Speech: Memorial Day

Copyright © 2026

By Ralph F. Couey

Throughout our history, humanity has been embroiled in relentless conflict.  Centuries of battles and wars have left an indelible mark on our passage, creating a seemingly endless trail of graves.  General William T. Sherman famously stated, "War is Hell."  Similarly, General Dwight D. Eisenhower expressed, "I hate war as only a soldier who has lived it can, only as one who has seen its brutality, its futility, its stupidity."  Novelist John Ball poignantly wrote, "War is a tragedy.  The only reason a sane government engages in one is that the alternatives are even less acceptable."  Tragically, there have been crucial moments when such a hard choice became inevitable.  When faced with an attack, a response is imperative, or risk national destruction or extinction.

In this country, we mark December 7th, 1941, as the start date for World War II.  However, one could date it from 1931, when Japan invaded Manchuria, or 1937, when Japan and China went to war.  Therefore, the war had been raging in some form for as many as ten years.  Our late entry into the conflict resulted from powerful political forces of isolationism and pacifism in the United States, driven by deep dissatisfaction with the outcome of World War I.  This created a strong aversion to America getting involved in what were termed "foreign wars."  Many believed that if we could hide from the world, the world would leave us alone.  But we learned that if we try to hide from the world, the world will still come looking for us.  We are too strong and too big to hide.

On that sunny December day, Japanese Naval aircraft roared over the Waianae Mountains to attack military targets throughout O'ahu.  We were not prepared for war.  Our weapons, vehicles, most of our combat ships and aircraft were outdated and outclassed.  America, however, responded with energy and determination.  Cutting-edge aircraft, including the Corsair, Lightning, and Hellcat would supplanted the underpowered and less capable Wildcat and Tomahawk.  The old four-piper World War I destroyers were replaced by the fast, agile, and heavily-armed Fletcher class.  We increased the number of aircraft carriers from just four on December 7th, to more than 20 in two years.  Shipboard weapons improved, replacing the slow-firing and inaccurate 1.1-inch gun with the fast and accurate 20mm Oerlikon, and 40mm Bofors autocannons.  The U.S. also developed the proximity-fused shell for the 5-inch guns, which meant the crews didn't have to directly hit and attacking aircraft, but just get close enough for the radar transponder to detonate the shell.  That development alone would be recognized as the key factor that enabled the U.S. to defeat the Japanese Kamikaze.

Not only did radar improve, but Navy task force commanders also learned how to use that information best in combat, enabling us to win many key battles at sea.

Now, we are not by nature a warrior culture.  Yes, we know how to fight, as our enemies have discovered at their cost.  Japanese Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto understrood that if this sleeping giant were awakened, Japan would lose the war.  But when the war ended, both in Europe and the Pacific, we happily made our former enemies our best friends, put away our weapons, and went home, back to a life of selling groceries and insurance.

World War II finally ended on September 2nd, 1945 when Japanese representatives signed the surrender documents aboard the Battleship USS Missouri, then anchored in Tokyo Bay, Japan.  That same site, on the forward 01 level, starboard side, has been preserved as a place of reverence and remembrance.  As General MacArthur said that day, "Today, the guns are silent.  A great tragedy has ended, a great victory has been won.  The skies no longer rain death; the seas bear only commerce.  Men everywhere walk upright in the sunlight.  And the entire world lies quietly at peace."  One of the Japanese representatives, Toshikazu Kase, reported to the Emperor that the General's words transformed the deck of that warship into an altar of peace.  

In those long years of bloodshed, approximately 69 million people perished throughout the world.  50 million of those were civilians.  Entire countries were laid waste.

Peace is often fleeting, yet the peace established on the Missouri that day endured for nearly five years, a time when much of the world was able to catch its breath and dare to look forward to the future.  While violence still occurred and people still died, it did not escalate again into a global conflict.  

We hold dear that day when we gathered here aboard the USS Missouri.  It is amoment we honor and cherish -- the day the world chose peace.  Let us remember that we possess the power to choose kindness toward each other, and to respect differing points of view.  Together, we can keep the flame of hope alive and remain connected to the better angels of our natures.  AS a species, we need only to embrace that better choice.  The real question?  Are we willing to?

Wars are fought by those in uniform, individuals willing to lay down their lives.  In a broader context, they fought and died for our country and the ideals of freedom and liberty.  However, in the micro-reality of the battlefield, they fought for one another.  Today, we remember and honor their willingness to serve and sacrifice.  We also honor those who have suffered the deeper, unseen wounds inflicted on their psyche, spirit, and soul.  Never in our history has the scourge of suicide among veterans struck so deeply and tragically.  This represents the true human cost.  Yet even in the face of their suffering, many of them, if the call sounded, would serve again without hesitation.

I look across this assemblage, and am moved by the sight of this sea of uniforms.  Your choice to serve is inspirational.  Your uncritical willingness to give what President Lincoln called, "the last full measure of devotion" humbles us.  I am reminded of Elenor Roosevelt's war prayer:

Dear Lord,

Lest I continue my complacent way, help me to remember that somewhere, somehow, out there, a mand died for me today.  As long as there be war, I then must ask and answer, Am I worth dying for?

All of us must live lives that create value and promise, giving meaning to the great sacrifice of those in uniform.  We should all be worth dying for.

I am an old Chief Petty Officer and a retired Intelligence Analyst.  I thus feel an unwavering connection to our mission and our people.  I sense that our nation, alongside our allies, may soon face the challenges of war once again.  I know many of you may find yourselves at the tip of that spear, the edge of that blade, serving with courage, leadership, and faith.  My thoughts and prayers are with each of you, as well as your loved ones waiting anxiously at home.  Take care of yourselves and those you lead.  Stand tall and unwavering in your resolve.  Stand strong in the knowledge of what you fight for.   And no matter where you give battle--land, air, sea, or space--make sure the enemy knows that battlespace belongs to the United States of America.

Speech: September 2nd, 1945

 

Copyright © 2026

By Ralph F. Couey

On September 2nd, 1945, a ceremony took place in Tokyo Bay, Japan.  Aboard the anchored Battleship USS Missouri, representatives of the Imperial Japanese Government and military signed a set of documents certifying their acceptance of the terms of surrender.  With that act, the world that had been at war in one form or another since 1931, finally found peace.  Humanity, in an all-too-rare moment in time, was finally able to look towards the future with hope.

Peace is fleeting, as human history has repeatedly demonstrated.  Humans have never had to search far for a reason to fight.  Thus, starting a war is far easier than ending one.  Still, we cherish those rare moments because peace gives us a chance to breathe,to live, to love, and to dream.

War is terrible; destructive and costly.  Novelist John Ball noted that the only reason a sane government gets involved in war is that the alternative is even less acceptable.  The United States, which had avoided global power and responsibility like the plague, was forced to accept that role by two nations, Germany and Japan, that lusted after both.  We learned a hard lesson: that no matter how hard we try to hide from the world, the world will still come looking for us.  And the rest of the world also learned that an America, thus armed, united, and engaged, is unassailable. 

And yet, despite our ability to fight, we have never relinquished our humanity.  Our service members' willingness to act with compassion, even on the most war-torn battlefields, is extraordinary.  When we emerge victorious, we don't impose oppression on our former enemies.  Instead, we respond with aid, money, resources, and effort to help rebuild those countries and their economies.  I remember watching a documentary that included an interview with a former member of the German Wehrmacht.  After seeing the effect of the Marshall Plan on his country, he said, "It is never good to lose a war.  But there is no better country to lose to than America."

World War II was long, bitter, and violent.  However, from the day the war ended through today, Germany and Japan are among our staunchest allies, trading partners, and best friends.  

"A better world..." General MacArthur called this "cherished hope."  That is what lies at the heart of all people, because we know instinctively that a world where freedom, prosperity, happiness, and opportunity exist for everyone, and a world where the value of human life is held sacred, is a world that will never need to wage war.  In the words of John F. Kennedy, "For in the final analysis, our most basic common link is that we all inhabit this small planet.  We all breathe the same air.  We all cherish our children's future.  And we are all mortal."

September 2nd, 1945 was so much more than the statutory end of a world war.  It was a day when the world finally found peace.  It was a day without death.  It was a day when hope was reborn.  It is what we celebrate on this day.  Peace, surely.  But hope lets us look forward with optimism instead of fear and dread.  For the people who inhabit this world, there is no better gift.

Unfortunately, the harsh lessons of human history instruct that we must always be prepared for battle. 

But let us remember this day; let us honor that day.  And for the sake of the world, may we always strive to wage peace.

Speech: Be the Chief

Speech:  Be the Chief

Copyright © 2026

by Ralph F. Couey

Welcome aboard the Battleship Missouri, and congratulations on your selection as Chief Petty Officers.  This is easily the most important moment in your careers, as well as in your lives.  This will live in your memories forever. 

I think it is fitting to hold this leadership academy aboard a battleship, particularly this one.  Missouri is a symbol of strength and resolve, a battle-tested warship.  I hope that in the coming weeks, you will absorb some of that strength and resolve and let it become part of you.  Being the Chief will require the absolute best of each and every one of you.  May you find the strength you need on your journey.

A couple of months ago, I was on the pier during an epic downpour.  I saw sailors leaving the ship after a ceremony, running through the rain, shoulders hunched, heads down.  But then a Chief came by.  For him, rain didn't matter.  Head up, shoulders back, he walked with a steady, determined stride, aloof to the elements.  I saw in him the epitome of strength, dignity, pride, and authority, every inch a Chief Petty Officer.  Others saw him, slowed down, and emulated him.  He had given no order.  Yet, by his example alone, he led others.  I was so impressed that the only response I could muster was a heartfelt "damn!"

Be the Chief.  It's a phrase you've heard a lot, especially lately.  I don't know what that means to you, but I know what it means to this old, salty Battleship Chief.  The easy and obvious answer lies in the context of the Chief's leadership of our enlisted personnel.  But it goes way beyond that.

Chiefs are instrumental in the training of junior officers.  We've all served long enough to know the difference between a good officer, and one who's probably better off running an ice cream parlor.  But as a Chief, you will have a priceless opportunity to shape and mold an entire generation of Naval officers into the kind of leaders you know full well the Navy desperately needs.  So, you're not only the Chief to the E-6 and below, but also to the O-1 and above.  You also need to Be The Chief to the Navy as a whole.  When you see that something is desperately wrong, but nobody seems interested enough to fix it, that's when you have to step up.  These anchors mean yhou not only have the rank, but also the professional, moral, and ethical duty to challenge the status quo; to speak truth to authority.  It will be a time when you need to find your voice and make people listen.  You see, Chiefs are not just the guardians of tradition.  Chiefs are also agents of change.  Once you don these khakis, the easy phrase "It is what it is" just doesn't cut it anymore.  You need to be ready and willing to call out the Navy when that moment arrives.  To quote Henry Fonda, "We all know the Navy is never wrong.  But there are times when it's a little weak on being right." 

A strong Navy is one that holds on to its sailors.  A big part of successful retention is people knowing that what they're doing is meaningful, and that they are valued and respected by those above them in the chain of command.  Sailors need to see their Chief advocating for them; fighting for them.  That breeds respect and loyalty.  And what you give, you will receive back tenfold.

In many ways, Chiefs ARE the Navy, and you can then choose to either be part of a sometimes faceless bureaucracy, or you can choose to Be the Chief.

We know what happened here on December 7th, 1941, but I want to share two accounts from that day.

Chief Watertender Peter Tomich was on duty in the boiler room aboard the Battleship USS Utah when the Japanese aircraft began dropping their bombs.  Utah took hits from multiple bombs and torpedoes, and the ship began to capsize.  Chief Tomich ordered the boilers to be secured, preventing a powerful explosion, then ordered everyone out of the engineering spaces.  He remained behind at his post until he lost his life.  He was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor.

Chief  Radioman Thomas J. Reeves was in Main Radio down on the third deck aboard the Battleship California.  This ship took severe damage from multiple bomb and torpedo hits, and the lower decks began to flood.  Chief Reeves got everyone out of that confined space safely.  However, once topside he discovered that the anti-aircraft guns were running out of ammunition.  He returned below and organized a detail to pass ammunition from the magazines below to the guns above.  Those lower decks were dark and flooding; fires raged, and toxic fumes filled the passageways.  As sailors began to feel the effects, Chief Reeves ordered them to safety, but remained behind until he collapsed and died in that passageway.  He was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor.

Both Chief Tomich and Chief Reeves on that day chose to Be the Chief.  The question for you today is this:  Are you ready to Be the Chief?  Are you ready to be those Chiefs?

You're going to learn a lot here from some very smart and experienced people.  Pay attention.  Absorb that knowledge and wisdom.  And put it to work.

I want to share some wisdom that was gifted to me on the day of my pinning, almost thirty-eight years ago.  The words came from a Master Chief Bo'sun's Mate, old, crusty, salty...I'm pretty sure he was at one point sitting on the pier waiting for the ocean to fill up.  This is what he said:

"You will always be the Chief, in uniform or not, on duty or off.  You will always be the Chief even decades after you take those khakis off for the last time.  Because you not only wear those anchors on your collar.  You also wear them on your heart."

You have a challenging road ahead.  But I have no doubt that you will rise and meet those challenges.  

Be strong.  Be courageous.  Be honorable.  Be the Chief.