Walter E. Boomer, 33°
Rogers Corporation, One Technology Drive, Rogers, Connecticut 06263–0188

In the war against terrorism, we will once again emerge victorious in the defense of this great nation, and the world will be a better place.

The attack on America on September 11th was like nothing we have experienced in our history. It was violent and ruthless, well planned, well executed and well financed, but it failed to achieve its mission. It did not bring this nation to its knees; indeed, it accomplished exactly the opposite. It awakened a peaceful giant who when angered is more ferocious than its enemies ever imagined. It can fight hard and ruthlessly as in World War II, or it can be patient and unrelenting as it was during the Cold War, ultimately bringing the Soviet Union to its knees. Why our enemies learn nothing from history and continue to misjudge our sense of purpose when truly angered and hurt is a mystery. Or perhaps it is not such a mystery.

I remember Marine Major Rich Higgins, kidnapped in Lebanon while serving with the United Nations in Lebanon, tortured and hanged by terrorists. I remember the bombing of the Marine barracks in Lebanon in which hundreds of young Marines on a mission of peace were killed. I remember the bombing of the U.S. barracks in Saudi Arabia in which our soldiers and airmen were killed. I remember the bombing of our embassies in Kenya and Tanzania in which hundreds were killed. I remember the bombing of the USS Cole in which our sailors perished.

I also remember that most of the perpetrators of those attacks and killings have not been brought to justice. Maybe that is why our enemies have misjudged us and have indeed learned the wrong lesson from history. And, incidentally, do you think for one moment that the pain and suffering of those hundreds of mothers, fathers, sisters, and brothers are any less than what is being felt by those who have suffered so much in the past few weeks? The widow of Major Higgins is a friend of mine, and I can personally testify to the hell she has been through in the intervening years.

If we follow the same path as before, thousands of Americans will have died in vain. But it is quite clear that we will not walk away from our dead and our duty this time. We have declared war on this enemy, and I can assure you we are capable of winning, and I believe that under the leadership of this President we will win!

I have the privilege of knowing and having worked with several of the principals on President Bush's team. I could not be more pleased with who is leading us during these times. Dick Cheney is superb in his role, and Colin Powell will be one of our great Secretaries of State. We are fortunate to have them and others like them in public service. And, of course, our President has amply demonstrated his leadership, strength, and resolve since September 11th.

How is this war to be fought? It is to be fought with patience and determination. Quietly when called for, aggressively and violently when that is necessary. It will be a battle of wits, a deadly chess game played out on the world stage. The U.S. military will play a supporting role in this campaign. The keys to victory lie in diplomacy, international intelligence, and international law enforcement. Our leadership recognizes this. That is why the President and the Secretary of State are working so diligently to build a coalition that will help us in this battle. They seem to be making significant progress, and they are not tolerating nonsense or excuses. In this game, strength counts.

A tremendous amount of knowledge about this enemy exists. But it is spread around the world, held closely by the intelligence services of nations that possess it. Up to this point, not enough of that information has been shared. We must convince our allies, as well as those who are not our allies, to share this information with us. In this war, intelligence is the key to victory. Without it, we cannot win; therefore, over the ensuing weeks and months, we must convince the disparate intelligence services to cooperate. If this occurs (and I believe it is already beginning), the enemy is doomed.

In many cases, we will have to depend on the law enforcement agencies of other countries to apprehend and jail the enemy. Again, through diplomacy and strength, we can make this happen. If it does not occur, as happened in Yemen, where they refused to cooperate with the FBI, we must take whatever action is required, but no is not an answer.

That brings us to the military. Once again they find themselves readying for battle in order to defend our independence and freedom: freedom from tyranny and independence from those who would enslave us. And make no mistake about it, the enemies we are engaged with today would rob you of your freedom and enslave you if they were allowed to win this war.

Your men and women in uniform have shouldered much of the load in protecting our freedom. As citizens of this great country, they have been called to arms time and time again. They come from our cities, our towns, and our farms, and from the mountains and bayous of this land. Most are not anxious to leave their families and friends. You have seen them on TV in recent days, embraced in tearful goodbyes with their spouses and children. But they go! They recognize, in the words of Dwight David Eisenhower, that "in the final choice a soldier's pack is not so heavy a burden as a prisoner's chain."

Despite eight-plus years of military downsizing, they are ready. They are adequately equipped, and they are the best trained in the world. And make no mistake about this. Young Americans are fierce in battle! Veterans at this Bicentennial Biennial Session can testify to that truth. You will be as proud of our military men and women as you are of our firefighters and police force in New York, and understand that some of the military, too, will make the ultimate sacrifice in this new war.

Also, remember that the media and others made the Iraqi soldiers out to be 10 feet tall and misjudged the toughness of our troops. We crushed them in three days. Today's enemies are different; but in my opinion, no better. They will ultimately suffer the same fate, and I do not believe we will stop this time until the job is done, and we are finished.

What about the American pacifists and protestors who do not wish America to fight? I had been searching for a way to articulate my thoughts in this regard, when I discovered a piece in the Washington Post written by Michael Kelly. He says it perfectly: "If Americans do not fight, the terrorists will attack America again. And we now know such attacks can kill many thousands of Americans. The American pacifists, therefore, are on the side of future mass murderers of Americans. They are objectively pro terrorist. There is no way out of this reasoning. No honest person can pretend that the groups that attacked America will, if let alone, not attack again. Nor can any honest person say that this attack is not at least likely to kill thousands upon thousands of innocent people. Not to fight in this instance is to let the attackers live to attack and murder again; to be a pacifist in this instance is to accept and, in practice, support this outcome. In this situation, pacifists are on the side of the murderers and are on the side of letting them murder again. It is inescapably and profoundly immoral."

President Bush has said to the world and to us: "A war has been declared; you are either on one side or the other. You are either with us or you are against us." Well I, for one, Mr. President, am with you, and I believe the vast majority of my fellow countrymen are also. That being the case, we will once again emerge victorious in the defense of this great nation, and the world will be a better place.

God bless America.

Note: The above article is the text of an address by General Boomer to the Opening Session of the Supreme Council at the Bicentennial Biennial Session meeting in Charleston, South Carolina, on October 1, 2001.
Note: In introducing Ill. Boomer, 33°, to the General Session on October 1, Grand Commander Kleinknecht shared a thumbnail sketch of this outstanding Scottish Rite Freemason and American: It gives me special pride and pleasure to welcome General Walter E. Boomer, 33°, United States Marine Corps (Retired), to this Biennial Session. A career military man since 1960, General Boomer saw two tours of combat action in Vietnam, and in 1990–1991, he served in Saudi Arabia as the Commanding General, U.S. Marines Central Command and First Marine Expeditionary Force, during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. General Boomer than served as Commanding General, Marine Corps Combat Development, and, later, Assistant Commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps. Following his retirement in 1994 after 34 years of active military service, Illustrious Brother Boomer became the President and Chief Executive Officer of Rogers Corporation, a high-tech manufacturing company focused on wireless communications and computer markets, with offices across America and around the world. Just this year, in recognition of his selfless service in so many areas, Brother Boomer received the Legion of Honor Gold Medallion Award presented annually by The Chapel of Four Chaplains. It is with great pleasure that I present to you General and Illustrious Brother Walter E. Boomer, 33°, United States Marine Corps.