Ambassador Robertson's speech at the memorial ceremony in honor of Captain Charles Fisher

December 27, 2005
Kamnik, Slovenia

Good afternoon.  Mayor Smolnikar, Mr. Bob Plan, members of the League of Combatants, members of the former Office of Strategic Services and Special Operations Executive, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen. I would like to thank you for your invitation – it is an honor to share in this memorial celebration today.

Today is a special day.  A day on which we gather to honor Captain Charles Fisher.  We gather not only to honor his memory and share in his history, but also to honor the proud few that gave so much in the struggle against fascism – those who fought alongside Captain Fisher and are standing here today, and the many others who are no longer with us. 

We celebrate the life of Captain Fisher and pay tribute to him and the many others who made sacrifices for the very freedoms we enjoy today – freedoms which are the legacy of Charlie Fisher and his brothers-in-arms.

To those who forged an independent nation in 1991, let us never forget that the bold sacrifices of Captain Fisher and his brothers-in-arms – measured in blood, sweat, and tears – provided the foundation for an independent Slovenian state.

We share a bond as nations.  Just as Captain Fisher shared a bond between the United States and Slovenia, we also share a common history that continues to this very day as NATO Allies, conducting operations that span the globe from Kosovo, to Afghanistan, to the gulf states ravaged by Hurricane Katrina and the highlands of Pakistan devastated by a powerful earthquake.  To Captain Fisher and his brothers-in-arms, we thank you for this legacy of cooperation and we pledge to continue to work together in the future whenever the cause of freedom is at stake.

Again, thank you for the invitation to this memorial celebration.