Letter from the Chairman
April 2012
Dear Honorary Commanders,
As I have thought about the appropriate content to include in what is the second newsletter of my chairmanship, I have struggled with condensing the activities of a couple of months into abbreviated text. I struggle with brevity to begin with but when you consider the high quality of our early programs it becomes even more difficult to sum up our activities in a few paragraphs.
Since the time of the previous newsletter, The 2012 Honorary Commanders Association class has had the great fortune of visiting sailors and airmen in Panama City, Fla., followed by a day spent interacting with Georgia’s citizen soldiers at the Clay Guard Center, and most recently the class had the opportunity to visit Ft. Benning, Home of the Infantry. It has certainly been an active three months, exposing the class to three service branches, all accomplishing missions unique to that service branch and necessary to the war fight and National Defense.
While on our most recent trip to Ft. Benning, the Honorary Commanders Association had the honor of attending the Army Rangers demonstration but most importantly we shared in the privilege of seeing new, young Rangers pinned with their allusive Ranger tabs. This was a very emotional sight to behold. These Rangers, many of whom are just boys, emotionally bellowed their Ranger creed with the veracity of a lion. Seeing this and understanding that many of these newly pinned Rangers will go into harm’s way and inevitably not return was enough to make my eyes well up with tears. The pride that spilled from the souls of these Soldiers is embodied in their creed. The final two passages of the Ranger creed says,” energetically will I meet the enemies of my country. I shall defeat them on the field of battle for I am better trained and will fight with all my might. Surrender is not a Ranger word. I will never leave a fallen comrade to fall into the hands of the enemy and under no circumstances will I ever embarrass my country. Readily will I display the intestinal fortitude required to fight on to the Ranger objective and complete the mission though I be the lone survivor”.
It is the resolve referenced in the Ranger creed and the esprit de corps of all of our Military branches that allows freedom to forever resonate in the hearts and souls of the American people. This attitude should be engrained in the spirit of every child born into the greatness that is America.
We are very fortunate to live in a country where a select few would answer a call and be willing to lay down their lives so others may live free. As long as we have boots on the ground in foreign lands human sacrifice will continue to be a common occurrence. I close this letter by encouraging all of you who are invested in the HCAA and invested in this glorious nation to remember this sacrifice….remember the fallen and honor them by never losing sight of the obligation we have. The price of freedom is eternal vigilance, and my charge to you is to forever remain vigilant in the fight.
Very Respectfully,
Travis Ellis
Honorary Commanders Chairman