帕内塔的离任告别演说（二）

Remarks at Farewell Ceremony<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /> 

Secretary of Defense Leon E. Panetta 

Joint Base Myer-Henderson 

Friday, February 08, 2013

 

Thank you. Thank you very much.

 

Mr. President, I am deeply touched by your moving words about me, about my family, and, more importantly, about the men and women who serve in the Department of Defense.  All of us all truly honored by your presence, and I thank you.

 

Let me also take this moment to thank Michelle and Jill Biden for the outstanding work that they’ve done in leading the Joining Forces Initiative, which has provided great support for military families who have done so much for us.

 

Marty Dempsey, I appreciate your kind remarks.  Marty and I have testified before Congress -- this is 11th time, yesterday, that we’ve done that, and we’ve also done 10 press conferences together.  We are developing a very convincing case for collecting hazard pay in these jobs.

 

As we used to say when I was in the Army, there isn’t anyone I’d rather be in the foxhole with than Marty Dempsey.  I cannot tell you what a privilege it has been to work with you and to work with all of the service chiefs.  We’ve dealt with some very tough issues, and there is no way that I could have done this job without your support, without your loyalty, and without your dedication.

 

Members of Congress, leaders of the administration, leaders of the Department of Defense, distinguished guests, many dear friends who we’ve known over the years, Sylvia and I are very thankful to all of you for coming here today.  This is, without question, the fanciest sendoff I’ve ever gotten in Washington.

 

Let me remember the words of President Harry Truman, who once said, “If you want a friend in Washington, get a dog.”  And that’s just what I did.

 

And I am grateful that Bravo is here today.  Bravo was in all of the meetings when we planned the bin Laden operation, and he also sat in on many of the sensitive meetings and discussions that I had at the Pentagon.  And I want you to know that he has never told a soul what he heard.

 

He is definitely not a leaker, at least according to that definition of the word.

 

You’ve heard of the movie Zero Dark Thirty?  The producer is seriously considering a new movie about Bravo, entitled Zero Bark Thirty.

 

It’s been 50 years of public service, and I have always and will always cherish the deep and lasting friendships that I’ve made here in Washington.  And I’m extremely grateful that so many of those friends could be here this afternoon.

 

I have spent a long time in this town.  As the son of immigrants, as the president pointed out, I have truly lived the American dream.  Being an Italian-American in Congress, at senior levels in the executive branch, has been for me a very unique experience.  I have never lost my awe by the sight of the Capitol and the White House at night.  It still is a very special experience.

 

I can also remember when I was first elected to the House of Representatives, there was a member of that -- I think the President may recall -- by the name of Frank Annunzio from Chicago, who came up to me and said, “Panetta, that’s Italian.”  I said, “Yes, it is.”  He said, “Good.”  He said, “I want you to join the Italian caucus.”  Of course, I was not going to say no to an Italian from Chicago.

 

He said, “Great.”  He said, “We don’t do much on issues, but we eat good.” 

 

And that was true.

 

Many years later, when I came to Langley as President Obama’s Director of Central Intelligence, I got a mug from my family with a big CIA, standing for “California, Italian, American.”

 

In all seriousness, Mr. President, I want to express my deepest thanks to you for the opportunity to serve this country again as a member of your Administration.  It has been a tremendous honor and a tremendous privilege these past four years, and especially now as the 23rd Secretary of Defense.

 

I hope that in some small way I have helped to fulfill the dream of my parents, the dream that they wanted and the dream that all of us want, of giving our children a better life.