Alright, sorry about the tirade last week, but I had to get some things off my chest.  Many folks have asked for a transcript of my remarks from my retirement ceremony but, due to a technical glitch with my digital recorder, there is no recording.  I don’t do verbatim speeches so I’m going to give ya’ll a transcript as best as I can remember.  Here goes……

“I’d like to thank everyone who came today.  Especially those that came from very far away!  I’m not going to take a long time today, but there are some things I’d like to say and you’re a captive audience.  I’ve always thought that words really do have meaning and I hear so many wasted on meaningless chatter.  On May the 7th 1978 I stood up in front of crowd of people including some that are here today like my mom and my, then future, wife Peggy. I’m going to ask everyone here who is serving, or who has served, to stand up, raise your right hand, and repeat after me. “I, Daryl Hartman, do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office upon which I am about to enter. So help me God.”  At the time all I could think of was the adventure ahead and the struggle and hard work behind.  I didn’t give a whole lot of deep thought to the words I had spoken.  Years later, while pulling late SOF duty one night, I was asked by a recruiter to administer the oath to a new guy and after hearing the words again I decided that I needed to really understand what it meant to “uphold and defend the Constitution”.  So I got hold of a pocket constitution and this one in my jacket has been with me for over 25 years.  What does the oath mean to you?  How do you intend to defend it against enemies foreign?  What is an enemy domestic?  To that end, I’m going to ask ten volunteers to come forward and pass out a pocket constitution to everyone here today.  I encourage you to study it, discuss it, memorize it and be ready to execute that oath every day.

On 11 August 1979 I stood up in front of another large group, looked into Peggy’s eyes, and said, “I Daryl, take you Peggy, to be my wedded wife. To have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness or in health, to love and to cherish ’till death do us part.”  I made a commitment to my wife to be true and honest and faithful to her and to put her needs before my own.  But I was saying more than that.  I was committing myself to my kids and my family and her family.  My career of moving from Youngstown to Pittsburgh to Youngstown to Pittsburgh was a direct result of Peg’s need to be here for her parents and my obligation to be here for my family.  My parents, my siblings, my nieces and nephews.  I have no regrets and I’ve been blessed with the opportunity to see my kids and their cousins grow up to be mature, godly adults.

In the reserves, we talk a lot about the three legged stool of Family, Reserves, and civilian Employer, but my experience is that three legged stools don’t pass the OSHA test.  My fourth leg is my most important one.

On the 7th of December, 1969 I stood up in front of a large group of people and said, “I believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God”.  With those words I made the most important commitment of my life.  I made a decision to live my life filtered by what God had in mind for me.  I made a commitment to a congregation which I have been a part of for nearly 56 years.  I have tried to lead in a way that honors God and to make decisions prayerfully and consistently and to have an even and honest temperament.  I hope I’ve had a positive impact on the people I’ve served with and I want each of you to know that I will continue to be available for you.  You can’t turn caring off.  I wish you all the best, and may God bless you all and the United States of America.”

That’s it as best I remember.  If I missed anything please feel free to comment.

Defend against enemies domestic and VOTE!