President Honors America's Veterans ~ Arlington National Cemetery Arlington, Virginia

President Honors America's Veterans ~ Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington, Virginia

In Focus: Veterans

11:38 A.M. EST

THE PRESIDENT: Thank you all very much. Thank you for the warm
welcome. Thank you, Secretary Principi, for doing a really fine job to
represent our nation's veterans. Members of the Cabinet, members of
the Congress, members of our military, veterans, Commander Berger,
representatives of veterans organizations, and fellow Americans: Laura
and I are proud to join all of you and citizens across our country as
we honor the service of America's veterans.

We observe Veterans Day on an anniversary -- not of a great battle or
of the beginning of a war, but of a day when war ended and our nation
was again at peace. Ever since the Armistice of November the 11th,
1918, this has been a day to remember our debt to all who have worn
the uniform of the United States.

Our veterans have borne the costs of America's wars and have stood
watch over America's peace. And, today, every veteran can be certain:
The nation you served and the people you defended are grateful.
(Applause.)

Our nation knows this National Cemetery as the final resting place of
those lost to the violence of war. Yet, most of the markers here stand
over the graves of Americans who lived beyond their years of military
service. On the hills of Arlington and in the daily lives of our
country, veterans have a special place. We honor them all for their
service in uniform. And we honor America's veterans for the full lives
of their service they continue to lead.

Today, more than 25 million Americans wear the proud title of veteran,
or retired military. Their ranks include young men and women who gave
good years to our all-volunteer military and recently returned to
civilian life. Our veterans include more than 11 million men and women
from the conflicts of Korea and Vietnam, who earned this nation's
gratitude and respect. More than 4 million living Americans served in
World War II, under the command of Eisenhower and Bradley and Nimitz.
And on Veterans Day 2003, it is still possible to thank, in person,
almost 200 Americans who were in uniform when the guns of World War I
went silent 85 years from today. All the men who served when Woodrow
Wilson was the Commander-in-Chief are now more than 100 years old, and
they can know that America is still proud of them. (Applause.)

Every veteran has his or her own story of entering military service.
Many enlisted on Monday morning, December 8th, 1941, or at the
beginning of other conflicts. For some, military life began with the
initiation at an academy. For others, it began with a letter from the
United States government. Yet when their service is complete, veterans
of every era, every background and every branch have certain things in
common. And those shared commitments and experience formed bonds that
last a lifetime.

Every veteran has lived by a strict code of discipline. Every veteran
understands the meaning of personal accountability and loyalty and
shared sacrifice. From the moment you repeated the oath to the day of
your honorable discharge, your time belonged to America; your country
came before all else. And whether you served abroad or at home, you
have shared in the responsibility of maintaining the finest fighting
force in the world.

Veterans who took the oath and served in battle have known the
hardships and the fears and the tragic losses of war. These memories
follow them through life, and are sometimes hard to bear. Yet our war
veterans, wherever they fought, can know this: In the harshest hours
of conflict, they serve just and honorable purposes.

Americans are a peaceful people, and this nation has always gone to
war reluctantly, and always for a noble cause. America's war veterans
have fought for the security of this nation, for the safety of our
friends, and for the peace of the world. They humbled tyrants and
defended the innocent, and liberated the oppressed. And across the
Earth, you will find entire nations that once lived in fear, where men
and women still tell of the day when Americans came and set them free.
(Applause.)

America's mission in the world continues, and we count on the same
kind of people to carry it out. Today, in assignments around the
world, more than 1.4 million Americans are on active duty, earning the
title of veteran by serving in the cause of freedom. In two years and
two months since our country was attacked, the men and women of our
Armed Forces have engaged the terrorist enemy on many fronts. They've
confronted grave dangers to defend the safety of the American people.
They have liberated two nations -- Afghanistan and Iraq -- delivering
more than 50 million people from the hands of dictators. Those who
serve and fight today are adding great achievements of their own to
America's history. America is grateful for their daring, grateful for
their honor, and grateful for their sacrifice. (Applause.)

On this Veterans Day, with our nation at war, Americans are deeply
aware of the current military struggle and of recent sacrifice. Young
Americans have died in liberating Iraq and Afghanistan. They've died
in securing freedom in those countries. The loss is terrible. It is
borne especially by the families left behind. But in their hurt and in
their loneliness, I want these families to know your loved one served
in a good and just cause. (Applause.) They died in distant lands to
fight terror, to advance freedom and to protect America. They did not
live to be called veterans, but this nation will never forget their
lives of service and all they did for us.

At this hour, many thousands are following their duty at great risk.
One young man serving in Iraq recently said this: "We in the military
signed up and pledged to protect this great country of ours from
enemies foreign and domestic. We're fighting," he said, "so that the
next generation might never have to experience anything like September
the 11th, 2001." (Applause.)

Today and every day, the prayers of the American people are with those
who wear our country's uniform. They serve a great cause and they
follow a great tradition, handed down to them by America's veterans.
Our veterans from every era are the finest of citizens. We owe them
the life we know today. They command the respect of the American
people, and they have our lasting gratitude.

Thank you for coming today. May God bless America, and may God bless
all who defend it. (Applause.)

END 11:50 A.M. EST...

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---------------------------
Otis Willie
Associate Librarian
The American War Library
http://www.americanwarlibrary.com