Bill Clinton: “Thank you very much. Thank you, General Shelton, for those kind remarks and for your little walk through memory lane…”

“Thank you very much. Thank you, General Shelton, for those kind remarks and for your little walk through memory lane about our association together. My most vivid memory of my association with General Shelton is when he walked out of the water and looked down at the Haitian dictator and said he thought he would have to go. And I thought to myself, we should have just sent him down there by himself. [Laughter] I thank you for your leadership. Thank you, Secretary Cohen, for your remarks and for your extraordinary leadership of the Defense Department and for helping us to demonstrate every day that this is not a Democratic or a Republican effort, or a Democratic or Republican administration when it comes to the defense of this country and the welfare of the American people and our men and women in uniform. To the members of the Joint Chiefs, the commanders in chief, General Chilcoat, the students of the National Defense University, faculty, and others; I am delighted to be here, at a place where education, experience, and excellence make a common home. I'm especially pleased to be here with the members of the Joint Chiefs and our commanders in chief, whose 68 stars form a shining constellation of talent and achievement.…”