<p>I dont know how many of you listened to the Presidents Commencement Address at Kings Point on Monday, (if you didnt and would like to here is the link – <a href=“Live Webcast of The U.S. Merchant Marine Academy Class of 2006 Commencement Ceremony, featuring President George W. Bush as the Keynote speaker, at Kings Point, NY on June 19, 2006 at 9:45AM ET”>Live Webcast of The U.S. Merchant Marine Academy Class of 2006 Commencement Ceremony, featuring President George W. Bush as the Keynote speaker, at Kings Point, NY on June 19, 2006 at 9:45AM ET; or read his speech <a href=“Briefing Room | The White House”>Briefing Room | The White House; ) but if you did, you heard the President say, Today Kings Point is still the only one of our five service academies that sends its students into the theaters of war – and for that reason, it is the only Academy authorized to fly a Battle Standard.</p>
<p>This morning I watched my son who volunteered to be part of the long line of Kings Pointers who have served in harms way board his ship for a military cargo run to Iraq. Hell transit the Suez Canal on the Fourth of July and discharge tanks, humvees, helios and supplies in Umm Qasr, Iraq and then in Kuwait the middle of the month, then head to Japan before coming back through the Panama Canal to do it all once again, before heading back to the Academy in November.</p>
<p>The mix of emotions was overwhelming pride, amazement, concern, envy, sadness that his grand parents arent alive to see this, and immense admiration for the institution that took in this kid less than a year ago and has prepared him to be a functioning part of the operations of a 700 ft ship with billions of dollars of cargo. He will stand watch and navigate; hell chip, paint and clean; and help supervise the discharge of supplies to our troops. </p>
<p>These schools we send our sons and daughters to are truly amazing places filled with pretty amazing kids.</p>