights
and liberties that our fathers and grandfathers
also battled for.
It's the reason we're over here.
(marching music)
♪ Over there ♪
♪ Send the word, send the word over there ♪
♪ That the Yanks are coming ♪
♪ The Yanks are coming ♪
♪ The drums rum-tumming everywhere ♪
♪ So prepare ♪
♪ Say a prayer ♪
♪ Send the word, send the word to beware ♪
♪ We'll be over, we're coming over ♪
♪ And we won't come back till it's over over there ♪
♪ Johnnie, get your gun ♪
♪ Get your gun, get your gun ♪
♪ Take it on the run, on the run, on the run ♪
♪ Hear them calling, you and me ♪
♪ Every son of liberty ♪
♪ Hurry right away, no delay, go today ♪
♪ Make your daddy glad to have had such a lad ♪
♪ Tell your sweetheart not to pine ♪
♪ To be proud her boy's in line ♪
♪ Over there ♪
♪ Send the word, send the word over there ♪
♪ That the Yanks are coming ♪
♪ The Yanks are coming ♪
♪ The drums rum-tumming everywhere ♪
♪ So prepare ♪
♪ Say a prayer ♪
♪ Send the word, send the word to beware ♪
♪ We'll be over, we're coming over ♪
♪ And we won't come back till it's over over there ♪
(audience applauding and cheering)
- [Emcee] Though World War One has also been called
the War to End All Wars, less than a generation
after that conflict, the forces of tyranny and oppression
again threatened our country and her allies
in the Second World War.
For four years, American soldiers
and millions of men and women on the home front
fought and worked together to decisively defeat
the Axis powers around the globe.
American soldiers stormed across the plains of Europe,
and assaulted island fortresses throughout the Pacific,
fighting side by side with our Australian allies
to stop the Japanese advance.
(gunshots)
Despite fanatic resistance by the enemy,
American soldiers would emerge victorious
in both the European and Pacific theaters in 1945.
General of the Armies John J. Pershing
founded the United States Army Band in 1922.
Today, almost a century later, the Army Band
continues to play an important role in events
of national and international significance,
staging performances in the national capital region
and around the globe.
We now welcome the United States Army Band, Pershing's Own.
(audience applauding)
(drum roll)
(marching music)
(audience cheering and applauding)
- [Emcee] Music has always played a critical role
in the forging of America's national identity.
From the birth of our nation, Americans have used music
to strengthen our bonds as fellow citizens
during times of crisis, and to remember the achievements
of those who came before us.
The United States Army Band, Pershing's Own,
will now perform a medley of songs,
including Waltzing Matilda, one of Australia's
most famous ballads, that is sometimes described
as their unofficial national anthem.
Indicative of our long-standing U.S.-Australian mateship,
the song was also adopted
as the U.S. First Marine Division's official song,
based on the division's service alongside Australian forces
in the Pacific Theater in World War Two.
(big band music)
("Sing, Sing, Sing")
(bright music)
(swing music)
(drum roll)
("Waltzing Matilda")
(audience applauding and cheering)
("Stars and Stripes Forever" by J.P. Sousa)
- [Emcee] Ladies and gentlemen, the United States Army Band.
(audience applauding and cheering)
(drumsticks clicking)
The peace that so many had fought and died for
in World War Two lasted just a few short years.
In June 1950, the Cold War turned hot,
as American forces joined with the United Nations
to resist Communist aggression in Korea.
Among those who joined the fight
against the insidious threat of Communism
were elements of Australian Army, Navy, and Air Force,
who fought valiantly in every phase of the war.
Over 1.8 million American service members,
many of them veterans of World War Two,
fought desperate battles at places like Heartbreak Ridge,
Pork Chop Hill, and Sandbag Castle,
before an armistice which continues to this day
was signed, and the fighting came to an end.
(gentle music)
(helicopters whirring)
Less than a decade after the end of hostilities in Korea,
the U.S. Army, joined once again by combat forces
from the Commonwealth of Australia, were again called upon
to confront our enemies in the steaming jungles
and mountainous plateaus of Southeast Asia.
As the Army entered Vietnam, it implemented
an innovative concept, the use of helicopters
that introduced a revolution in warfare,
and created the concept of sky cavalry.
Helicopter gunships mounted with machine guns and rockets
rapidly delivered air assault troopers to the battlefield,
where they could be supported by tactical air
and overwhelming artillery fires.
In 1965, the first of these air mobile units,
from the First Cavalry Division, was deployed.
(drum roll)
(gunshots)
- Move up, move up, come on!
Right side, move up!
(gunshots)
Left side, move up!
(gunshots)
Man down!
- Let's go, 13.
(baby crying)
- On 14 November 1965,
450 soldiers from the Seventh Cav Regiment
dropped into Landing Zone X-ray in the Ia Drang Valley.
I'm their battalion commander, Lieutenant Colonel Hal Moore.
Our soldiers were mostly young draftees.
Our NCOs and officers were regular Army, the best.
When we hit the ground, we ran straight into 2,000
seasoned North Vietnamese regulars.
It was close combat with the enemy just feet away.
A hornet's nest of zipping bullets, bursting grenades,
and hand-to-hand combat.
But despite being outnumbered, the men held.
After three days and nights of intense fighting,
the shooting finally stopped.
An American army of draft-era citizen soldiers
had battled North Vietnam's
most experienced troops and prevailed.
The new combat techniques that we had mastered
prior to deploying had proved successful.
Your soldiers were courageous, self-disciplined,
and committed to each other.
They didn't let America down when called upon,
and I'm proud of 'em all, as I know you are, too.
(gentle music)
- [Emcee] The Vietnam War
was America's longest conflict
before the campaign in Afghanistan.
(audience applauding and cheering)
More than 58,000 Americans lost their lives in Vietnam.
1,597 Americans remain unaccounted for,
and are never forgotten.
The men and women of our Army fought in incredibly
challenging conditions, but never wavered in their courage
and commitment to the nation and each other.
In the post-Vietnam era, thousands of American soldiers
continued to serve the nation both in and out of uniform,
truly soldiers for life.
They helped transform America's army
into an all-volunteer force,
that became the world's most professional
and capable military team.
Today, the dedication and excellence of the American soldier
is reflected in the United States Army Drill Team.
(audience applauding and cheering)
We ask that no one use flash photography,
as the soldiers are using real weapons
with sharpened bayonets.
However, we do encourage you to cheer and applaud
the soldiers throughout the performance.
Since the birth of our nation, American soldiers
have always committed to a professional ethic of values,
possess unquestionable character, and are highly competent.
The Drill Team is the embodiment of these qualities.
Members of the Drill Team are from all corners
of the United States, with a wide range of specialties.
They have perfected their mission,
and are here to share it with you today.
(drum roll)
- [Man] Mark time!
Halt!
(intense music)
- [Emcee] Today, the Drill Team is commanded
by First Lieutenant Adam Skeenstra from Ontario, California.
(audience applauding)
(intense music)
The drill team represents today's soldiers,
as well as yesterday's heroes, who proudly fought
in the Revolutionary War, and continue to serve
in the mountains of Afghanistan,
throughout the Middle East, Europe,
Korea, and around the world.
- [Soldiers] Hey!
(audience applauding and cheering)
(intense music)
- [Emcee] The Army is made, equipped, and trained to execute
any range of missions.
This is done with the same trust, precision,
discipline, and professionalism that the Drill Team displays
with each rifle spin and coordinated move.
(rock music)
(audience applauding and cheering)
(rock guitar solo)
(audience applauding and cheering)
(rock music)
- Ready, step.
- [Emcee] And now, the most difficult maneuver of all,
the soldiers will continue to march
as members from the front rank toss their rifle into the air
over the formation, to be caught by the soldier
in the rear rank.
This is an exercise in trust, as each member will have
to put their safety in the hands of their brothers in arms.
This is the United States Army Drill Team's
signature maneuver since 1958.
The front to rear overhead rifle toss.
(drum roll)
(audience applauding and cheering)
- [Man] Ready, march.
- [Emcee] Ladies and gentlemen, once again,
the ambassadors for today's Army, yesterday's heroes,
and tomorrow's soldiers, your United States Army Drill Team!
(rock music)
(gentle music)
Throughout the last two decades of the 20th century,
American soldiers brought about an end to the Cold War,
and conducted combat operations and humanitarian
and peacekeeping missions, in places like Grenada,
Panama, Somalia, Haiti, and the Balkans.
In 1990, America's Army, working side by side
with joint and coalition partners,
defeated the Iraqi military in just 100 hours
of ground combat.
Since September 11th, 2001, the men and women of your Army
have carried the fight to those who would threaten
our way of life, from the deserts of Iraq
to the mountains of Afghanistan.
Your Army remains ever vigilant,
and in a constant state of readiness.
American soldiers and our allies, including significant
elements of the Australian Defence Force,
remain decisively engaged, taking the fight
to our enemies around the globe.
(bright music)
- I am Staff Sergeant Cheryl Hawkins
from San Diego, California,
and I am an American soldier.
I am a warrior and a member of a team.
I serve the people of the United States,
and live the Army values.
For 243 years, soldiers have served our nation
during times of profound change and conflict.
The one constant, our values.
Loyalty, duty,
respect, selfless service,
honor, integrity, and personal courage,
values that will continue to inspire our soldiers
for the next 243 years.
- I'm Corporal Loughlin Patterson,
from Armidale, Australia.
I'm an Australian soldier, an expert in close combat,
mentally and physically tough, committed and courageous.
I lead by example and strive to take the initiative.
- I am Sergeant Ivana Cosmaczesta, from Bialystok, Poland.
I will always place the mission first.
I'll never accept defeat, I'll never quit.
I'll never leave a fallen comrade.
I am disciplined, physically and mentally tough,
trained and proficient in my warrior tasks and drills.
I will always maintain my arms, my equipment, and myself.
These soldiers reflect our warrior's ethos.
Tough,
disciplined,
talented, and proud of our heritage.
- Private Joel Green from Hobart, Tasmania.
I am committed to learning and working for the team.
The rising sun is my badge of honor.
I am an Australian soldier, always.
- I am Private Curtis Nelson, from Harlan, Iowa.
I am an expert, and I am a professional.
I stand ready to deploy, engage, and destroy
the enemies of the United States of America in close combat.
I do not do this because I have to.
I do this because the nation needs me.
I am a guardian of freedom and the American way of life.
I am an American solder, and we are Army Strong.
(audience cheering and applauding)
- [Emcee] Now taking the floor to the famous
World War One era song, It's a Long Way to Tipperary,
are elements of your United States Army,
joined by our mates from the Australian Defence Force.
(band playing "It's a Long Way to Tipperary")
(audience cheering and applauding)
- [Emcee] It has been a pleasure for the United States Army
to have presented Twilight Tattoo.
Our soldiers will remain on the floor,
and are available to answer your questions
and pose for photographs.
Thank you for coming out to help us honor
the selfless service of American soldiers,
past and present, and to help us celebrate
100 years of mateship with our Australian mates and allies.
Enjoy the rest of your evening.
Army Strong!
(audience yelling and applauding)
(soldiers yelling commands)
(audience chattering)
- [Soldier] At ease!