I haven't, in the 23 years that I have been in the uniformed services of the United States of America, ever violated an order - not one.

I don't think there is another person in America that wants to tell this story as much as I do.

I'm trusting in the Lord and a good lawyer.

I haven't, in the 23 years that I have been in the uniformed services of the United States of America, ever violated an order - not one.

As a Marine officer in combat, I was responsible for the lives and safety of all the Marines who served with me.

I would not trade you a billion dollars for the kids I led to combat in Vietnam or in fact any of the Marines that I served with for a quarter of a century.

The 2.4 million bright, brave, incredibly fit and remarkably talented young Americans who have served in our armed forces since we were attacked on 9-11-01 are all volunteers. As General Petraeus put it during a conversation we had in Afghanistan, 'They all came or stayed, knowing they were going to war.' For more than a decade, these patriots and their loved ones have made extraordinary sacrifices for this country. They embody the classical definition of heroes: those who put themselves at risk for the benefit of others.