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№ 2009.016 — University of Georgia — Commencement address
Robert M. Gates
Field: politics
Defense Secretary Robert Gates congratulates the University of Georgia's Class of 2009 and devotes his address to the obligation of service and citizenship. He honors graduates entering military service, cites examples of UGA alumni who served their country and communities, and argues that public service remains an honorable calling despite its burdens. He urges able and idealistic graduates to step forward and serve the American people.
Key moments
- 01 Honoring eight classmates being commissioned as military officers and fallen UGA alumni
- 02 Citing UGA examples of service like Charlie Beckwith and agronomist D.W. Brooks
- 03 Emphasizing citizens' responsibilities, not just rights
- 04 Calling on graduates to enter public service in a time of 'great necessities'
Transcript
The full transcript is hosted by the original publisher. Commencement Archive links to the source rather than republishing copyrighted text.
Read the full transcript at source →Provenance
Imported from NPR commencement archive; cross-referenced with Open Commencement DB
NPR archive last updated in 2015; destination availability has not been exhaustively rechecked | Open Commencement DB transcript; not independently verified against the original recording