Upfront, let me say how delighted Cynthia and I are to join all of you at this wonderful place on the Chesapeake Bay. The Norfolk District is a national treasure and one of our Corps’ cultural, ecological, and technical wellsprings. We are very pleased to join a district that many (Cynthia and I included) regard as the crown jewel of the Corps. We are also most appreciative of the warm welcome that we have received.
I am very pleased to take command of theNorfolk District at a time when it is serving as one of the most important construction agents for our great Nation. Colonel Backus and his team did tremendous work and all of our troops will immediately benefit from his leadership when he deploys to Afghanistan in the coming weeks. It will be an honor to guide this great district along the azimuth he set, and to do so together with our own superb workforce, members of the North Atlantic Division and the Headquarters, and our local, state, and federal partners. Together, we will ensure that the Norfolk District continues to build strong and smart projects for our Nation and our Corps.
The legacy of excellence the District has left over the years is very impressive. It is evident everywhere one looks. Indeed, on any given morning as the sun rises over the Chesapeake a flotilla of crafts from our District keeps our bay clean and safe for navigation. They often work alongside the proud watermen who skillfully harvest the delicate, but recovering oyster population in much of the same manner they have done for centuries. As the sun climbs higher over the bay, our District adds chapters to its history at old projects like Fort Monroe as well as new projects like Craney Island.
As it has done since time eternal,fresh water flows into the bay from watersheds that owe their protection to many in the district whose education and dedication combine to balance our Nation's passion to build with its responsibility to protect -- for “Building Strong” implies “Building Smart” and I am thrilled to be joining a community that recognizes both of these imperatives.
Journeying further north up one of these watersheds the Fort Belvoir Community Hospital rises proudly upon the banks of thePotomac River near our Nation’s capital. With its construction, our District’s proud reputation has been certified once again, but this time by the toughest of all inspectors – the men and women who serve our country. Today, this hospital provides hope, mercy, and comfort to these very heroes and their families.
A little further upstream, the river passes beneath the solemn heights of Arlington. There can be found Arlington National Cemetery, our most sacred of projects. Today, I join all of you in our District’s vow to build with honor the edifices that celebrate our most sacred customers, those who have proudly served and, at times, paid the lastfull measure of devotion to our nation.
Moving inland, over the Piedmont, mythoughts turn to the tremendous infrastructure constructed by our District within the Commonwealth. I am eager to visit Gathright Dam, the enormous engineering accomplishment championed by a local, and I am told somewhat quirky, folksinger named Ben Moomaw (the namesake of the Dam’s retention reservoir, LakeMoomaw).
On the Southern extreme of our District isthe Great Dismal Swamp, an ecologic and cultural touchstone for our district. Despite its unfortunate name, I have been told this area teams with wildlife, archeological, and cultural treasures. Enthusiasts of American literature may recall its history was captured in 1856 by Harriet Beecher Stowe in her novel, Dred, A Tale of the Great Dismal Swamp. I am looking forward to my first visit to the swamp during the annual Paddle to the Border event coming this May – look for the red canoe with the Corps Colors and you will find me and my boys!
The Bay, the projects, the natural resources, the culture, and the history are all good things that I am eager to explore and experience as I travel throughout our District. I am also eager to sample the oysters, delineate a wetland or two, listen to some of Ben Moomwaw’s old recordings, and turn the pages of Stowe’s famousnovel. It is great to be part of all this, to help build on the many impressive achievements of Norfolk while fosteringa culture whose spirit continues to build a nation.
While preparing for my new responsibilities, I came across very relevant quote by Xenophon, the famous Greek general and philosopher that I believe captures this spirit. In his book, Anabasis, he writes,
“It is really a plain fact, my friends, thatall these good things belong to a Nation that has the strength to build them.”
I found Xenophon’s quote as true today as it was when he authored it over 25 centuries ago. I know that the philosophy he counseled characterized Norfolk under Colonel Backus and it is the philosophy I will also foster as we carry out our critically important projects in supportof our Nation.
-- COL Paul Olsen
