Remarks
Under Secretary of the Navy
Tall Ships Celebration at
Washington Navy Yard
June 19,1999
Thank you Admiral Weaver for that introduction. Chris, you are doing a superb job as Commandant of Naval District Washington. You have ensured that the Navy is both a good neighbor and a powerful force for change in Southeast DC and for that we are all very grateful.
Friends, I am truly honored to be here for such a dramatic historic event. From shipbuilding to ordnance production to the information age, the Washington Navy Yard is one of our essential installations from which our Navy has shaped our nation’s destiny. It is home to two centuries of honorable and glorious traditions.
Before I talk about the exciting role of the Washington Navy Yard, I want to first tell you about your Navy and Marine Corps.
WE ARE ENGAGED. Every single day, Sailors, Marines and ships are forward deployed around the globe… overseas …far from the comforts of home, 24 hours a day, seven days a week – it is as if we never sleep.
In fact, right now…today…there are over 18,500 Sailors and Marines deployed in the Adriatic and Balkans with over 2000 Marines and Seabees ashore.
They are beginning the difficult, and probably lengthy task of peacekeeping, reunification of refugees with their families and helping to rebuild after the destruction and devastation of war.
Is it easy? No way. They are working harder with less and coming home a little more tired. But they are cloaked in honor and glory.
You all can be very proud of America’s young military men and women, especially the 500,000 Sailors and Marines, forward present around the globe doing the nation’s bidding to build a safer world for freedom and democracy.
You can be proud too, of the important and enduring role of the Washington Navy since its establishment 200 years ago, when tall ships were a part of the daily commerce of this honorable and glorious Yard.
Although the role of the Yard has changed, one thing that hasn’t, and never will, is our role as an active partner in this community for the past 200 years.
Even more so today, our Navy is a motivated partner and a good neighbor in the economic empowerment and revitalization of the District of Columbia.
If you look around today, you’ll see that the Navy Yard is a rich resource for the residents of the District, providing education, entertainment, and economic opportunities.
We’re in the process of doubling our workforce here - from 5,000 people in 1995 to 11,000 in 2001. And all around you, both inside the gates and all along the perimeter of the Yard you’ll see renovation in bloom.
The scars of change you see today are preparations to pump new vitality into the Yard and the surrounding community – Southeast DC is undergoing a renaissance and we are proud to lead the way!
With this great influx will come private development and economic growth – new places to shop, new places to eat, new homes in which to live, and new job opportunities.
Admiral Weaver and his team are working hand-in-hand with those who care about the Capitol City. We are partnering with the DC Government, the Mayor, the City Council, the General Services Administration, the White House and the local community to develop the M Street Corridor. M Street corridor holds the promise of both beauty and prosperity for all in the city.
As I close, I want to share with you a favorite quote, which happens to be from the gentleman who surveyed this site for the Navy in 1799 – and that gentleman would be the father of our country, George Washington.
"Without a decisive naval force we can do nothing definitive, and with it, everything honorable and glorious"
As we take part in the celebration of the wonderful traditions, accomplishments and history at the Washington Naval Yard over the past two centuries, let us all pledge to continue to work together in laying the foundation for an honorable, neighborly and glorious next two centuries.
Thank you.
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