By Caroline Gabsewics
Staff Writer
Those who attended Friday’s Cornerstone Quarterly Luncheon learned a lot about the war on terror and how Jacksonville, as a port city, can help the global economy.
Dr. John Lehman, former Secretary of the Navy and chairman of Atlantic Marine Hold Company, also was a member of the 9/11 Commission. Lehman told the audience about the issues the United States is facing in the war on terror.
“The world changed forever in a huge way when Al Qaeda attacked the World Trade Centers in New York,” he said. “There is a world-wide Islamic movement that has targeted the free world.”
Lehman quoted something that was said by former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld: “They are creating terrorists faster than we can catch them and kill them.”
“We are engaged in a major war that will be going on for a very long time,” said Lehman. “It is very serious, but we are going to win that war.”
At the risk of sounding so much like doom and gloom, he added that “we have to change our mode and change how we do business on many fronts.”
One of the problems that Lehman has seen in fighting the war on terror is that, unfortunately, it will largely have to be fought alone.
“No one has the defense or capabilities that we do,” said Lehman.
Some changes he would like to see are the way the United States deploys forces and supplies our troops with weapons.
“We have the resources to fix it and the resources to change it,” he said. “Our Navy is an essential part of doing that. Ninety percent of commerce goes by sea and it needs to be protected.”
Lehman turned to the crowd at the Hyatt and said as business people in the community, everyone needs to be educated on this issue, because it is very serious.
“Jacksonville is one of the most uniquely blessed ports in the world. We have great ports, almost perfect, and a great geographical location,” said Lehman. “Jacksonville is a very healthy, family-based community and there are very few places in the United States that can match its capabilities.”
Lehman is looking forward to watching the growth of Jacksonville as well as Mayport’s growth.
“The Navy believes that Mayport will become even more important as the years go on,” he said. “We will see the growth in the number of ships that are here. We’ll receive amphibious-ready and surface combatants.”
As the chairman of Jacksonville-based Atlantic Marine Holding Company, one of the region’s largest industrial employers, Lehman said the growth opportunities here are enormous, not for just Atlantic Marine, but the community, too.
“We all need to be realistic about the nature of the global terror threat and continue to factor that into our own political activities, writing and speaking,” said Lehman.