white house history, and other distinguished guests, including descendents of stephen decatur. on behalf of the united states navy, i would like to thank all of you and all of us for coming to celebrate the life and the legacy of one of our navy s most illustrious commanders, commodore stephen decatur. serving over two centuries ago, his legacy is one of the most enduring legacies we have in our navy. he helped shape the trajectory of our nation s early naval forces, and as a result, accelerated america s influence in world affairs. he commenced his career in the navy in 1798. that was a critically important time for the united states, as trade opportunities expanded, expanded our country s ambition over the horizon. and at the same time, piracy was threatening our commerce and foreign navies continued to patrol our shores. l rapidly growing naval force was in need of a strong, daring, charismatic and competent leader to demonstrate american seapower. and he was the man to