By Andy Weddington
Sunday, 16 September 2018
Keep your head up in failure and your head down in success. Jerry Seinfeld
Friday night past the giant multipurpose room of a nearby conference center in our small town was configured into a birthday ballroom.
United States Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM) - the combatant command on 24/7 global watch that oversees our nuclear weapons arsenal - celebrated a birthday.
Several hundred, representing the command of more than 160,000, packed the house.
Yes, Marines are assigned to STRATCOM.
And a Marine was guest of honor and keynote speaker.
Though that Marine retired a couple of years before me, we never served in the same command nor had we met.
I saw him shortly before formalities but from a distance.
First impression ... short and unassuming and had he been wearing jeans, t-shirt, and ball-cap he'd be mistaken for any other hardworking blue-collar joe.
After dinner a Marine colonel assigned to STRATCOM had honors to introduce the Marine guest and ended comments by saying he held the most pride in being a Marine.
That Marine had been his aide-de-camp a decade and a half ago.
A standing ovation greeted him.
He spoke plainly, casually, not of himself but of the command, of the people.
I lost track how many times he said, "Thank you!"
And echoing STRATCOM commander's earlier remarks, he spoke about the past, present, and future.
With emphasis on the future he summoned three children in attendance to center floor (he did not step foot on stage) aside him. And he noted, to them and us, these youngsters were tomorrow's generals.
Thanking the children and dismissing them, he paused.
Then with a burst of energy he blurted, "Marines kick ass!"
With obligatory apology to the young ears and parents, he continued.
Then as humbly as he took the floor he returned to his seat.
The cake-cutting (good but not to Marine Corps standards) followed.
Now, about this Marine ...
He graduated from the United States Naval Academy class of 1968. Not an easy accomplishment, considering the day. He kicked ass! and was commissioned a Marine.
He flew more than 100 combat sorties (A-6 Intruder) in Vietnam. He kicked ass!
He was a NASA astronaut. He (again) kicked ass!
He flew four space shuttle missions - pilot twice and mission commander twice. One mission launched the Hubble telescope. He kicked (more) ass!
He commanded a Marine Expeditionary Force(forward) and a Marine Air Wing. He kicked ass!
He led NASA. More ass-kicking still!
And those are but some of his Marine ass-kicking achievements.
After formal festivities I had chance to shake his hand - Marine to Marine. Shortly thereafter, my wife did as well introducing herself as married to a Marine. Smiling, he commented, "Oh, yes, the one with the colorful bow tie."
(STRATCOM) Sailor and Marine
On the drive home thoughts occupied by all that Major General Charles F. Bolden, Jr., USMC (Retired) had accomplished - a successful man - and he's still out there kicking ass.
And those thoughts concluded with ... I better get busy and get something done before time runs out.
Yesterday morning I shared that thought with a successful longtime friend too retired Marine. He confessed to having similar thoughts on occasion and commented on a poem he stumbled on last week. He sent the poem.
The prose by Ralph Waldo Emerson titled Success goes ...
"To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate the beauty, to find the best in others; to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition; to know even one life has breathed easier because you lived. This is to have succeeded."
Major General Bolden has surely touched more lives than he can possibly know or imagine.
We all have.
But a single life breathed easier is the benchmark of success.
Remember that!
And if ever a bit down and in doubt, expert ass kickers and at helping others breathe easier ...
Ask a Marine!
Or reread Success by Emerson.
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5 comments:
Charlie Bolden, didn’t know him well but met him several times. At our first meet I knew he was destined to be a general, but Following his career, nothing he accomplished surprised me. Truly a Marine ass kicker!
Nice! Good story. Funny about the name .... Charles Bolden. There was a Charles Bolden in Salisbury about my mother's age. I'm sure no relation. Charles Bolden in Salisbury was a church soloist, often asked to perform at weddings, funerals, and the like. He had a kick-ass voice.
One other observation: I've never wanted to kick ass. What's wrong with me? I just don't want to, that's all. Once I took horseback riding in college ... hated it because it did require a bit of ass-kicking. Couldn't, wouldn't do it. Dropped the course after the horse kicked my ass to the ground. Mentally, I can kick someone's ass. Physically, no.
To be clear, “kicking ass” has dual meaning - literally, of course, and figuratively as in excelling at whatever you do. Marines just happen to be expert at both.
… and the Colonel of Truth is still kicking ass. Keep it up and thanks for your inspiring column.
I first met Charles Bolden when he was the Commandant of Midshipmen at the US Naval Academy in early 1995. During the annual USNA Crabpot Ice Hockey Tournament played at Dahlgran Hall I had arranged through former NHL Capitals Captain Ivon Labre to have Cap players Sylvain Cote and Keith Jones out to the final game to drop the first puck, sign autographs for the local fans and meet the collegiate players. Colonel Bolden immediately captivated both Sylvain and Keith with his charismatic ways and they subsequently invited him to the locker room before a Caps home game to meet the rest of the team and give a pep talk. The pre-game banter obviously worked - he must have said "kick ass" because the Caps won the game!
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