Thank you, American Legion for making this, another inspiring speech from Lieutenant General Kelly USMC. I'm a former member of the Australian Air Force also a proud member of the R&SLA (the Australian equivalent of the American Legion). There is something about LtGen Kelly's public addresses that really get to the heart of the matter, in his, no nonsense way of talking; so typical of a Marine that has risen to 3-Star rank from being an NCO. A truly remarkable achievement in itself. LtGen Kelly also has a way of moving grown men and women to tears, myself included. He is such an emotive speaker and when he speaks of sacrifice he does so from a very personal level as he and his wife are Gold Star Parents. If you haven't already, make an effort to catch his speech, (see below) on UA-cam, where he describes in such a brutally graphic way, the last 5 seconds of two young Marines' lives, as caught on CCTV, after a truck loaded with an estimated 20K lbs of explosives detonated in a narrow alleyway just in front of a base that was home to 200 Marines and local soldiers. It is without doubt the most moving, yet gripping, speech I've ever heard: ua-cam.com/video/02ALe8Oqj7g/v-deo.html&ab_channel=MarinesMemorialClub And he made that speech just a short time after losing a son. He is such an amazing man; he didn’t ‘lose it’ once. Given all that, just this week (AUG 2021) Kabul has fallen to the Taliban, many might be thinking or saying that all those Allied lives lost in that region were in vain. Not true. No way. This week, spokespeople for the Taliban are talking politics and of forming a government. For 20 years this concept was totally unthinkable to them, as it was to us; and so it was when LtGen Kelly, his Marines and the other Allies were in country. Now, it is up to the Allies to hold them to their word and see that they do create a fair, albeit, Islamic, government. If it turns out to be built on insane fundamentalism; then the world's Allies will just have to teach them, again, that murdering innocent people has no right to be called a government. I genuinely hope that LtGen Kelly is the next Commandant of the Marine Corps because he is the type of leader the Taliban fear the most. Like he said himself, he doesn't care what they believe in. If they go back to their old ways, I'm certain that a 4-Star General Kelly will be the right man for the job. Thank you again, American Legion. LtGen Kelly, I salute you! BH Hobart, Tasmania
Thank you, American Legion for making this, another inspiring speech from Lieutenant General Kelly USMC. I'm a former member of the Australian Air Force also a proud member of the R&SLA (the Australian equivalent of the American Legion). There is something about LtGen Kelly's public addresses that really get to the heart of the matter, in his, no nonsense way of talking; so typical of a Marine that has risen to 3-Star rank from being an NCO. A truly remarkable achievement in itself.
LtGen Kelly also has a way of moving grown men and women to tears, myself included.
He is such an emotive speaker and when he speaks of sacrifice he does so from a very personal level as he and his wife are Gold Star Parents.
If you haven't already, make an effort to catch his speech, (see below) on UA-cam, where he describes in such a brutally graphic way, the last 5 seconds of two young Marines' lives, as caught on CCTV, after a truck loaded with an estimated 20K lbs of explosives detonated in a narrow alleyway just in front of a base that was home to 200 Marines and local soldiers. It is without doubt the most moving, yet gripping, speech I've ever heard: ua-cam.com/video/02ALe8Oqj7g/v-deo.html&ab_channel=MarinesMemorialClub
And he made that speech just a short time after losing a son. He is such an amazing man; he didn’t ‘lose it’ once.
Given all that, just this week (AUG 2021) Kabul has fallen to the Taliban, many might be thinking or saying that all those Allied lives lost in that region were in vain.
Not true. No way.
This week, spokespeople for the Taliban are talking politics and of forming a government.
For 20 years this concept was totally unthinkable to them, as it was to us; and so it was when LtGen Kelly, his Marines and the other Allies were in country.
Now, it is up to the Allies to hold them to their word and see that they do create a fair, albeit, Islamic, government.
If it turns out to be built on insane fundamentalism; then the world's Allies will just have to teach them, again, that murdering innocent people has no right to be called a government.
I genuinely hope that LtGen Kelly is the next Commandant of the Marine Corps because he is the type of leader the Taliban fear the most. Like he said himself, he doesn't care what they believe in. If they go back to their old ways, I'm certain that a 4-Star General Kelly will be the right man for the job.
Thank you again, American Legion. LtGen Kelly, I salute you! BH Hobart, Tasmania
Heard him in person, wonderful. Semper Fi, General Kelly, and thank you.
General Kelly should be the next Commandant of the Marine Corps. Good man and he lost a son in Iraq, he knows his shit
I worked with his fallen son's wife. She was an Air Force nurse/officer. He left behind two young sons as well. 💔💔
Very inspirational and directly on target
he should be the world leader,have a heart.a great respect........WORLD NEED HIM,AS A FATHER AND LEADER.
You were so right.
General John F. Kelly, Semper FI
That opening music though...