The Commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps and University of Idaho alumnus, General James Amos, delivered the commencement address at the University of Idaho in Moscow Saturday. He told graduates the country stands waiting for young men and women of character.
A native of Idaho and a 1970 graduate of the UI, General Amos returned to Moscow as the first career aviator to become commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps, a position he’s held since 2010.
Amos says that in the more than forty years since he left the UI, he has seen the country face up to tremendous challenges, such as the tragedy of 9/11, with courage and character, and he urged graduates to do the same in their lives. “I challenge you to think about who you are and what you stand for. Ask yourself what defines you. I want you to think about how your character was formed and by whose fingerprints, and understand that it will continue to be a work in progress for the next four decades.”
General Amos told the graduates that how they meet life’s challenges will define their character, the Class of 2012 and this generation of Americans.