5.17.2025 Iwo Jima Memorial Ceremony

Please present uh stand for the presentation of the

colors.

Hey hey hey.

have the pledge of allegiance, please. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Order.

arms.

Brian, would you give the invocation, please? Yes, sir.

Good morning. Please uncover.

Eternal and gracious God, today we gather in solemn memory, honoring the courage and sacrifice of those who fought on the sands of Ewima. Let us remember the bravery of Marines sailors and soldiers who stood in the face of hardship and gave their all for freedom, duty, and for one another.

May we never forget. May we carry their spirit forward. May we do this in your name.

Amen. Please cover.

Oh, say does that star spangle Ben for the land of the free and the home of the brave.

Today we have the pleasure of having Walter Mock with us today. Walter is 100 years old. He served on Evo Jima. He was a dog handler.

Um, we had a birthday party for him two years ago for his 98th birthday at our headquarters. Would Walter like to say a few words, Barbara, or No. Okay. Would you like to say a few words? No. All right.

Save them for me when we get home.

It's nice to have him here. It's great to see Evoima survivor still able to get around the way he has. Okay. Uh I'd like to introduce Jane Vanisen. She's a gold star mother. She has a poem that she would like to read that she wrote about her son. Go ahead.

Good morning. It's such an honor for me to be here today. Right after my son passed away, I wrote a poem and it's called Remember Me. And I'd like to recite it for you today. Remember me with smiles and laughter. For that's how I will remember you. If you only remember me with tears and sorrow, then don't remember me at all. Our brave soldiers will be remembered. for their love of life and the love for their

country. God bless America, land of the free. And look around you, home of all our brave. So tonight, when you go home and you wrap that blanket of freedom around you, remember all the brave men and women who have fought for us in the past. And remember all the brave men and women that are fighting for us so that we can be here today. and remember all the brave men and women who

have fought and died so that we can sleep free. Thank you. Manny, would you introduce the guest speaker, please?

Morning everyone. Morning man.

This morning I have the honor and privilege of introducing Major Ahmed Khalil, US Marine Corps.

Please be seated. Please be seated.

Major Khalil is logistics officer and foreign area officer with over two decades of combined operational inter agency and multinational experience supporting US national security object objectives in the Middle East and Indo-Pacific.

Born in Baghdad, Iraq, Major Khalil holds a bachelor of science in business administration from Almasten Syria University 2009 and completed a resident expeditionary warfare school at Marine Corps University 2020.

He is a graduate of the US Naval War College 2025 where he earned a master of arts in defense and strategic studies and was and was selected for the Hollyy Bravo Advanced Research Program focused on joint maritime operations in the Middle East.

From 2003 to 2010, he supported US and UN missions in Iraq as a senior operations manager and multilingual contractor for the US government during Operation Iraqi Freedom. After immigrating to the United States in 2010, he enlisted in the Marine Corps.

Great decision on his part serving with the 11th Marines, First Marine Division Artillery. All right. And Marine Forces Central Command in Bahrain. He rose to the rank of sergeant and was commissioned in 2014 through the Marine Corps Enlisted Commissioning Program. Since then, he has held key command and staff billets from the battalion level to headquarters Marine Corps.

Major Kio's operational assignments include deployments with combat logistics battalion 24 and second battalion first marines including combat operations in Syria in support of operation inherent resolve. His strategic assignments include serving at headquarters Marine Corps as lead action officer for the Pacific Division and later as Central Command regional desk officer in the international affairs branch where he

led US Israel military staff talks and oversaw security co cooperation efforts with Gulf partners. A certified Middle East foreign area officer, Major Khalil is fluent in multiple Arabic dialects and has completed advanced regional and cultural training focused on the US Central Command area of responsibility. His personal decorations include the meritorious service medal, three Navy and Marine Corps commenation

medals, and three Navy and Marine Corps achievement medals.

He is married to Lumna Khalil and they have two children. The two children are Adam and Tala. Adam is five. Tala is seven 7 months. They they couldn't be here today. Okay. So again, great pleasure to introduce Major Kal. All right. Good morning, everybody. Good morning. What a beautiful day. Uh, thanks for the introduction. Uh, uh, what a pleasure. Uh, what an honor to be here.

Uh, uh, Miss Jun Vengeisen, thank you for being here. Uh, Walter Marx, thank you for being here. Barbara, thank you for being here. Uh, I'm privileged to join you today as we gather to honor the memory of one of the most iconic and hard-fought battles in the history of our core, the Battle of Euima. 80 years ago, in February 1945, nearly 70,000 Marines landed on the black volcanic sands of small island in the Western

Pacific.

The objective was simple in concept but extraordinary in execution. Seize the ground that would provide a vital staging area for final push towards Japan. What followed was a 36 days of brutal unrelenting combat. The enemy was deeply entrenched.

The terrain was unforgiven.

Yet, Ewima was not just a military campaign. It was a crucible. Nearly 70,000 Marines gave their lives there. Over 19,000 were wounded. And yet in that fire, the Marine Corps legacy of sacrifice and honor was etched into history. Most Americans know through a single image, the six men rising our flag at top of Mount Serbachi. It is a powerful symbol of victory, of unity, of hope.

But for those who have worn the uniform, we know that image carries far more. It represents endurance. It represents loss. It represents what Marines are willing to give, not for glory, but for each other and for our nation.

Today, we're specially honored to recognize uh and be in the presence of someone who represents that legacy in the flesh. Mr. Walter uh Marx, an honorary member of of the Marine Corps League detachment. Walter served as a dog handler in the fifth marine division war dog war dog platoon during World War II. His partner was spirited Doberman uh Pincher uh named Duke. Walter enlisted in 1944 and served

through the end of the war. Honorably discharged in 1946 as a corporal. After the war, Duke was returned to the family uh who had donated him to the Marine Corps. But Duke didn't adjust uh well to civilian life.

He it was difficult to control.

Eventually, he was reunited with Walter and by all accounts, Duke was very happy to be back with a marine he trusted the most. That bond between a Marine and a dog, between a warrior and a companion, is just one of many untold threads woven into the greater story of Euima.

Walter, thank you for being here. We honor your service and we are deeply grateful that you and your spouse Barbara are here with us today.

Our pleasure.

As we reflect on the sacrifice made on that island, we also reflect on the legacy of those warriors left behind. Since Euoima, Marines have carried that legacy into every conflict from Korea to Vietnam to Iraq Afghanistan and beyond.

Today, and today's Marine Corps still draws strength from that example, our battles are different. The tools are more advanced. The terrain is often different and it could be digital as much as it is physical. But the character of a Marine, the courage, the loyalty, the devotion to duty remains unchanged. As an active duty Marine, I've had the honor of serving alongside Marines who embody that same legacy. During

deployment, I saw Marines, young Marines, take enormous responsibility under real risk and real pressure, some just 19 or 20 years old.

I saw Lance Corpals step up and lead through chaos. I saw corporals remain calm under fire.

I saw sergeants offer stability to their teams with just few steady words. In those moments, I think of Emojima, not because of the terrain and not because it was uh similar, but the spirit was the sense of purpose, that unwillingness to quit, that sacred bond between Marines, that's what carries forward.

So today, as we stand here in this beautiful park beneath our flags in our grateful nation, let us do more than remember.

Let us honor, let us carry the torch forward. Let us strive in our own lives to be worthy of the examples set by men of Eoima. Not just in words, but in deeds.

Not just in ceremony, but in character. May we never forget what they did. May we always live in a way that reflects what they stood for. Seer fidelis.

Thank you, major. Thank you, sir.

Appreciate it.

Thank you.

You want to come up? All right. I'm going to give you a little bit of history about this whole park and how much it cost the city.

Zero. From what we did down here. I want it. It's not on. Okay. Is that better? Yes. All right. I'm going to give you a little history. And it was all done by a lot of labor and materials that people donated over the course of the years. The monument was donated was dedicated back in 2005.

From 2005 to 2010, they did nothing down here. The monument was going to waste.

All the lights were broken. The grounds around it were nothing but uh weeds. So, some of the members of the Marine Corps League, we went to the mayor in 2010 and told them, you know, we're not happy with what's going on down there.

we would like to take over the maintenance of the Euima monument. And he said, "Go ahead. Do what you have to do." So, I want you to The first thing we did down here, we got in touch with the uh Eastern Lighting from Eastern Mass. They had sold the lights for the original, but those were all destroyed.

They came down to look and see what would better fit us now. And when they saw the monument, they said, "We're going to give you all the lights for free." So that was the first thing we did. The members of the electricians union volunteered to come and hook up all the new lights for us.

So that was all taken care of free and my the let me get my thing out here so I don't forget people. So I want you to know that the electricians union did all the work on the lights.

Then the next thing we started selling bricks to raise money to do work down here. And all those bricks you see on the other side and around were put in with the help of Jimmy Fermental and Chris Maderas and other members of the Marine Corps League which I'm also a member of the I'm sorry members of the Marine Corps League did the laboring for us.

I'm also a member of the brick layers union and they came down all the time anytime I needed help. So this stuff wouldn't have been done without the brick layers union. The artificial turf you see in the front. They were building the high school over in Somerset and that was a contractor I worked with. So he brought me over and introduced me to the people putting in the football field. And I asked them if

they could come over and do something about the front of the monument. Well, when they came over, they said, "Have your members get it all set up. We'll come over. We'll install the turf and do the labor." Again, it was free. the members of the Marine Corps League did all the all the work around there, the prep work. So that was free. Okay.

the Gold Star families when we were doing that. So the carpenters union did all that form work over there that radius. So Jack Melo Jack stand up.

Chris, I'd like you two guys to stand up so people who know you were working down here. Jack and his son did all the concrete on that radius and he was also instrumental in getting preferred concrete donate the concrete. So it's and the carpenters union did all the farm work over there.

So, like I said again, it was all taken care of by free labors and materials. It couldn't have been done without these people. And the other thing about the around the uh Gold Star family, you see the two walkways, there was they weren't there.

Sherry Construction. When I told them what we wanted, they came over and put those two walkways in, they didn't charge. They did charge us something, but not what they should have. So now, I don't know if there's any members from Chevy Construction here, but without that, that park wouldn't be what it is without them.

Then we went over to the global war on terror. We had money left over in the kitty from the Gold Star families thanks to Carol Fiola. She got a grant for us for the Gold Star families monument, $20,000. Because we had so many donations, we didn't get to use it all.

So I decided to get together with the people who worked with me on that and we decided to do the global war on terror.

MJD excavation. Mike is a veteran, Marine veteran. He did all of the excavation over there for that monument free of charge.

Jack and his sons did the concrete around there free of charge. So, as you can see, all of this has been so much that we ended up being able to do all this stuff. The other thing I ad miss, all these benches you see around here, Jimmy Moralia and myself would the families would donate them. They'd be shipped to our headquarters. Jimmy and I would put them together. Then Jimmy and

I would come over and install them on all these platform, all these concrete slabs. I couldn't have done it without Jimmy. He's a pain, but he's still there to help me.

Ah. Uh, and then the bricks over in front of the V uh the Vietnam wall, Jimmy and myself and Jimmy, we did all those bricks over there. It was getting to the point where they had to help me up off the ground after I got down there to do the bricks. But we got it done, didn't we, Jimmy? And I couldn't have done it without the brick layers union, the carpenters union, the

laborers union, all the electricers, all of them wouldn't make this park what it is today without all this volunteering.

But the last thing needs to be done, Mayor and Linda, as you walk in that walkway, it takes away from this beautiful park.

I've spoken to you a couple of times about it. that that walkway needs to be replaced cuz when you walk up that walkway, you turn in there, you see the most beautiful park in the whole city, but yet you got that crappy walkway. I would hope that they would get together and do that. That is hopefully I will see that before I leave this earth because I would be very satisfied how

this park looks if they will get that straightened out. So that's about everything I had to say. I just hope that the city people will get together and get that walkway done cuz it just takes away from there.

I had to come up there one day with my walker. I had a heck of time pushing it on there. So any other people that have handicap accessibility, it's tough to get here. But once you get here, there's a lot to help you get around. Okay? So I just want to say please get that walkway done. I hopefully get it done before I leave this earth.

Okay. Thank you for letting me rant and rave. I appreciate it. I'd like to I'd like to thank some people who helped out here today. Dave Lavoy. Dave Lavoy set up the chairs and the

podium.

Our bag pipe our bag piper Bill Bullard.

Anytime I need help, Bill is always there to help me. Our singer, Kerianne Orlair. Thank you.

And you haven't heard him yet, but our bugler Frank Pace, instead of having a mechanical bugle, Frank comes forward with a live bugle. There's nothing worse to come to a ceremony and hear a mechanical bugle. It's terrible.

So other than that, I wish more people were here today to recognize what's going on, but it is what it is. Uh Brian, would you come do the benediction,

please?

Of course, what uh Can you hear me?

Yeah. Of course, everything that Bruce said is accurate, but let me just add, none of it would have happened without his leadership of the Marine Corps League for the past 18 years. He's been at the helm. Please uncover Heavenly Father, as we separate and go our several ways, may you bring peace to the families who still grieve, comfort to the hearts that hold memories of war, and bring wisdom to us. May we never

forget. May we always give honor. We ask this in your name. Amen.

Amen. Cover up,

please. Okay, please remain standing for the rifle volley and the plane of taps. Yeah.

Okay.

On.

Ready.

Aim. Fire. Fire.

Fire. Present.

Arms. Present. Arms.

order. Huh?

You can retire the

colors. Heat. Heat.

Heat. Heat.

Heat.

Heat.

Heat. Heat.

Thank you,

Bill. I tell you, it's great to have people like that help you out.

the bugler, Bill, Carrie, it it just makes the service so much better and I appreciate what few people showed up. I thank you for showing up though. I appreciate that. Okay, that's the end of our service. Thank you, Bruce.