Friday, January 14, 2005
We Are Free Men!!!
This seems to be a moment that requires a speech, but a speech to me, means something that has been prepared for the ears of strangers, and after all that we have been through together, I think that none of us are strangers now.
We have fought a terrible foe, and we have won. We are all now free men, our flag of freedomm raised above us in the sweet air of freedom. Yes, my brothers in arm, we have won. And it has been at a cost that none of us would willingly have paid. All of us have lost something in this war, may it be a friend, a brother, or a future, all of us have lost something precious here.
But M2/03 lives, we live, and together, we will make certain to be worthy of their sacrifice.
This day, we stand together under this flag of freedom, but along this path we chose, enemies will be sure to rise again. But we have proved today that together, there is no foe that can stand against us, and no matter the odds, we will prevail!
Perhaps some day, when our losses are not so fresh, our wounds are not so raw, we will be able to look back on our victory as a victory, with more pride than sorrow. And we should. It was not only the sacrifice of every single person who perished or was wounded that won the day, it was also the sacrifice of every one of you who held a weapon, who wielded their power, who tended a beast, kept us fed, or served any other task here.
The victory belongs to all of you, and never, ever let anyone tell you differently.
And even if the enemy had won here - which they did not - they would never have really won, for M2/03 is more than a batch, M2/03 is the students, and the spirit that lives in those students, and my fellow men, that spirit can never be conquered.
Our brothers who gave their lives for our cause, they knew that, and they trusted to that spirit to carry on, not matter what happened to them. You have show that the spirit is alive in all of you, and they could have no better tribute than that, nor would they have asked for anything more.
And I do not ask for anything less.
And now let us tender to them our final service, let's bring them home and into the freedom they seek. For them, let us ride to greet this freedom. One day we will be called to pick up our arms again, but till then, my men, you are FREE!!!
The one who attains the dawn, the dusk, and the
darkness shall climb the path to heaven...
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