A Note About the Military Advisory Board from Former CDI President Admiral Gene LaRocque

The following prepared speech from Admiral Gene LaRocque was delivered by his granddaughter, Sarah Grace Fitzsimmons, at the CDI event announcing the creation of the Military Advisory Board.

From the earliest days of the Center for Defense Information, the primary focus was on three goals:

Number One: Avert a nuclear war with the Soviet Union.

Number Two: To end the Vietnam War.

And Number Three: To monitor the sought and unsought influence of the military-industrial complex.

Obviously, the Vietnam War ended and we no longer have to worry about a nuclear war with the Soviet Union. But, the sought or unsought influence that Eisenhower warned about is growing in power. I am very pleased to learn that the Center for Defense Information is making efforts to counter this growing influence.

It is understandable that candidates for office would like to create jobs in their districts. But the military-industrial complex is not designed to create jobs. It is simply to defend the United States. We have many opportunities to create jobs here in America by focusing our efforts in pursuing peaceful and nonmilitary goals. I am very pleased that CDI is undertaking efforts to counter the military-industrial complex.

The Center for Defense Information deserves our support in this effort and I personally will do everything I can to assist the leadership of CDI in this endeavor.