WEBVTT

00:00.440 --> 00:02.810
opportunity to be here today and to see

00:02.810 --> 00:06.790
all of you here and and as we hear as

00:06.790 --> 00:09.450
an organization , As a state and as a

00:09.450 --> 00:13.380
nation , uh Paul's now as we near the

00:13.380 --> 00:17.060
20th anniversary of 9:11 . Ah

00:17.840 --> 00:21.000
It is a difficult time . It is a time

00:21.060 --> 00:23.660
that we look back over the last 20

00:23.660 --> 00:26.460
years . We look at how it has

00:26.460 --> 00:30.370
changed us individually . We look at

00:30.370 --> 00:33.500
how it's changed us as an organization

00:34.060 --> 00:36.370
and we look at how it has changed us as

00:36.370 --> 00:39.910
a nation . Many of our young soldiers

00:39.910 --> 00:43.890
that are entering our ranks today May

00:43.890 --> 00:47.720
not even have been born on 911 . Some

00:47.720 --> 00:51.630
though were just small Children . Uh

00:51.640 --> 00:54.250
as we look in the audience here today

00:54.840 --> 00:56.562
and as you would in any of our

00:56.562 --> 01:00.450
formations , we have a mixture of young

01:00.450 --> 01:02.390
soldiers and some a little more

01:02.390 --> 01:05.800
seasoned and some of the more seasoned

01:05.800 --> 01:08.370
soldiers have been with us through some

01:08.370 --> 01:10.660
very challenging times over the last 20

01:10.660 --> 01:13.850
years , through our efforts in Iraq ,

01:14.640 --> 01:16.696
through our efforts in Afghanistan ,

01:16.940 --> 01:18.829
through our efforts in supporting

01:19.340 --> 01:22.160
operations in other parts of the world

01:22.540 --> 01:25.090
and then here on the home front , doing

01:25.450 --> 01:27.620
the things that were necessary to

01:27.620 --> 01:31.380
ensuring the safety of our citizens and

01:31.380 --> 01:34.300
our families here . Following those

01:34.300 --> 01:38.220
events . After 9 11 , when we began to

01:38.220 --> 01:41.920
look at how we could honor the service

01:41.920 --> 01:45.550
and sacrifice of our soldiers , airmen

01:45.560 --> 01:49.000
and I will extend that two of our

01:49.000 --> 01:51.870
service members of all branches that

01:51.870 --> 01:55.040
have served this great nation over the

01:55.040 --> 01:58.500
last 20 years , we looked at trying to

01:58.500 --> 02:00.800
focus on really on what the

02:00.800 --> 02:03.080
contributions that the south Carolina

02:03.080 --> 02:06.360
National Guard has made and what our

02:06.360 --> 02:09.040
units have done in support of the war

02:09.040 --> 02:11.040
fight . What are units have done in

02:11.040 --> 02:14.080
support of securing the homeland . One

02:14.080 --> 02:16.350
of the things that I realized along the

02:16.350 --> 02:19.110
way , and it's nothing new to us that

02:19.120 --> 02:22.480
to get out a mission of this magnitude .

02:23.340 --> 02:26.810
It it it really forced us if you want

02:26.810 --> 02:29.700
to use that word . But more importantly ,

02:29.710 --> 02:32.700
it allowed us the opportunity to seek

02:32.700 --> 02:35.560
out and continue to make partnership .

02:36.240 --> 02:39.310
Yeah , as we look at this particular

02:39.310 --> 02:42.560
threat of 9 11 and what happened at the

02:42.560 --> 02:44.727
Pentagon , what happened in the fields

02:44.727 --> 02:47.840
of pennsylvania ? It

02:49.240 --> 02:52.690
it struck that it was an attack

02:52.700 --> 02:56.210
on us soil and it was an

02:56.210 --> 03:00.170
attack I think , um , sent a message to

03:00.170 --> 03:03.960
us that the vast oceans of the atlantic

03:04.540 --> 03:07.580
and of the pacific and where are

03:07.580 --> 03:10.730
threats had historically been . Our

03:10.730 --> 03:14.010
borders were not as safe and secure as

03:14.010 --> 03:16.220
they once were , or at least as we

03:16.220 --> 03:19.460
perceive them to be . And our initial

03:19.460 --> 03:22.950
response following 9 11 was

03:23.440 --> 03:26.670
in getting out and securing critical

03:26.670 --> 03:28.860
infrastructure here in South Carolina

03:29.440 --> 03:31.750
and working with law enforcement ,

03:31.760 --> 03:35.360
working with other entities

03:35.370 --> 03:37.550
to ensure we identify what those

03:37.550 --> 03:39.850
critical infrastructure of what those

03:39.850 --> 03:42.270
possible threats would be , that we

03:42.270 --> 03:45.760
could secure and work to ensure

03:46.140 --> 03:50.030
that we had the framework necessary to

03:50.040 --> 03:53.010
begin to focus outward of where our

03:53.010 --> 03:56.510
next efforts maybe , and what you will

03:56.510 --> 03:58.620
see in the documentary , excuse me ,

03:58.620 --> 04:01.770
talks of that , But more

04:01.770 --> 04:04.190
importantly , it gets that and

04:04.190 --> 04:08.160
discusses the perspective of

04:08.160 --> 04:10.830
how life has changed , how it

04:10.840 --> 04:14.280
individually affected us . And it's not

04:14.280 --> 04:17.990
just the soldier in the airman that

04:18.240 --> 04:22.120
bore this and I would you would say

04:22.120 --> 04:24.110
burden , but it's more importantly

04:24.120 --> 04:27.520
board this responsibility to the oath

04:27.520 --> 04:30.540
that we took when we all joined , we

04:30.540 --> 04:32.596
raised our right hand to support and

04:32.596 --> 04:34.800
defend the constitution of this great

04:34.800 --> 04:37.010
nation and of this great state as a

04:37.010 --> 04:39.760
guardsman would do and

04:40.540 --> 04:42.540
again , for those a little bit more

04:42.540 --> 04:46.210
seasoned , this has been a , a career

04:46.210 --> 04:49.930
defining event in our lives from the

04:49.940 --> 04:52.720
beginning to where we are today and

04:52.720 --> 04:55.640
where we will be tomorrow . We're

04:55.640 --> 04:59.310
living that each and every day , But

04:59.320 --> 05:02.380
we also recognize that what took place

05:02.380 --> 05:06.200
on 9:11 not only did not have the

05:06.200 --> 05:09.750
impact just on our servicemen and their

05:10.240 --> 05:14.060
but also impacted families and

05:14.640 --> 05:17.570
we certainly mourn and recognize the

05:17.570 --> 05:21.190
laws of the innocence of life that was

05:21.190 --> 05:24.200
lost in the twin towers and in the

05:24.200 --> 05:27.050
aircraft on 9 11 in Pennsylvania

05:29.540 --> 05:33.340
and realized , I believe maybe for the

05:33.350 --> 05:37.230
first time that what we had

05:37.240 --> 05:40.460
grown up to believe that this country

05:40.470 --> 05:43.650
itself , the homeland was safe .

05:44.340 --> 05:47.760
It provided a certainly a stark

05:48.140 --> 05:51.490
contrast to that . And we had to begin

05:51.490 --> 05:55.130
then to look inward as we look outward

05:55.220 --> 05:58.560
in defense of this nation and

05:59.740 --> 06:03.460
I've always been amazed by

06:03.840 --> 06:06.920
how well our soldiers and airmen

06:07.440 --> 06:09.960
adapt to the challenges that they have .

06:10.640 --> 06:13.210
And for the last 20 years , that focus

06:13.220 --> 06:16.000
has to have been directly on the

06:16.000 --> 06:17.970
support of the war fight . But it

06:17.970 --> 06:20.440
didn't mean other things didn't have to

06:20.440 --> 06:24.000
be done and they did and our ability to

06:24.000 --> 06:27.190
respond two other needs of the state ,

06:27.200 --> 06:29.440
other needs of this nation , whether

06:29.440 --> 06:32.150
it's in response to a natural disaster

06:32.150 --> 06:34.206
such as the hurricanes that we dealt

06:34.206 --> 06:37.160
with , such as the covid pandemic ,

06:38.140 --> 06:41.810
it just put a premium on what

06:41.810 --> 06:45.660
service and sacrifice means to

06:45.660 --> 06:47.930
not only the organization but to the

06:47.930 --> 06:50.670
families . And we have asked a lot of

06:50.670 --> 06:52.781
our families over the last 20 years .

06:53.340 --> 06:56.440
Historically , it was , you know , that

06:56.440 --> 06:58.930
one weekend a month , two weeks of

06:58.940 --> 07:01.360
annual training and maybe an exercise

07:01.370 --> 07:03.760
here or there that would carry you away

07:03.760 --> 07:06.720
from home for a few weeks . We have

07:06.720 --> 07:09.870
seen that Significcle change over the

07:09.870 --> 07:13.650
last 20 years . And I would

07:14.540 --> 07:16.700
I would think those changes that we

07:16.700 --> 07:19.660
have seen are somewhat now

07:19.660 --> 07:23.430
normalized in the day to day operations

07:23.440 --> 07:26.780
of the of the force . And I believe we

07:26.780 --> 07:30.710
have began to look out and expect

07:30.710 --> 07:34.200
now that when the young soldier , young

07:34.200 --> 07:37.760
airmen joins our ranks , not only do

07:38.240 --> 07:41.760
do they expect more , they want more in

07:41.760 --> 07:44.280
terms of having a role in helping

07:44.280 --> 07:47.090
defend their communities , helping to

07:47.090 --> 07:49.146
defend their families and helping to

07:49.146 --> 07:51.070
defend the citizens of this great

07:51.070 --> 07:55.000
nation . So I would like to thank all

07:55.000 --> 07:57.222
of our soldiers and all of our airmen ,

07:57.222 --> 07:59.860
but a special thanks to their families

08:00.840 --> 08:03.610
for those who have served overseas in

08:03.610 --> 08:07.060
harm's way realistically , you

08:07.060 --> 08:09.550
always had a pretty good understanding

08:10.040 --> 08:12.520
of what those threats were depending

08:12.520 --> 08:14.631
upon where you were assigned and what

08:14.631 --> 08:16.853
particular job permission your unit may

08:16.853 --> 08:19.360
have had . You had an understanding of

08:19.360 --> 08:23.330
what those threats were . And it may be

08:23.330 --> 08:25.497
that it was periods of time , what was

08:25.497 --> 08:27.950
relative uh security

08:29.470 --> 08:32.060
then marked by periods of time of

08:32.440 --> 08:35.930
pretty significant activity and that

08:35.930 --> 08:38.260
ebb and flow just kind of continue day

08:38.260 --> 08:41.960
in and day out . But to are

08:42.340 --> 08:45.930
ones here back at home to the mothers ,

08:45.930 --> 08:48.940
the fathers , the wives , husbands to

08:48.940 --> 08:52.260
the Children Who only saw 30

08:52.640 --> 08:55.840
2nd sound bites on CNN or thoughts or

08:55.840 --> 08:58.750
whatever the news channel , they didn't

08:58.750 --> 09:02.080
have that benefit . They didn't have

09:02.090 --> 09:04.890
that kind of understanding of what the

09:04.890 --> 09:07.790
threat was to their loved ones . So

09:07.790 --> 09:10.860
they live with it Basically 24 7 .

09:11.630 --> 09:14.460
And it was difficult and

09:15.240 --> 09:18.380
trying to manage that especially if

09:18.380 --> 09:20.491
there were young Children in the home

09:20.840 --> 09:23.950
trying to convey to them that mommy or

09:23.950 --> 09:26.830
daddy is going to be all right and that

09:26.830 --> 09:30.300
we need to continue to push forward

09:30.310 --> 09:33.410
with our lives here that mommy or daddy

09:33.410 --> 09:36.430
can do their job without worrying about

09:36.430 --> 09:39.630
us was a challenge . Mhm . And I've

09:39.640 --> 09:41.696
heard stories from our soldiers from

09:41.696 --> 09:44.500
Airman , from their family members that

09:44.500 --> 09:48.430
outlines some of those challenges . And

09:48.440 --> 09:51.890
I think now looking back , I believe

09:51.900 --> 09:54.580
most families grew from those

09:54.580 --> 09:57.720
challenges . They would say they became

09:57.730 --> 10:00.750
a stronger entity as a result of that

10:01.540 --> 10:04.510
individually , people found strength

10:04.520 --> 10:06.850
that they didn't know they had , they

10:06.850 --> 10:09.072
may have found courage that they didn't

10:09.072 --> 10:12.600
realize they had , but it was a price

10:12.840 --> 10:16.430
that was paid . That wasn't something

10:16.430 --> 10:18.760
that we had expected probably prior to

10:18.760 --> 10:22.650
9:11 . And certainly to

10:23.140 --> 10:26.870
our gold star mothers and our

10:26.870 --> 10:30.720
Gold Star families , you know , and

10:30.850 --> 10:33.070
when we have a chance to get out and

10:33.070 --> 10:36.030
speak to groups , often we'll talk

10:36.030 --> 10:39.400
about bluestar mothers And then the

10:39.400 --> 10:41.840
conversation generally we will carry

10:41.840 --> 10:45.580
two gold star mothers . Bluestar

10:45.580 --> 10:48.760
mothers . It's a pretty um

10:49.140 --> 10:52.450
select organization in of itself ,

10:53.540 --> 10:55.596
but you become a boost our mother by

10:55.596 --> 10:59.590
having a son or a daughter Who is

10:59.590 --> 11:01.760
serving or a loved one who is serving

11:02.740 --> 11:06.430
at the time of the that your

11:06.440 --> 11:09.690
quote , a blue Star mother and many of

11:09.690 --> 11:12.060
our blue star mothers Have been with us

11:12.060 --> 11:15.450
from day one and supporting the events

11:15.460 --> 11:17.404
that we are part of . Whether it's

11:17.404 --> 11:19.840
higher yellow ribbon welcome home

11:19.840 --> 11:22.890
events . Whether it's events that we

11:22.900 --> 11:25.940
honor and recognize other servicemen

11:25.940 --> 11:29.530
and women are veterans . But when you

11:29.530 --> 11:32.720
shift that conversation to a gold Star

11:32.720 --> 11:35.850
mother into a Gold Star family ,

11:37.740 --> 11:41.050
that is truly a ship

11:42.040 --> 11:44.350
of almost unbearable

11:45.440 --> 11:49.320
thought of what it means . It means

11:49.460 --> 11:51.800
that that loved one of yours , that son

11:51.800 --> 11:54.950
or daughter gave their

11:54.950 --> 11:58.560
life in service to this great nation ,

12:02.240 --> 12:04.600
gave their life in service to this

12:04.600 --> 12:07.790
great nation and as we

12:08.440 --> 12:11.760
Come up on the 20th anniversary of 9 11 ,

12:12.640 --> 12:15.310
So that will have meant there's been 20

12:15.320 --> 12:19.060
memorial days since 9:11

12:19.440 --> 12:23.320
where as a nation , we paused to

12:23.320 --> 12:26.440
stop and recognize the service and

12:26.440 --> 12:30.160
sacrifice of the men and women past

12:31.140 --> 12:32.918
and a present who have made the

12:32.918 --> 12:36.890
ultimate sacrifice when you stop

12:36.890 --> 12:39.660
and think about it to that Gold Star

12:39.660 --> 12:43.430
family every day . It's a

12:43.430 --> 12:46.860
memorial day every day . They get up

12:47.440 --> 12:49.162
with the understanding and the

12:49.162 --> 12:52.720
realization That their loved one is no

12:52.720 --> 12:56.040
longer physically with them . Those

12:56.040 --> 12:59.560
birthdays , those anniversaries , those

12:59.560 --> 13:02.360
other events that they would have been

13:02.360 --> 13:06.060
present at that no longer occurs ,

13:08.440 --> 13:10.329
but in talking with our Gold Star

13:10.329 --> 13:12.920
mothers . A couple themes have

13:12.920 --> 13:15.670
consistently , I've been a part of

13:15.670 --> 13:19.540
those conversations And one is that

13:19.540 --> 13:23.150
their loved ones . If they could have

13:24.040 --> 13:27.890
stop the hands of time and

13:27.890 --> 13:31.510
rewrote that event , that the

13:31.510 --> 13:33.560
possible outcome would be that they

13:33.560 --> 13:36.950
would have survived at the expense and

13:36.950 --> 13:40.240
loss of one of their battle buddies of

13:40.240 --> 13:42.390
one of their comrades , one of their

13:42.390 --> 13:45.850
friends or that the

13:45.850 --> 13:48.660
mission may have been sacrificed and

13:48.660 --> 13:50.716
may have been , may have failed as a

13:50.716 --> 13:52.930
result of that . The answer that they

13:52.930 --> 13:56.030
have come back with this . No , That

13:56.030 --> 13:59.950
their loved one love what they did .

14:01.540 --> 14:04.060
They love serving this great nation .

14:04.740 --> 14:08.600
But more importantly , they loved those

14:08.600 --> 14:10.950
that they served with and served side

14:10.950 --> 14:11.660
by side

14:15.440 --> 14:18.290
that yes ,

14:19.340 --> 14:22.900
a tough message . That is a message I

14:22.900 --> 14:26.870
think deep down we all

14:27.740 --> 14:31.100
with hope and believe that's who we are

14:31.110 --> 14:33.940
as soldiers , sailors , airmen and

14:33.940 --> 14:36.370
marines that are dedicated to the

14:36.370 --> 14:40.240
mission and a dedicated to our buddy

14:40.240 --> 14:43.210
left and right of us . Yeah . The

14:43.210 --> 14:46.060
second message , get a gold star

14:46.060 --> 14:49.830
mothers and families say is we

14:49.830 --> 14:53.420
must tell the story . We cannot

14:53.430 --> 14:56.370
forget the service and sacrifice of

14:56.370 --> 14:59.320
their loved ones . And I would suspect

14:59.330 --> 15:03.250
that that message has been with us

15:03.910 --> 15:06.150
since the founding of this nation .

15:07.040 --> 15:09.340
That every mother and every family that

15:09.340 --> 15:10.750
has lost a loved one

15:13.440 --> 15:16.150
would have hoped that their service and

15:16.150 --> 15:19.160
their sacrifice would not be lost on

15:19.160 --> 15:21.740
the hands of time in the history as

15:21.740 --> 15:25.240
time went on and as a

15:25.240 --> 15:29.040
nation , we

15:29.040 --> 15:31.280
honor those who have paid that

15:31.280 --> 15:35.060
sacrifice . You look at what happened

15:35.070 --> 15:38.070
in World War . You look at what

15:38.070 --> 15:41.210
happened in World War two young

15:41.210 --> 15:44.150
american soldiers , sailors and marines

15:44.840 --> 15:47.860
left homes to travel .

15:48.240 --> 15:51.670
two countries that maybe some could not

15:51.670 --> 15:54.350
have identified on a map or a globe