2003 Keeper of the Flame Award: Paul Wolfowitz

On October 9th, the Center for Security Policy paid tribute to the “Liberators of Iraq” – the men and women in uniform who fought so bravely to eliminate the tyranny that was Saddam Hussein’s regime – by presenting to them the 2003 “Keeper of the Flame” Award. Accepting this award on their behalf was the Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz, who took this opportunity to thank America’s “heroes” for giving “their last full measure of devotion to their country and their cause – a just and noble cause.”

To underscore the important role played by enlisted personnel in Operation Iraqi Freedom, Secretary Wolfowitz singled out “three special heroes,” Sergeant First Class Raymond Gilbert, Sergeant Dean Lockhart, and Corporal Ricky Nelson, who have “been to war.. faced its dangers and borne its wounds. And now they’ve returned home to us, a grateful nation.”

Secretary Wolfowitz was introduced by the Vice-Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Peter Pace, USMC. He extolled the Secretary’s leadership, intelligence, and humility.

Among the company in attendance for the fourteenth annual Keeper of the Flame Award were many of the Nation’s senior military personnel, as well as a large contingent of civilian leaders of the national security community. Among the former, in addition to Gen. Pace, were: the Supreme Allied Commander, Gen. James Jones, USMC; the Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps, Gen. William Nyland, USMC; and the Vice Chief of Naval Operations, Adm. Mike Mullen, USN. Among the many currently serving and high ranking Pentagon officials present were: the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, Douglas Feith; the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence, Stephen A. Cambone; the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition & Technology (Acting), Michael Wynne; and the Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller), Dov Zakheim.

Also in attendance was the former Secretary of Defense, Secretary of Energy and Director of Central Intelligence and 2001 Keeper of the Flame Award recipient, Dr. James Schlesinger; the Chairman of the Defense Science Board, Dr. William Schneider; and Defense Policy Board members Richard Perle and Devon Cross.

Several other distinguished guests included: the Chairman of the House Policy Committee, Rep. Christopher Cox; the Chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, Rep. Porter Goss; the Chairman of the House National Security Appropriations Subcommittee, Rep. Jerry Lewis; the Under Secretary of Homeland Security for Board and Transpiration Security, Asa Hutchinson; the DEA Administrator, Karen Tandy; the National Counterintelligence Executive, Michele Van Cleve; Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Proliferation Strategy, Counterproliferation and Homeland Defense, National Security Council, Robert Joseph; the Special Assistant to the President for Near East Affairs, National Security Council, Elliott Abrams; and the Executive Secretary of the National Security Council, Greg Shulte.

Also in attendance were numerous law enforcement, US Attroneys and case agents fighting the War on Terror here at home. Overall, nearly 500 attendees were present at this exquisite black tie dinner held at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Washington, D.C.

The event concluded with remarks by Fox News’s Monica Crowley, who served as the foreign policy assistant to former President Richard Nixon from 1990 until 1994, and authored two books about he former President, Nixon Off the Record and Nixon in Winter.