American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, May 17, 2012 – Defense
Secretary Leon E. Panetta spoke of spirit and history here last night at an
event commemorating the 100th anniversary of Marine Corps Aviation.
In remarks delivered at the foot of the
Iwo Jima Memorial, Panetta lauded the efforts of 1st Lt. Alfred Cunningham, the
first Marine detailed to aviation as a pilot for the B-1, the Navy’s initial
purchase from the Wright Brothers.
“From the very beginning, the spirit of
courage and determination exemplified by Alfred Cunningham has been the legacy
of Marine Aviation,” Panetta said. “It is a spirit driven by a mission to
project power from ship to shore and support Marines on the ground. It is a
spirit that has guided Marine pilots to achieve the unthinkable and dare the
impossible with their aircraft.”
Since Cunningham’s day, Panetta said,
the Marine Corps has secured a place in Defense Department chronology,
including its pivotal role in the conclusion of World War I, its strafing runs
across the Pacific in World War II, its night defenses in Korea and its daring
rescues in Vietnam.
Panetta also acknowledged the Corps’
current missions in Afghanistan.
“We thank God for the Marine pilots from
Camp Leatherneck who support our troops on the ground and deal the enemy a
heavy blow,” the secretary said. “From one generation to the next, Marine
pilots pass down their legendary fighting spirit from one pilot to another,
telling them, ‘If you are not getting mud on your windshield, you’re flying too
high!’”
The secretary shared accounts of his
MV-22 Osprey rides that brought him to the shores of Camp Pendleton in
California, near ground zero in lower Manhattan on the 10th anniversary of
9/11, and to the dusty plains of Afghanistan’s Helmand province.
“That unique aircraft embodies the
agility, flexibility, and innovation that are at the heart of Marine Aviation,”
he said.
Panetta also discussed the F-35 joint
strike fighter, the world’s first supersonic stealth aircraft with short
takeoff and vertical landing capabilities.
“The Marines need a fifth-generation
fighter for the future, and they will have it,” he said.
Gen. James F. Amos, the 35th Marine
Corps commandant, noted that the Marine Aviation centennial provides a distinct
opportunity to both reflect and look forward.
“For nearly 100 years, Marine Aviation
has demonstrated the adaptability, agility and unique ethos that come with the
title ‘Marine,’” Amos said. “Supporting our ground and logistics brothers and
sisters, Marine Aviation has forged a lasting legacy of professionalism,
innovation and transformation.”
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