Ceremony in washington, d. C. Speakers included the designer of the wall, maya lynn, and former defense secretary and vietnam veteran, chuck hagel. Good afternoon,ve ladies an gentlemen. Im president and ceoi yo of tht veet nuclear progr Vietnam VeteransMemorial Fund and master of ceremonies for today. It is my pleasure to welcome you to the annual veterans day ceremony at the mall. Before we begin the program, i would like to recognize all the gold star family members we havp with us here today, the mothers, fathers, wives, siblings, spouses, nieces, nephew, and the sons and daughters in touch, all those who have experienced the loss of a loved one and know all too well the sacrifices that our military families make. And finally, to those still waiting for the return of their loved ones who are listed as missing, thank you for joining us. Id also like to take a moment to thank the wall volunteers. Theyre the folks you see in the Yellow Jackets and the yellow ho hat, and the staff of the Vietnam VeteransMemorial Fund for all they do year round to honor veterans and preserve the memorial. They truly put everything they have into making the experience of every single visitor at the wall as meaningful as they can be. Andd my last thankyou today gos to our 35th Anniversary Commemoration sponsors, pbs, alan buckaloo, e. And ed ross, mr. And mrs. Fred w. Smith, land of the free foundation, penn fed credit union, the slater foundation, usaa and wells fargo. Thank you for helping us make todays ceremony and all that weve don this yee this year toe 35th anniversary of the wall possible. [ applause ] before we begin our program today, well pause to recognize our p. O. W. S and m. I. A. S. I calll your attention to our p. O. W. m. I. A. Chair which occupies a place of dignity and honor on our stage. Let us always remember and never forget their sacrifices. And now id like to start our program today with an invocation. Please welcome our chaplain, major luis a. Garua iii who will lead us in the invocation. Please join me in prayer. Heavenly father, as we celebrate the 35ther anniversary of this wall, let us always remember those that have served and those that are here todayt. And those here today. We commemorate those names that are on the wall and, lord, we pray for othose that are here today that still carry the scars from service and vietnam. We ask this in your precious and mighty name, amen. And now i would like to introduce the joint Armed Forces Color Guard from the military district of washington for our presentation of w colors. Color guard, please present the colors. If you would stand, please. To sing the national anthem, please welcome Master Sergeant kevin lanier of the president s own United States marine corps band. O say, can you see by the dawns early light what so proudly we hailed at the twilights last gleaming whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight oer the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming and the rockets red glare the bombs bursting in air gave proof through the night that our flag was still there oh, say, does that starspangled bannerer yet wave oer the land of the free and the home of the brave please remain standing while were led in the pledge of allegiance and remain standing as the color guard retires the colors. Thank you. My name is Lieutenant General chuck peady. On behalf of our secretary Ryan Mcarthur and our chief staff, and my father and fatherinlaw, who are both Vietnam Veterans, i thank you for being here and for privilege of leading you in our pledge of allegiance. If youd please place your hand over your heart and join me. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of america and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under god, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Thank you, sir. Please be seated. The vietnam veteran Memorial Fund hosts a ceremony each year in partnership with the National Park service. At this time, id like to welcome the secretary of the interior as our partner in todays ceremony. Secretary ryan zeke is a former navy s. E. A. L. As a veteran, he understands the importance of remembering the sacrifices of those who served our nation through military service, and were extremely pleased to have him join us for a few days ago to read names listed on the wall. Welcome, secretary zinke. Well, happy veterans day. You know, all of us have a different experience about je vietnam. My experience was growing up in a little town called whitefish, montana, and every veterans day a parade would go by. My grandfather owned a chevrolet dealership. He used to bring me to the curb and give me a flag. And i remember the veterans marching by. In the time the veterans would march by the year and the war they fought. I remember the doughboys. They had their weapons shouldered and they marched brilliantly followed by the world war ii veterans. At the time there was a lot of world war ii veterans. Those grows up in my lifetime were the Civic Leaders in charge of the lions club and the quannas club and the icons and pillars of our community. And then the korean war. My stepfather was a marine, semper fi. He fought in the korean war, and they marched. And then i remember as child looking at the vietnam vet rera. Up front, your always marched a little differently. The war was a different war. The monument behind us is a different monument than all the other monuments in this great mall. If you can compare the monument to the world war ii monument, the glory, the size, the majesty of that monument compared to the monument behind us, it lies low on the horizon. When i was a congress, on the 50th anniversary of the war, one of my greatest honors was to give pins to the veterans that served in the vietnam war. And the experience of the vietnam war was different than mine. The war in vietnam came to me. I remember watching it with Walter Cronkite every night. I remember my parents with me, watching the war. When you came, it was a different experience than what i experienced. A number of veterans that served that war always talk about coming into either San Francisco, taking off the uniforms, throwing them in trash can cans. Thats a different experience than what i experienced. When i came home, it was thanks, support your troops, bands. A lot of the reason why i received what i did in my generation is because you did not. I think as a nation we should be ashamed at how we viewed your service, your dedication. The monument behind me i think is not a tribute to victory or defeat. Its a tribute to remembrance. We should never run away from the history of our country. We should learn. When i served in the s. E. A. L. Team for 23 years, in 1985, most of my instructors were s. E. A. L. S that had served in vietnam. They cut their teat ineth in th jungles and the rivers. I learned a lot from those fine warriors. I have learned a lot from you, those that have fought. Ive learned commitment, dedication, sacrifice. And i thank you. Ill tell a quick story why i say semper fi to every marine i see. As i fought with general mattis in fallujah, i can tell you i sleep better at night knowing general mattis has the military. [ applause ] and ive got to tell you, you know god loves us, because general kelly is in the white house. But when i was in fallujah, i was on the front lines and i was a Deputy Commander of special forces in iraq, and we were looking at what was going on in fallujah. And general conway who later became the commandant of the marine corps and general mattis, who was the 1st Marine Division commander, i was showing them on the front lines what we were doing, where we were going, where the safe houses were, where the snipers were and, you know, kind of laying out our order of battle. And that kind of went on. And this young sergeant next to me and bear in mind im the commander this young sergeant grabs me by my collar and nearly throws me down. I kind of get up, shake myself off, and im a little red in the face. I go right up to him and he goes, sir, theyre shoofti ings you. And for you marines, semper fi, thank you. Lastly, i just wanted to express how grateful i am to be your secretary and how grateful our nation is for you magnificent Vietnam Veterans. And for those family members today, share in the understanding that we are a better nation for your service. With that, god bless. [ applause ]. Thank you, secretary zinke. Please welcome dayan carlson evans, a vietnam veteran, nurse, and founder of the Vietnam Womens Memorial foundation. Thank you. We are grateful to be here for the 35th anniversary because it means were all survivors. Were here. Were together. In exactly one year from today, well celebrate another anniversary, the 25th anniversary of the dedication of the Vietnam Womens Memorial, which stands behind you and designed by glenna goodacre. One of the women who this memorial honors is with us today to share her story as an army nurse in vietnam. We are very proud of kate ohare palmer. She was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Army Nurse Corps in 1967 from seal beach, california, at the ripe old age of 21. She served as an operating room nurse and emergency room nurse at the ripe old age of 21 at the second Surgical Hospital and then the 312th Evacuation Hospital in 1968 and 1969. Kate came home, like most of us, just wanting to get on with her life, have a family and continue with her nursing career. There were bumps in the road. However, her commitment to her fellow veterans has always been there. Kates career in nursing has spanned 30 years. Her story can be found in the book officer nurse woman. Upon returning home, she completed her bs degree in nutrition at uc, berkeley. She has held the Vietnam Veterans of America National veteran womens chair for the past five years. She has worked with legislators and Community Members at the state and national level, fighting for veterans rights and benefits. Kate never gave up in her fight to care for veterans. She continues to sit on the sfva Medical CenterWomens Health committee and works with various education committees at the high school and College Levels to enhance the knowledge of Women Veterans. Please give kate ohare a warm welcome. Thank you, dayan, for that wonderful introduction. Its amazing to me. Ive been coming here for years, sitting out there with you all, and now im up here to tell my story. And i wanted to say that this is a special anniversary, the 35th. I was here for 25th for parade. This is amazing. Last month i opened up a fortune cookie, and it said, you will be traveling and coming into a fortune. Well, i traveled across from california to here, and heres my fortune, my brothers and sisters. Welcome home. [ applause ] i want to share just a short bit about my time as an army nurse in vietnam, my transition home, and the current needs of Women Veterans who have served in the military. My military service truly began in my home because both my parents were in the Army Air Corps during world war ii. And my mother scrambled eggs in the morning and was teaching us morse code, dit, dit, dit, da, da dash da, da, dit, dit, dit. I could have used that so sashgs few times in vietnam. My older brother tom was a veteran in country in 1965 and 1966. I saw his pictures come home. He was in a hospital there, and i wanted to help. I was a nursing student. It was that simple. Upon graduation, i raised my right hand with three of my friends and we took the oath to support and defend the constitution of the United States against all enemies. I believed this. I am a constitutionalist. The war was permeating all our lives, and i didnt know how much then my heart, my mind, and my soul would be tested. I went to vietnam in june of 68, the day after Robert Kennedy was assassinated. Within two hours of hitting the town, i was in a hospital operating room scrubbed in. After three weeks, i began to wonder how i was going to make it. Working between the emergency and operating rooms, i saw injuries and carnage that no one could be prepared for. Even though i trained at a 5,000bed l. A. County general hospital. I was grateful for training that i received in the army before i went over, and it helped me with my first take i dont sracheost life. The teamwork of all the medics, nurses, and doctors that i was able to work with was hard to beat and will be forever remembered. We were a team. We supported the 1st cav and Marine Divisions in icore in 68. Some of us were either dating, engame ged or married to men al serving in the military so, not only were we caring for those in our hospital, we were worrying would we see our guy come in on a litter. The 312th Evacuation Hospital reserve unit came up and the second surge was sent down to three corps and we changed our mission to support big red one. I know theres a lot of you here. In the spring of 69, the longrange reconnaissance patrol brought to our hospital american soldiers who had been held as p. O. W. S in cambodia. They were severely mutilated. Some of their genitals cut off. And they were barely alive. One of them asked me to let him die. He didnt want to go home like that. I just hugged him. My duties were neverending. My hands continued to work, but my compassion was being drained. My soul was tearing. And no one that wants no one that is in a war ever wants war to continue. The robot kate took over those last few months in country. It was too much. Coming home to Travis Air Force base and buggsed into oakland depot, we had protesters throw rotten vegetables on us. We were not prepared for that. I was buffered somewhat in the early 70s by being at ft. Stewart, georgia weather , husband, and i worked at a local hospital while the south vietnamese soldiers were being trained to fly helicopters back in vietnam. They were getting ready to go over. However, the war followed me home. An unexpected thing happened to me. I started having dreams, bad dreams, blood dreams, covered in blood because i was an operating room nurse. They started intruding into my daytime life, and i called them my daymares. After being in vietnam and being so strong, i felt so weak and scared, and i didnt know what to do. It broke up my marriage because i didnt want to tell my husband after being so strong that i was so scared and weak. So those memories were relegated to aconscious, and i returned to San Francisco and finished college. One night while i was working at the va San Francisco, a patient came out of his room and up to me and said, you were my masked angel. I recognize your blue eyes and your voice, and i will never forget when you said to me, youre safe now, you will go home. It was stunning to me to meet somebody that was alive. We cry for all these names. We cry for all these men and women that died. But to meet somebody that made it back was the beginning of our healing. The dedication in 1993 of the womens memorial was an ecstatic day for us. We women were back together and acknowledged. The effort, energy, and support to get this project completed were herculean. And on that veterans day dedication we were greeted by our brothers. Many have their military records and were looking for their nurses, clerks, women they worked with in intelligence, or aircraft maintenance. They were looking for American Red Cross workers who had flown in into their lz. These thankyous and hugs that we got and continue to get every time we come here are so warm and so amazing to us. Dianes message and circle of healing was truly begun. The spiritual component of our healinging was beginning. Im grate to feel the vet center because they really helped me. They gave us back our pride and honor in our service when we were feeling less than whole. During our vietnam era, 2 of the military were women because there was a cap on how many women could serve. Now theres almost 15 women that serve. Over 250,000 served during the vietnam era, but its much more than that now. What i wanted to mention, because theres still many areas that need advancement, and we continue to help with that, women experience toxic exposure related to cancers and ptsd like our fellow soldiers. The Vietnam Veterans of america and other Major Veterans Service Organizations have worked tirelessly to help get that toxic exposure and research act passed last year. But thats only the beginning. You need to keep on, everyone, so that we get the benefits and the care that we deserve after toxic exposure. Its for our children and our grandchildren now. Timely care is needed at the va health care. Obstetrics and gynecological care should be standard in all va hospitals. Its a goal, but it hasnt been met yet. And infertility in both women and men that serve in country or serve in other areas today that have toxic exposure is something that we need more work on. Va benefits need inclusion of comparable claims and adjudication for Women Veterans. Suicide and homeless rates for Women Veterans are really on the rise, and we need to look at that and help. Military sexual trauma care is a sore point. In 2014 we had a bill passed that was supposed to help take care of that. Its not enough, and we need to say no more ever again. [ applause ] the forever gi bill that just passed will be greatly used by our veterans that have been delayed entry back to school for either family, mental health, or medical reasons. The majority of us veterans, all of us, we have gone home, served in our communities, been in places of leadership, and weve continued to work with ourselves and others. We need to stand, work, and live together always because we are special. We are. Thank you. Im proud to be a veteran and welcome home. [ applause ] thank you, kate. It is now my pleasure to introduce maya lynn. Maya was a student at yale when she won the Design Competition for the memorial that thrust her into the national spotlight. Over the last 35 years, she has gone on to have a very successful career as a designer and artist. Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome maya lynn. Thank you. I am so deeply honored to be here today, veterans day, the day our country sets aside to honor our nations veterans. The design of the vietnam veteran memorial was always meant to do just that remember and honor the veterans who served in the vietnam war and remember those who did not come back. Its hard to believe its been 35 years since its dedication. Almost 37 years ago i stood here for the first time looking at this beautiful park. I had no idea what was to come over the next two years. I stood here and had a simple impulse to cut open the earth and to polish the earths open sides. Now, to realize this design was not an easy journey. It was full of controversy and emotions on all sides. In 1982, at the walls dedication, i was here, and at that time i was met by a very angry, very emotional vietnam veteran right here on the eve of the dedication. And as he raged at me, i could not help but to think how the pain and memories that that veteran was experiencing, that made him lash out at me, signified that the memorial was beginning to work. By creating a space that would allow a returning veteran to remember that time and all thth those memories would be at times emotionally charged and at times painful, it is only when we can finally face that loss and that pain that we can begin to overcome it. And that cathartic healing process that has become so much a part of the space was always at the heart of this design. Ive been fortunate through the years to have received so many heart felt thanks and letters from veterans, from family members kwhof lo s who have los one, from a psychiatrist who helped veterans with ptsd, who wrote of how the semifinfinal s his therapy was to bring veterans to the wall. But it is i who need to thank all of you for your service and sacrifice. It has been a deeply moving experience for me. At the time i must confess it wasnt the easiest of projects. I, too, was the average age of Vietnam Service members. I was 21 going on 22. And though my battle and what we all went through to build this is nothing compared to what you endured, maybe it, too, was part of the story of the vietnam war and its aftermath. I also want to acknowledge and give thanks to those who were instrumental in realizing this design. The small group of Vietnam Veterans who worked so hard to set up the idea, to get congressional authorization, to hold the competition, and then to weather an incredible political firestorm to get it built. To jan scruggs, the founder of the vvmf, whose idea it was to build a memorial, who was then aided [ applause ] by a small group of dedicated Vietnam Veterans. Robert dubek, ron gibbs, jack wheeler, colonel john shade, don woods, some of whom are here today and sadly for those who are not still with us. They fought so hard to help realize this design. And to cooper lucky, the architects of record, to henry arnold, the Landscape Architect who had originally designed this beautiful park in constitution gardens. To Jay Carter Brown of the Fine Arts Commission and so many commissioners who shepherded the project through the numerous planning meetings in d. C. And to so many senators and congressmen, generals, veterans, gold star families, and volunteers who all made this memorial a reality so that it can stand today and have the effect that it does on millions of visitors each year. It wasnt the easiest of designs to understand before it was built since it connects to you in a very personal and psychological way. My task as the artist was to keep that design simple and pure, from the politics, from the controversy, from serious alterations, and for all the myriad design details that helped make this design what it is today. I envisioned cutting open the earth and polishing the open sides. The walls would not be massive but instead thin and light so that the names alone become the object, that the walls would be polished to a mirror shine so you see yourself reflected in the names, and that the depth would be enough to offer you refuge but not enough to become oppressi oppressive, that it had always to be of human scale and that as you descend the names rise up to meet you. And of utmost importance, that you would be able to find your time on the wall and connect with your fallen colleagues. I was intently focused on creating a work that would talk to each one of you individually, yet also to have you seen together as a whole, as a family, and to see yourself reflected in both the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial so that you and your service would become a part of the very fabric of our country, so that you become an honored and storied part of our nations history. I can not imagine what you endured overseas only to come home and not be welcomed home by the country that asked you to serve. I believe so strongly that the politics of that war had been so divisive, that this memorial had to rise above that, that this memorial could not let the politics of the war color your service, your sacrifice, and your loss. We must never forget ever the heroism and sacrifice that you and your fellow veterans have made for our country. And if this memorial has helped to welcome you home and to help heal some of the turmoil and pain of that war and to embrace you and honor you in our nations capital, then i am deeply honored to have played my part in your story. Thank you. [ applause ] well, i know every single one of us here today would like to come up to maya at the end of the ceremony and offer their personal thanks. She actually has to leave quickly and take a flight to london. But i think we all can use the loudness of our applause to let her know exactly how much her design, this memorial, means to all of us. [ cheers and applause ] and it is now my distinct honor to introduce our keynote speaker for today, vietnam veteran, enlisted in the army, senator from nebraska, and of course chairman of our 35th anniversary committee, 24th secretary of defense, chuck hagel. Jim, thank you. Secretary zinke, to all our distinguished leaders that i have the privilege of sharing the podium with. Thank to your Vietnam Veterans, their families, all our veterans all here, thank you. Thank you for your service. Thank you for being here. Thank you for sharing a special day. We are not just Vietnam Veterans and families but all of our veterans and our active duty military men and women. And to you, maya, again, your presence, your words reflect as well as anyone can what this memorial means, what it has meant, and it will continue to mean to future generations. So, maya, thank you once again. I want to add my personal thanks to a group of individuals that maya mentioned starting with jan scruggs, his founding board some are here today so many people that were part of working through the difficulty of getting this memorial built at a difficult time. Maya, you mentioned some members of congress and there are two specific individuals that i have had the pleasure of not just serving with but getting to know over the years, but two United States senators without whose support i dont think this memorial would have been built. Senator john warner from virginia and the late senator matt mathias from maryland. These two individuals really made it happen. 35 years ago today this memorial was dedicated. It was built to honor, remember, and recognize the sacrifices of over 58,000 americans and all the men and women who served in a confusing and unpopular war in a very distant land. This memorial was built for future generations so they would learn from this war and would always remember that wars have serious and lasting consequences. I said in my remarks at the groundbreaking 35 years ago, there is no glory in war, only suffering. But with all of the suffering Vietnam Veterans endured and saw they also witnessed uncommon courage and compassion. There was heroism all around. But mostly it was that they did the job their country asked them to do. Their commitment to each other and their individual common decency and belief in their country sustained them. Nearly 3 million american men and women served in vietnam. They returned home not asking for favors or special recognition. They didnt wallow in selfpity or the lack of thanks or respect that they did not receive. They rebuilt their lives, understanding better than most that the price they paid included a large measure of injustice. Not all succeeded. Many struggled and still strug fr struggle from that experience in that faraway land. As i wrote these remarks this week, i looked at photos of my brother tom who served with me side by side in vietnam, who is here today. My brother tom and my father in the South Pacific in world war ii. As i looked at those pictures i wondered what a 21yearold charlie hagel and his buddies were thinking in 1944. Wars are fought by human beings. Machines dont fight wars. People fight wars. Men and women fight wars. Those who survive wars are either embittered or inspired to help make a better world. Like all veterans of americas wars, Vietnam Veterans chose the latter course. War gives one clarity. It helps you see what is really important in life. All Vietnam Veterans should be proud of that hardearned clarity and their service. We should be proud of each other. Each generation faces its own unique challenges, unique to their time in history. These challenges are not of the soldiers making. Different times, different wars, different political currents all dictate wars and reasons for fighting wars. Every generation of americans answered their countrys call. And todays veterans of iraq and afghanistan and our Current Service members are no different. Vietnam veterans answered their call and served with honor. Historians have written that the common equation for mankind throughout history that has determined the strength and success of societies is challenge, response, challenge, response. How each generation responds to the challenges of its time. Those societies that responded well learned, adapted, and adjusted, always prospered and helped make a better world for all people. Vietnam veterans responded well to their generations challenges, strengthening the foundations of a special country with special people. Their recognition came far too late. But look around you now. It is here today. I have always believed that the greatest responsibility of leaders is to leave their institutions and those they lead better than they found them. To serve as role models. Ive often heard from our service men and women today and from iraq and afghan war veterans that they looked to the Vietnam Veterans for courage and inspiration. Vietnam veterans did serve as role models. And are now the senior statesmen of the veterans community. Justice, the World War Two and korean war veterans before them. Reminding me that it was the Vietnam Veterans memorial. This memorial that led the way for the next two american War Memorials to be built on these sacred grounds of lincoln. As i listened to the eisenhower speakers reflect on the greatest of this soldier statesman, the theme emerged clearly. That captured ikes life. Humility, dignity and quiet leadership. Hallmarks of veterans of every war. Vietnam veterans were no different. To our Vietnam Veterans, celebrate your day of recognition. You have earned it. You deserve it. And thank each other. For you are the quiet heroes of your generation. God bless you all. Thank you. [ applause ] secretary hagel, sir, you are a true public servant, and im honored to call you a friend. Thanks. Thank you. Allow me to director your attention to the representatives of several of the nations leading veteran service organizations. Many of them are leading the stage. For many years these organizations have joined our tradition of laying wreaths at the Vietnam Veterans memorial in honor of the fallen. While the wreath layers get into position i would like to share a few highlights of whats been a busy year for the Vietnam VeteransMemorial Fund, the founders of the wall. Recently the effort to put a face to every name on the wall passed a major milestone. Of the 58,318 photos we have been seeking, less than 4,500 photos are left to meet our goal. [ applause ] i would ask you please if you have photos of anyone on the wall, please make sure they are part of our wall of faces. You can find it through our website vvmf. Org. We also inducted 412 Vietnam Veterans into the in memory honor roll which honors those men and women who served in the vietnam war and later died as a result of their service. As we do each year, we inducted them into the honor roll the saturday of fathers day weekend and do it on the knoll right over here overlooking the wall. In march we commemorated the Ground Breaking for construction of the wall 35 years ago and we were lucky enough to have remembrances from the retired Vietnam VeteransMemorial Fund president and founder jan scruggs and the director of the fund robert duback who is with us here today. For memorial dejay jan was our master of ceremonies and speakers were codirectors of the released documentary called the vietnam war. We released Public Service announcements starring gary senice and ann margaret. Thanks to all of them for supporting our efforts. [ applause ] and we are ending our Anniversary Commemoration this week with the reading of the wreaths being laid you will hear the bagpiper playing Amazing Grace for the 19th year. Todays ceremony will close with the playing of taps of the president s own United States marine band. The organizations laying wreaths. National park service. Vietnam Veterans Memorial fund. Vietnam womens memorial. American gold star mothers. Operation freedom bird. Paralyzed veterans of america. Gold star wives of america. The 101st airborne division. First Cavalry Division association. Sons and daughters in touch. Fifth battalion. 25th infantry division. Military order of the purple heart. Verizon advisory board. Association of Vietnam Veterans of america. Vietnam memorial volunteers and friends. Kason veterans. The american legion. Veterans of foreign wars. Rolling thunder chapter one of maryland. 39th engineer battalion alumni association. Third battalion 8th infantry. 82nd airborne association. And the first marine aircraft wing. We ask audience members remain standing until the honor guard has been dismissed. Honor guard you are dismissed. This concludes our ceremony. Thank you for coming ladies and gentlemen. [ applause ] because of that it makes it difficult in an adversary to deny the capabilities of the United States. Our adversaries and you heard it talked about by others this morning, they have been watching us ever since the first gulf war. They watched the enormous conventional power we created that was enabled by spiace and you have to decide am i going to just ignore that advantage or try to do something about it. So the chinese and the russians for the last 20 plus years have been watching what we have been doing and developing capabilities and not been secret about it. They have been building weapons, testing weapons, building weapons to operate from the earth in space, jamming Laser Weapons and they are not kept it secret. Theyre building those capabilities to challenge the United States of america to challenge our allies and to change the balance of power in the world. We cannot allow that to happen. So we would win today but not necessarily in the future . Im worried about the future because i dont know how it happened but somehow this country just lost the ability to go fast. We have adversaries going fast and we dont go fast anymore. We take four years to study a problem before we do anything. We do four years of Risk Reduction for technologies we built 50 years ago. Why do we take that much time . Because we have been able to because the advantage we have had over adversarieadversaries. When you look at the threat and deal with it, we dont have that much time anymore. We have to move right now and we have to move fast and change the way we do business. So we are at a significant advantage today. But five years from now that advantage will be gone and ten years from now well be behind. You can catch this rest of the discussion saturday night at 10 30 p. M. Eastern on cspan. This week washington journal features authors of key books published this past year. Join us for our live conversation with authors about their popular books. Coming up on saturday Jessica Bruder with her book surviving america in the 21st century and author chris whipple. How the white house chiefs of staff define every presidency. Washington journals author series all this week at 8 00 a. M. Eastern on cspan, cspan. Org and cspan radio. Cspan citys tour takes you to springfield, missouri on january 6th and 7th. Were working with media com to explore the history of the birthplace of route 66 in southwestern missouri. On saturday, january 6th at noon eastern on book tv. Author jeremy neely talks about the conflict along the kansas missouri border in his book, the border between them. John brown comes back to the territory and begins a series of raids during which his men will liberate enslaved people from missouri and help them escape to freedom in the course of this, theyll kill a number of slave holders. So the legend or notoriety of john brown really grows as part of this struggle that people locally understand is really the beginning of the civil war. Then sunday, january 7th at 2 00 p. M. On American History tv. We visit the nra National Sporting arms museum. Theodore roosevelt was probably our shootingest president. A very, very avid hunter. First thing he did when he left office was go on a very large hunting safari to africa. Now, this particular rifle was prepared specifically for roosevelt. It has the president ial seal engraved on the breach. And of course, roosevelt was famous for the Bull Moose Party and there is a bull moose engraved on the side plate of this gun. Watch cspan citys tour january 6th and 7th and on American History tv on cspan3. Working with our cable affiliates as we explore america. Cspan where history unfolds daily. In 1979 cspan was created as a Public Service by americas Cable Television companies. That is brought to you today by our cable or satellite provider. Our vietnam war coverage continues. Next a conversation with historians Mark Lawrence and lienhang nguyen on the legacy of the vietnam war. This is an hour and a half