[00:00:09]
WE ARE SO THRILLED TO HAVE YOU HERE THIS MORNING.
UH, WE WOULD LIKE TO BEGIN, UM, IF YOU WOULD PLEASE STAND FOR THE PRESENTATION OF THE COLORS AND THE PERFORMANCE OF THE NATIONAL ANTHEM.
READY? TWO RIGHT FACE, FOUR UP.
READY? HOLD LEFT BASE ON COLOR GUARD.
FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE JUST GETTING TO HOUSTON, YOU MAY NOT KNOW THAT THIS IS ACTUALLY DAY EIGHT OF FLEET WEEK.
WE HAVE BEEN PLAYING HOST TO OVER 1700 VISITING SAILORS, MARINES AND GUARDSMEN WHO HAVE ENGAGED IN ABOUT A HUNDRED DIFFERENT ENGAGEMENTS THAT WE KNOW OF, ALTHOUGH THERE HAVE BEEN MANY ORGANIC WINDS ALSO, UM, THROUGHOUT THE COURSE OF THE LAST EIGHT DAYS, WE'RE SO PLEASED TO HAVE SO MANY DISTINGUISHED GUESTS HERE TODAY.
AND HERE TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THOSE GUESTS IS MY PARTNER, CHRIS NEWPORT.
IT'S AN HONOR TO HAVE THE DISTINGUISHED VISITORS THAT WE HAVE WITH US HERE THIS MORNING.
OF COURSE, ADMIRAL HEWITT, THE GENERAL, UM, MEMBERS OF HOUSTON CITY COUNCIL.
MAYOR PROAM CASTEX TATUM, COUNCIL MEMBER CARTER, COUNCIL MEMBER GONZALEZ RAMIREZ, EXCUSE ME.
AND COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN, ASSISTANT SECRETARY KURTZ, THANK YOU FOR JOINING US TODAY, AND I'VE DONE AN HONEST JOB OF GATHERING EVERYONE AND TO POTENTIALLY THE MOST DISTINGUISHED VISITORS THAT WE HAVE.
THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE WITH US.
YOU WERE ABLE TO OPEN THE EVENT LAST WEEK.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO COME? CLOSE IT, SIR.
YOU KNOW, WHAT A SPECIAL MOMENT.
AND IT'S SO APPROPRIATE THAT WE'RE IN THE LEGACY ROOM.
A LOT OF RECOGNITION AND SPECIAL EVENTS HAVE BEEN HELD IN THIS ROOM.
AND NOW WE'LL ADD FLEET WEEK TO THE LEGACY OF HOUSTON.
AND REMEMBER THIS ROOM AND WHAT IT REPRESENTS THE BEST THAT HOUSTON OFFERS.
[00:05:02]
AND I WAS JUST SITTING THERE DURING THE NATIONAL ANTHEM, ANTHEM AND LOOK AT THESE YOUNG SAILORS UP ON THE NEXT FLOOR WATCHING OVER US.THAT'S SIM SO SYMBOLIC OF OUR ARMED SERVICES AND THE MARINES.
NO NONSENSE MARINES PROTECTED US THIS MORNING.
SO WE'VE HAD EIGHT WONDERFUL DAYS FOR HOUSTONIANS, AND I'VE VISITED WITH ENOUGH OF OUR MARINES AND SAILORS TO GET THEIR IMPRESSION AND REVIEW OF HOUSTON, TEXAS.
I'D ENCOURAGED THE ADMIRALS DURING THE OPENING CEREMONIES AND EVEN THE RECEPTION THAT EVENING AT OUR MUSEUM, MARITIME MUSEUM.
ENCOURAGE THE SAILORS MARINES TO GO TO OUR COMMUNITIES, OUR DIVERSE COMMUNITIES, AND SEE WHY WE'RE SO SPECIAL.
I ENCOURAGE THEM TO GO TO NAVIGATION, EAT AT MEMPHIS, SEE OUR PROUD HISPANIC COMMUNITY OR THE INTERNATIONAL DISTRICT, WHICH IS JUST JUMPING AND, UH, THEY HAD A RECEPTION AND GOT TO VISIT WITH STUDENTS.
AT TSU, WE HAVE BEEN DISCOVERED BY NOT ONLY THE WORLD WHICH WE'RE FIXING TO EXPERIENCE WITH FIFA, BUT NOW YOU CAN ADD OUR ARMED SERVICES AND GENERAL HYMAN BRIGADIER GENERAL.
UH, YOUR REMARKS LAST NIGHT REALLY SAID IT ALL.
I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO HEARING YOU THIS MORNING BECAUSE THE ADMIRALS AND GENERALS ARE REALLY THE ULTIMATE JUDGE LOOKING OUT FOR YOUR SAILORS AND MARINES.
I REALLY ENJOYED THE HOSPITALITY AND THE SHARING OF LAST NIGHT.
ADMIRAL WALTZ DOESN'T GET ANY BETTER.
NOW I KNOW WHY Y'ALL ARE ADMIRALS AND WHY YOU'RE A BRIGADIER GENERAL.
IT, UH, STARTS AT THE TOP AND AS A MAYOR, I'VE NEVER, I'M ALL, IT'S ALWAYS A SPECIAL OCCASION.
IT'S ALWAYS A SPECIAL FEELING TO REPRESENT THE CITY OF HOUSTON, 2.3 MILLION HOUSTONIANS AND THE 700,000 THAT TRAVEL HERE EACH DAY TO WORK AND ATTEND EVENTS.
BUT NOTHING'S BEEN MORE SPECIAL THAN FLEET WEEK.
IT NOT ONLY MAKES YOU SO PROUD OF HOUSTON, BUT ALSO OUR COUNTRY.
I MEAN, TO, TO LISTEN TO THE MARINE BAND LAST NIGHT JUST GIVES YOU PRIDE IN OUR COUNTRY, BUT IT ALSO MAKES YOU REALLY HAVE A, A SOBER EXPERIENCE OF WHAT OUR YOUNG SAILORS AND MARINES REPRESENT.
THE WORLD HAS MUCH TURMOIL AND IT'S GOING TO, BUT, BUT WE FEEL SAFE BECAUSE OF OUR ARMED SERVICES AND THE YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN.
AND IT'S BEEN SO EXCITING TO HAVE HOUSTONIANS THAT ARE IN THE SERVICE COME OVER AND TALK ABOUT WHERE THEY GREW UP, HOW THEY LOVE HOUSTON.
AND THE LAST NIGHT TO THOSE THAT WEREN'T THERE WAS SO SPECIAL A GALA, AND I'M NOT PARTICULARLY A GALA GUY,
WE RECOGNIZE THE ELECTED OFFICIALS, CERTAINLY ARE GUESTS FROM, FROM HUD UNDER SECRETARY KURTZ.
IT'S SO GREAT THAT YOUR TEAM'S HERE.
BUT WHAT I DIDN'T DO LAST NIGHT, AND I'M GONNA TRY TO MAKE UP FOR IT THIS MORNING, I DON'T DO THIS ALONE.
I'M JUST AS GOOD AS WE ALL ARE IN YOUR DEPARTMENTS, WHETHER IT'S HUD TO ARMS AS A PEOPLE THAT YOU SURROUND YOURSELF WITH.
HOUSTON IS CLICKING AND, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN TALKING ABOUT LAST NIGHT IN THE FLEET WE'D EXPERIENCED, SHE CALLED IT A SLAM DUNK.
AND THAT'S PRETTY STRONG ENDORSEMENT FROM SOMEONE THAT IS AN EXPERIENCED, NOT ONLY COUNCIL MEMBER, BUT CITY ADMINISTRATORS.
SO SALLY, I THINK YOU NAILED IT.
AND I WANT TO THANK ALL MY DIRECTORS.
WE CANNOT HAVE THE GREAT CITY.
WE HAVE ANGEL DIRECTOR OF CITIZENS WITH DISABILITIES, AND I COULD GO THROUGH THE LIST.
OUR FIRST RESPONDERS, CERTAINLY POLICE AND FIRE, MADE THIS SUCH A SAFE EVENT, AND THEY WON'T REST UNTIL EVERYONE'S BOARDED THE SHIPS AND RELOCATED.
AND THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO BE SUCH A PROUD NOW.
CHRIS NEWPORT, AS WE KNOW, WAS MY ORIGINAL CHIEF OF STAFF, BROUGHT SUCH EXPERIENCE, HELPED ME THROUGH TRANSITION, AND IT MIGHT'VE BEEN THE FIRST OR SECOND WEEK ON A JOB BEING A NAVY
[00:10:01]
VETERAN SUGGESTED LET'S GO FOR A FLEET WEEK.WELL, I WAS SO NEW, BUT HE KNEW WHAT HE WAS TALKING ABOUT.
HE RECRUITED A CAN-DO PERSON IN RITA HICKS.
AND THEN I COULD GO BACK TO WORKING WITH MY DEPARTMENT DIRECTORS, SOLVING PROBLEMS AND MOVING HOUSTON FORWARD.
SO LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, CHRIS NEWPORT AND RITA HICKS, YOU MADE THIS SUCH A SUCCESSFUL EVENT.
UH, HOUSTONIANS GOT TO ENJOY OUR SERVICE, MEN AND WOMEN.
A GREAT NAVY MET A GREAT CITY, AND IT'S SOMETHING TO CELEBRATE.
AND NEXT IT IS MY PLEASURE TO ASK BRI, GENERAL HYMAN TO TAKE THE STAGE.
I DON'T KNOW IF I'M NERVOUS, UM, BECAUSE THIS WEEK IS COMING TO A CLOSE AND, UH, WE'VE BEEN WELCOMED WITH OPEN ARMS INTO THE TIRE COMMUNITY AND I ALREADY FEEL A LITTLE BIT OF REGRET THE SEPARATION ANXIETY IS STARTING TO HAPPEN FOR REAL.
UH, OR I'M MORE NERVOUS, UH, BECAUSE MY OLDER BROTHER IS IN THE ROOM TONIGHT, UH, WATCHING OVER ME.
BUT, UH, I WANNA SAY GOOD AFTERNOON.
AND AS WE GET READY TO CLOSE ON AN INCREDIBLE WEEK HERE IN HOUSTON, I JUST WANNA TAKE A MOMENT, UH, TO TALK ABOUT THIS TRULY HISTORIC EVENT HERE AND FLEET WEEK HOUSTON.
UH, SO ON BEHALF OF THE COMMON OF THE MARINE CORPS, I WANNA SAY THANK YOU.
YOU'VE WELCOMED US INTO YOUR NEIGHBORHOODS, YOU'VE WELCOMED US INTO YOUR COMMUNITIES, AND YOU'VE WELCOMED US INTO YOUR PORTS.
AND I WANNA SAY THANK YOU FOR THAT.
AND SO, FOR THE PAST SEVERAL DAYS, YOU HAVE WITNESSED AND YOU'VE EMBRACED THE NAVY AND MARINE CORPS TEAM, UH, THROUGHOUT HOUSTON, THROUGHOUT THE REGION, AND YOU'VE SEEN FIRSTHAND, UM, WHAT AMERICA'S BEST AND BRIGHTEST CAN DO.
WHEN WE WORK TOGETHER, WE WILL ALWAYS, WE CONTINUE TO BE A NAVY MARINE CORPS TEAM AND A PARTNERSHIP, AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO DO THAT.
AND AS WE MENTIONED, OR AS I MENTIONED LAST NIGHT, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT A NAVAL FORCE, AN INTEGRATED NAVAL FORCE, MARITIME FORCE THAT FIGHTS AND WINS OUR NATION'S BATTLES.
AGAIN, IT'S NOT THE TECHNOLOGY, IT'S NOT THE PLATFORMS. IT'S NOT THE SYSTEMS. IT'S ABOUT THE YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN TO, TO MY RIGHT.
UM, THAT THE FOLKS THAT YOU'VE ENGAGED WITH THROUGHOUT AND ON LONG DEPLOYMENTS AWAY FROM HOME AND ACROSS THE GLOBE.
THE MARINES AND SAILORS ARE FUELED BY THE STRENGTH AND THE PRAYERS AND THE LOVE AND SUPPORT FROM THE COMMUNITIES, BACK HOME, COMMUNITIES LIKE HOUSTON.
AND SO WE KNOW THAT THE FUTURE OF OUR WINDS, UH, ON THEIR HORIZONS YET TO COME.
UH, WE KNOW THAT WE ARE A BETTER FORCE BECAUSE WE ARE SUSTAINED BY COMMUNITIES LIKE HOUSTON.
AND THIS IS WHAT FLEET WEEK HOUSTON WAS, IS ABOUT FOR US, REMAINING CONNECTED, UH, TO THE PEOPLE, UH, IN THE COMMUNITIES WE SERVE AS A NATION AND AS WE ARE, AS YOU MAY BE IMPRESSED, UM, BY THE EQUIPMENT, UH, THE, THE SHIPS.
UH, I JUST WANT A FOOT STOMP AS A REMINDER.
WE CAN'T LOCATE CLOSE WITH AND DO OUR NATION'S BIDDINGS AND TO DEFEAT OUR ADVERSARIES AND SUPPORT ALLIES AND PARTNERS WITH ABOUT WITHOUT THE YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN, UM, HERE TODAY.
SO I'D LIKE A QUICK ROUND OF APPLAUSE FOR OUR SAILORS, COAST GUARDS AND MARINE.
AND I WANT TO TRULY KEEP THIS SHORT, UH, AS WE CLOSE THIS WEEK.
A PROFOUND THANKS FOR THE HOSPITALITY, YOUR UNWAVERING PATRIOTISM, UM, THAT I HAVE FELT, UM, SINCE DAY ONE.
I WASN'T HERE, BUT I FELT IT WHEN I WAS COMING IN.
THERE WAS A LITTLE TURBULENCE AS I WAS LANDING, AND I COULD TELL THAT'S BECAUSE THE NAVY MARINE CORPS TEAM WAS IN HOUSTON.
UM, AND I WANT TO SAY, MOST IMPORTANTLY, AS A GUY THAT'S RESPONSIBLE FOR RECRUITING THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE WESTERN UNITED STATES, I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR TRUSTING US WITH YOUR SONS AND YOUR DAUGHTERS.
UM, IT'S NOT EASY, UM, TO SUPPORT A YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN TO, TO JOIN THE MILITARY.
UH, BUT MY PLEDGE TO YOU, THEY WILL BE BEST LED, BEST EQUIPPED, AND BEST TRAINED.
AND I WANT TO THANK YOU, UH, SINCERELY, UH, FOR THE MEN AND WOMEN OF CHARACTER THAT YOU'VE DEVELOPED AND YOU'VE BUILT OVER THE YEARS.
[00:15:01]
AND AGAIN, EVERYTHING THAT YOU REPRESENT HERE, EVERYTHING THAT'S REPRESENTED HERE IN HOUSTON, WE KNOW IT'S A REFLECTION ACROSS THE UNITED STATES.BUT LET US SAY AGAIN, AS A REMINDER, THIS INAUGURAL WEEK, THE FIRST FLEET WEEK IN TEXAS IS THE RIGHT CITY, RIGHT PLACE AT THE RIGHT TIME WITH THE RIGHT LEADER.
SO I WANT TO QUICKLY INTRODUCE, UH, MY NEXT SPEAKER, UH, MY BATTLE BUDDY FOR THIS WEEK, PROBABLY HALF THE WEEK.
HE IS, UH, REAR ADMIRAL JOHN HEWITT.
YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO KICK ME OUTTA THE CITY.
THIS HAS BEEN A TREMENDOUS WEEK, UH, IN THE NAVY AND THE MARINE CORPS.
WHEN A COMMANDER LEAVES, UH, A MARK OF SUCCESS, IF THEY HAVE A CHANGE OF COMMAND, THEY LEAVE THEIR SHIP, THEIR SQUADRON, THEY SUBMARINE, THEY HAVE A BAND.
AND WHEN YOU SAY YOU HAVE A BAND AT YOUR CHANGE OF COMMAND, THAT MEANS YOU ARE SUCCESSFUL.
YOU HAVE TWO BANDS,
SO BY THEM BEING HERE, I THINK THAT'S A MARK THAT THIS WAS A SUCCESSFUL WEEK.
UM, I WORDS AREN'T ENOUGH TO SAY THANK, YOU KNOW, TO SAY THANK YOU AND HOW MUCH IT MEANS TO US TO, TO BRING THE FLEET TO FLEET WEEK HOUSTON, UH, JUST AN AMAZING OPPORTUNITY.
I THINK IT'S NOT GONNA, THE GRAVITY OF THE EVENT IS NOT GONNA REALLY BE, UM, UH, FULLY REALIZED UNTIL AFTER WE'RE GONE AND WE GO ON OUR DAY AND WE LOOK BACK AND, AND REFLECT ON WHAT WE'VE DONE HERE.
AND, UH, WHAT AN HONOR, WHAT A PRIVILEGE IT IS FOR ME PERSONALLY.
I KNOW FOR THE SAILORS, I WAS TALKING TO A LOT OF OUR SAILORS AND MARINES.
FOR A LOT OF THEM, THIS WAS THEIR VERY FIRST FLEET WEEK.
AND, UH, EVERY ONE OF THEM THAT I'VE INTERACTED WITH, THEY SAID THEY HAD THE BEST TIME.
THAT'S THE THING THAT YOU ASKED FOR AT THE OPENING CEREMONY, IS THAT YOU HOPE THAT THEY WOULD, UM, THEY WOULD FEEL THAT HOUSTON WAS THE FRIENDLIEST CITY.
AND, UH, AND I THINK WE'VE ACCOMPLISHED THAT IN, UH, IN GREAT QUANTITY, SIR.
SO I JUST WANTED TO THANK YOU.
UM, IT WAS YOUR VISION AND OF COURSE WITH, UH, RITA AND CHRIS, UH, BACKING UP YOUR VISION THAT THAT MADE IT A REALITY.
AND I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT WE'RE AT THE END.
UH, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, I WANT TO THANK THE PEOPLE OF HOUSTON.
AND, UH, I THINK, UH, GENERAL HYMAN SAID IT BEST.
THE AMOUNT OF PATRIOTISM, THE AMOUNT OF PRIDE THAT FLEET WEEK HOUSTON HAS INVOKED, NOT ONLY IN OUR SAILORS, BUT TO HOUSTONIANS, UM, IS REALLY A SUBTEXT OF, OF WHAT WE EXPERIENCED THIS WEEK.
AND LOOKING BACK AND, AND HAVING THAT INTERACTION AND, UM, MEETING PEOPLE THAT NORMALLY DON'T INTERACT WITH OUR NAVY AND MARINE CORPS.
IT MAKES ME SO PROUD TO BE AN AMERICAN, UH, THAT TRULY WE ARE THE GREATEST NATION ON EARTH AND WE HAVE THE GREATEST NAVY AND MARINE CORPS IN THE WORLD.
AND I'M JUST INSTILLED WITH A SENSE OF PRIDE, AND I KNOW OUR SAILORS AND MARINES ARE AS WELL.
UM, WHETHER YOU ARE ON THE DECK OF THE USS CURE, SARGE, U-S-A-U-S-S ST.
LOUIS, OR USS MINNEAPOLIS, UH, ST.
PAUL, I HOPE YOU SAW THE CHARACTER.
I HOPE YOU SAW THE DEDICATION OF THE YOUNG MEN, YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN, UH, WHO SERVE THIS GREAT NATION.
UH, MAYOR, UH, THE CITY HAS SET A NEW GOLD STANDARD FOR, UH, FOR FLEET WEEKS, WHAT THEY CAN BE.
UH, WE LEAVE YOUR CITY, UH, DEEPLY BONDED AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO SUPPORTING A FUTURE FLEET WEEK IF YOU'LL HAVE US BACK.
SO, FAIRWINDS AND FOLLOWING CSAR, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
PLEASE PRESENT THE FLEET WEEK HOUSTON FLAG SO MUCH FOR JOINING US TODAY.
LET ME TELL YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN NEXT.
UM, THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE LOCAL KNOW THAT SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO PIVOT A LITTLE BIT BECAUSE OF TRAFFIC.
WE JUST HAD QUITE A NUMBER OF SAILORS AND MARINES ARRIVE JUST IN TIME TO WRAP THINGS UP WITH US AND, AND MOVE ON TO THE NEXT PART OF THE MORNING.
I, UM, I KNOW YOU HEARD, UH, ADMIRAL HEWITT SAY JUST A SECOND AGO, THAT SPECIAL OCCASION TO HAVE BOTH THE MARINE CORPS BAND AND THE NAVY BAND, BUT HE REALLY MEANS IT.
THEY HAVE TO GET SPECIAL PERMISSION TO PERFORM TOGETHER.
SO IT IS A VERY SPECIAL OCCASION THAT THEY'RE PERFORMING FOR US TOGETHER TODAY.
UM, AND WE, I FEEL LIKE HAVE BEEN ON A GRATITUDE TOUR FOR THE PAST TWO DAYS, BUT IT'S SO IMPORTANT.
[00:20:01]
OF THE CITY, THE COUNTY, THE PORT, AND OVER 75 OTHER LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS AND MUNICIPALITIES HELP US EXECUTE THIS FLEET WEEK ALONG WITH THE SEA SERVICES.AND WE COULDN'T HAVE DONE IT WITHOUT A HERCULEAN LOCAL EFFORT THAT WAS VERY WELL COORDINATED.
AND I CAN'T TELL YOU HOW GRATEFUL WE ARE FOR THAT.
IN JUST A MOMENT, I'M GONNA INVITE, UH, UH, CAPTAIN LEE RUTLEDGE, US NAVY CHAPLAIN TO LEAD US IN A BENEDICTION.
AFTER THAT, WE'LL BE DONE WITH THE FORMAL PROGRAM.
UH, THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE HERE IN UNIFORM, YOU GOT HERE JUST IN TIME FOR A DELICIOUS BARBECUE LUNCH THAT WILL BE SERVED AT 11:00 AM BETWEEN NOW AND THEN THE ONES OF YOU WHO JUST ARRIVED CAN DEPOSIT YOUR COVERS AND TABLES JUST OUTSIDE HERE TO MY LEFT.
ALSO, ANY OF YOU HAVE WHO HAVEN'T HAD A CHANCE TO GET OUR OFFICIAL FLEET WEEK BELT BUCKLE, THOSE ARE AVAILABLE OVER THERE AS WELL.
THAT CONCLUDES THE LOGISTICAL, UH, ANNOUNCEMENTS FOR TODAY.
SO IN ANY CASE, ONCE AGAIN, I JUST WANNA SAY ON BEHALF OF MY PARTNER, CHRIS NEWPORT, AND MYSELF AND MAYOR WHITMEYER AND OUR ENTIRE TEAM, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
THE FUN IS ACTUALLY NOT OVER, BUT SOME OF THE, UH, SAILORS AND MARINES ARE LEAVING ON SHIPS VERY EARLY IN THE MORNING.
SO THEY WILL NOT NECESSARILY ALL GET TO PARTICIPATE IN THE DOZEN REMAINING EVENTS THAT WE HAVE, WHICH IS WHY WE'RE CONCLUDING NOW.
BUT THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE.
AND WITH THAT, LET ME INVITE CAPTAIN RUTLEDGE TO LEAD US IN OUR BENEDICTION.
UH, UH, PLEASE JOIN ME IN PRAYER.
I ECHO THE WORDS OF THE PSALMIST IN PSALM 1 33, HOW GOOD AND PLEASANT IT IS WHEN BROTHERS AND SISTERS DWELL TOGETHER IN HARMONY.
AND LORD GOD, FOR THIS PAST WEEK, WE HAVE FELT THAT HARMONY AS A CITY OF HOUSTON HAS EMBRACED OUR SEA SERVICES.
AND WE'VE HAD JUST A GREAT TIME TOGETHER.
LORD, I THANK YOU FOR THE LOVE AND THE GRATITUDE THAT WE FELT THAT EVERY SAILOR AND MARINE WAS APPRECIATED AND KNEW THEY WERE LOVED.
THANK YOU FOR THIS TIME WE COULD SPEND TOGETHER.
AND LORD, OUR PRAYER ENDS WITH SOME SADNESS BECAUSE, LORD, IT'S HARD TO SEE GOOD THINGS COME TO AN END.
BUT WE HAVE HOPE, LORD, BECAUSE THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING OF A NEW PART OF OUR PARTNERSHIP THAT MOVING FORWARD, WE HAVE GREAT THINGS TO LOOK FORWARD TO TOGETHER.
SO AS WE CONCLUDE OUR TIME HERE IN THIS ASSEMBLY AND LEAVE, LORD, OUR PRAYER IS FOR YOUR BLESSINGS ON THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND YOUR CONTINUED BLESSINGS ON THE SEA SERVICES AND YOUR ULTIMATE BLESSINGS ON OUR GREAT NATION.
THAT CONCLUDES OUR FORMAL PROGRAM.