WE HAVE HAD A BIG TURNOVER OF
PERSONNEL, BUT THE OLD HANDS HAVE INDOCTRINATED THE NEW WELL,
AND OUR READINESS HAS NEVER BEEN REDUCED. MANY OF YOU HAVE
ELECTED TO REMAIN ON BOARD RATHER THAN TAKE DESERVED SHORE DUTY.
THE THOUGHTS I'D LIKE TO LEAVE WITH YOU ARE THESE: FIRST, DON'T
EVER LOSE THIS FINE THING WE CALL THE GROWLER SPIRIT; DON'T
JEOPARDIZE IT BY LOSING FAITH IN YOURSELF OR IN YOUR JOB OR IN
YOUR BOAT, BUT CONTINUE TO DO YOUR BEST. SECOND, DON'T ENDANGER
YOURSELF OR YOUR SHIPMATES OR YOUR COUNTRY BY LOOSE TALK OR
OTHER VIOLATIONS OF SECURITY. NOT ONLY CAN YOU YOURSELF, BE
PUNISHED SEVERELY, BUT YOU MAY COST LIVES OR ACTUALLY WEAKEN OUR
NATIONAL SECURITY. THIRD, DON'T FORGET FOR A MINUTE THAT THE
LEADER- SHIP YOU GIVE, AT WHATEVER LEVEL, WILL BE PART AND
PARCEL OF THE OVERALL ABILITY AND REPUTATION OF THE GROWLER.
FURTHER, GOOD HABITS OF DISCIPLINE AND CONDUCT WILL ENABLE YOU
(AND THROUGH YOU, INDIVIDUALLY AND COLLECTIVELY YOUR COUNTRY) TO
MEET THE CHALLENGE OF SOFT AND EASY LIVING, DETERIORATING MORAL
VALUES, AND RISING CRIME AND DIVORCE RATED, WITH ALL OUR
ABILITIES WE MUST COMBAT THE MENACE OF BECOMING VICTIM OF
DEFEATISM AND THE SIREN SONG, WHICH IS SO FALSE BUT NEVERTHELESS
HAS A CERTAIN APPEAL, OF THE ILLUSIONS OF SINO-SOVIET COMMUNISM.
THIS LAST I CANNOT EMPHASIZE ENOUGH IN ITS EVIL PORTENT FOR THE
FREE WORLD AND FREE, INDIVIDUALISTIC MEN EVERYWHERE. KHRUSHCHEV
HAS SAID (NOW HE CLAIMS HE WAS MISQUOTED, BUT HE ONLY SLIPPED
UP), "WE WILL BURY YOU!" IT IS UP TO US BY WHATEVER STRENGTH OF
WILL OR SPIRIT OR LOGIC WE CAN MUSTER
TO FIGHT THIS MONSTER OF COMMUNISM AT EVERY POSSIBLE LEVEL.
THEIR LEADERS ARE WILLING TO FIGHT DAY AND NIGHT, YEAR AFTER
YEAR, SINGLE-MINDEDLY (ALTHOUGH THEIR TACTICS MAY CHANGE TO SUIT
THE
CIRCUMSTANCES AT TIMES) TO ENSLAVE THE FREE WORLD AND TO CAPTURE
THE MINDS AND SOULS OF THE EMERGENT NEW COUNTRIES. tHE LEAST WE
CAN DO IS RECOGNIZE THIS MENACE AND FIGHT IT AT EVERY TURN JUST
AS STRONGLY. FREEDOM HAS ALWAYS BEEN WORTH FIGHTING FOR, AND
THE DAY WE FORGET THAT IS THE DAY WE'LL WAKE UP ENSLAVED,
DEFEATED, AND BROKEN.
FINALLY, AFTER GETTING THAT OFF MY CHEST, I'D LIKE TO SAY
THAT I HOPE THAT MAYBE SOMETIME AGAIN I'LL BE FORTUNATE ENOUGH
TO SERVE WITH SOME OF YOU. IF THERE IS EVER ANYTHING I CAN DO
TO HELP YOU IN MY LIMITED WAY, I SHALL CERTAINLY DO MY BEST. IN
THE MEANTIME, KEEP GROWLER THE BEST BOAT IN EITHER SUBLANT OR
SUBPAC. NO MATTER WHERE I GO OR WHAT I DO, I SHALL FOLLOW HER
ACTIVITIES WITH GREAT AFFECTION AND INTEREST.