Murray, Gregoire, Baird, and Owen to Welcome
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Peter Pace
who will Deliver the General George C. Marshall Lecture
Presented by Bank of Clark county
Wednesday, February 21, 2007

U.S. Senator Patty Murray, Washington, will be introducing General Peter Pace, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, when General Pace delivers the General George C. Marshall Lecture.  The lecture is presented by Bank of Clark County and will be held at Hudson’s Bay High School in Vancouver, Washington at 11 AM on Wednesday, February 21, 2007.  Celebrate Freedom, a program of the Reserve Trust, presents the General George C. Marshall Lecture series in partnership with the City of Vancouver. Tickets are free of charge.

Senator Murray observed, “The city of Vancouver and the Vancouver National Historic Reserve Trust have a long standing history of attracting excellent speakers to deliver their annual Marshall Lecture and this year is no different.  It is a great honor for me to be able to introduce the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Peter Pace, this year’s Marshall Lecturer.”

Joining Senator Murray at the lecture will be Washington Governor Chris Gregoire, who will deliver an official State Welcome, as well as Washington Congressman Brian Baird and Lt. Governor Brad Owen.  Mayor Royce Pollard will also welcome General Pace on behalf of the City of Vancouver, and noted: “The legacy of General Marshall is what continues to draw speakers of international stature, such as General Pace, and we are fortunate to also have these senior elected officials, who have been so supportive of our community, join us for this great occasion.”

Also in attendance will be Medal of Honor recipient Joe Jackson; Brigadier General Wesley Taylor (ret), Marshall Foundation President; Commodore Bruce Donaldson, Commander, Canadian Fleet Pacific; Major General Timothy Lowenberg, Adjutant General of Washington; and Major General Raymond Rees, Adjutant General of Oregon.

George C. Marshall, who would later become a five-star General of the Army and Army Chief of Staff, was a Vancouver resident from 1936–1938 when he commanded at Vancouver Barracks and supervised the Northwest’s Civilian Conservation Corps. He heads the list of Vancouver’s most distinguished 20th century residents.

The General George C. Marshall Lecture series was established in 1988 to honor one of Vancouver’s greatest citizens. Each year a distinguished individual is invited to deliver an address that speaks to the principles General Marshall embraced and offers insights into current world situations. Previous lecturers have included, at the time of their presentation, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Colin Powell; Ambassador Bill Richardson; Secretary of State Madeleine Albright; NBC Anchor Tom Brokaw, and U.S. Senator Daniel Inouye of Hawaii.

Hudson’s Bay High School will accommodate up to 5,000 students and other citizens. “Indications are that as many as 2,000 high school students have signed up to attend from Southwest Washington area schools, and we have had a tremendous response from the public,” said Reserve Trust President Elson Strahan.  While seats are still available, those interested in obtaining these free tickets are encouraged to contact the Trust offices right away.  

To request tickets, please log on to http://www.vnhrt.org and click on LectureTickets@VancouverHistoricReserveTrust.org , or call the Trust offices at (360)992-1800.

 Ample reserved seating is available for citizens with disabilities and seniors. Please indicate this request when placing your order. 

For more information, please call the Vancouver National Historic Reserve Trust at (360)992-1800.

Celebrate Freedom is a program of the Vancouver National Historic Reserve Trust consisting of a series of festive and educational events that inspire all generations to strengthen the community values of leadership, public service, patriotism, lifelong learning and vision. Celebrate Freedom’s events and programs include the Marshall Lecture Series, Marshall Public Leadership and Youth Awards, Flag Day Ceremony, 4th of July at the Historic Reserve, and the Veterans Parade.

General Peter Pace - Biography
General Peter Pace was sworn in as sixteenth Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff on Sep. 30, 2005. In this capacity, he serves as the principal military advisor to the President, the Secretary of Defense, the National Security Council, and the Homeland Security Council. Prior to becoming Chairman, he served as Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. General Pace holds the distinction of being the first Marine to have served in either of these positions.

General Pace was born in Brooklyn, NY and grew up in Teaneck, NJ. A 1967 graduate of the United States Naval Academy, he holds a Master's Degree in Business Administration from George Washington University and attended Harvard University for the Senior Executives in National and International Security program. The General is also a graduate of the Infantry Officers' Advanced Course at Fort Benning, Ga.; the Marine Corps Command and Staff College, in Quantico, VA; and the National War College, at Ft. McNair, Washington, DC.

In 1968, upon completion of The Basic School, Quantico, Va., General Pace was assigned to the 2d Battalion, 5th Marines, 1st Marine Division in the Republic of Vietnam, serving first as a Rifle Platoon Leader and subsequently as Assistant Operations Officer. He was later assigned to Marine Barracks, Washington, DC, where he served in a number of billets, to include Security Detachment Commander, Camp David; White House Social Aide; and Platoon Leader, Special Ceremonial Platoon.

General Pace has held command at virtually every level, and served in overseas billets in Nam Phong, Thailand; Seoul, Korea; and Yokota, Japan. While serving as President, Marine Corps University, then Brigadier General Pace also served as Deputy Commander, Marine Forces, Somalia, from December 1992 - February 1993, and as the Deputy Commander, Joint Task Force - Somalia from October 1993 - March 1994.

After an assignment as the Director for Operations (J-3), Joint Staff, Washington DC, then Lieutenant General Pace served as the Commander, U. S. Marine Corps Forces, Atlantic/Europe/South. He was promoted to General and assumed duties as the Commander in Chief, United States Southern Command in September 2000.

As the Vice Chairman from October 2001 to August 2005, General Pace served as the Chairman of the Joint Requirements Oversight Council, Vice Chairman of the Defense Acquisition Board, and as a member of the National Security Council Deputies Committee and the Nuclear Weapons Council.

General Pace's personal decorations include: Defense Distinguished Service Medal, with two oak leaf clusters; Defense Superior Service Medal; the Legion of Merit; Bronze Star Medal with Combat V; the Defense Meritorious Service Medal; Meritorious Service Medal with gold star; Navy Commendation Medal with Combat "V"; Navy Achievement Medal with gold star; and the Combat Action Ribbon.

General Pace and his wife, Lynne, have a son, Peter, a daughter, Tiffany Marie, and a daughter-in-law, Lynsey Olczak Pace.

 

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