From the recent retirement ceremony of Glen D. Thompson
I am an American Patriot.

I believe in the United States of America. There are few things as sacred to me as Duty Honor Country Flag. My heroes are the men and women who currently wear and those who have worn the uniform of our armed services

Army Marine Navy Air Force Coast Guard Active Reserve Past Present Future. When I was growing up, patriotism was respected. Serving your country was respected. Our flag was respected, the American way of life; liberty and freedom was respected.

Soldiers, Sailors, Marines, Airmen and our Veterans were respected. Thank God that, for some of us, this (being a patriot) will NEVER change. I’d like to quote a couple of Past Presidents: Theodore Roosevelt defined patriotism as: "Patriotism means to stand by the country. It does not mean to stand by the president or any other public official, save exactly to the degree in which he himself stands by the country. It is patriotic to support him insofar as he efficiently serves the country. It is unpatriotic not to oppose him to the exact extent that by inefficiency or otherwise he fails in his duty to stand by the country. In either event, it is unpatriotic not to tell the truth, whether about the president or anyone else. " –
President Kennedy cautioned us; “Let us not seek the Republican answer or the Democratic answer, but the right answer. Let us not seek to fix the blame for the past. Let us accept our own responsibility for the future.”

It is my hope that we can return to a deep patriotic principle vice political climate that runs shallow holding little substance. It is my opinion that the best way to do so is by being a living example. Hold you head high, wave our flag proudly, pass along to the next generation what it stands for so that our early patriots are remembered for their contributions. This is one area where history needs to repeat itself. As I move from the ranks and hang up my uniform for the final time. I will always be proud that I was a United States Sailor, that I am a veteran, and I will always be... An American Patriot.