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Speech File Draft Files
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13510-005
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Vietnam Memorial - Dallas 11/10/89 [OA 3537] [2]
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26
16
3
5
EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT
OFFICE THE UNITED OFFICE 1390ng HARRY ONE MARKET STATE
OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20503
NOTICE:
Enclosed are comments from staff members of the Office of
Management and Budget (OMB). Such comments do not necessarily
represent the official position of the Director of OMB or of the
Office of Management and Budget. If you wish to have the
Director's personal comments, please let me know -- and contact
me if you have any questions.
David J. Haun
Executive Assistant
to the Director
11 : Olv 8 100 68
088511SS
Document No.
WHITE HOUSE STAFFING MEMORANDUM
DATE:
11/7/89
ACTION/CONCURRENCE/COMMENT DUE BY: 11/8/89 10:00 AM
PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS: VIET NAM MEMORIAL, DALLAS
SUBJECT:
ACTION FYI
ACTION FYI
VICE PRESIDENT
MCCLURE
SUNUNU
NEWMAN
SCOWCROFT
PORTER
DARMAN
ROGICH
BATES
UNTERMEYER
CARD
ROGERS
CICCONI
WINSTON
DEMAREST
PINKERTON
FITZWATER
WHMO
GRAY
HAGIN
REMARKS:
Please forward any comments directly to Chriss Winston, Rm. 122,
x2930, no later than 10:00 AM, Wednesday, November 8, with a
copy to my office. Thank you.
RESPONSE: See comments
James W. Cicconi
Assistant to the President
and Deputy to the Chief of Staff
Ext. 2702
(Smith/Blessey)
1989 NOV - 7 PM 1: 42
Draft Three
November 6, 1989
TEXAS
PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS: VIET NAM MEMORIAL
DALLAS, TEXAS
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 1989
Mr. Wheeler, Mr. Russell, Mr. Burkett, Members of the
Foundation, Fellow Veterans and Texans, My fellow Americans.
Thank you, Jack, for that generous introduction. It is a
privilege to be with you -- and to officially dedicate a monument
Mollin60
that is proud and patriotic and thus, quintessentially Texan.
The Texas Viet Nam Veterans Memorial.
are
Molling
Memorials like these form the very embodiment of a Nation.
09857
Expressing our deepest values, and our character as a people.
For we Americans navigate by such symbols. The St. Louis Arch,
pointing toward the West. The Statue of Liberty, its silhouette
a morning star of freedom. The Lincoln and Jefferson Memorials,
whose majesty proclaims the principle of self-government. All
show that what we are matters more than what we have.
So it is here, today, for the Lone Star heroes of America's
Longest War. For this Memorial moves us, inspires us. And its
lessons live as oral history -- passed from one generation to
another. This Memorial is not mere stone and masonry, as
striking as they are. It is a tangible testament to America's
love for the living -- and for the dead.
2
Last year, nearly half of the visitors to America's Viet
Nam memorials were boys and girls age 12 or younger. These
children don't remember the conflict in Southeast Asia. And when
they wonder, "What is this memorial all about?" we owe them an
answer. An answer whose honesty will be worthy of our veterans.
They will ask, first, "Who were these men and women?" --
these Lone Star heroes of Viet Nam. And we must answer: They
were black and white, red and brown -- almost a quarter of the
names on this memorial are Hispanic. They were native-born and
foreign-born, the privileged and the poor. But most of all, they
were Americans. Americans from the barrios of San Antonio, the
city streets of Houston, and the vast expanse of western Texas.
Americans who were young, and often frightened. And so very far
from home.
Next, our kids will wonder: "What did they value?" -- these
brave young soldiers. And we must tell them: They valued
freedom. They valued human dignity. They loved the United
States of America. And so they overcame their fear -- which,
after all, is the very definition of courage. In a struggle
which -- like every war -- showed man's inhumanity to man, they
strove to prove man's fidelity to honor.
Then, our kids will pose a fundamental question: "Why were
these boys in Viet Nam?" And we will say: Because to defend
democracy and liberty is always a valiant cause. From the fields
of Flanders to the rugged cliffs of Normandy. Whether scaling
Korea's uplands. Or trudging through the rice paddies of the
3
Mekong. For liberty can ensure for individuals, choice; for
society, pluralism; and for Nations, self-determination.
Finally, our children will ask us: "How do we salute the
men who fought for freedom?" We salute them by never forgetting
that true peace means the triumph of freedom -- not merely the
absence of war. We salute them through memorials like this. And
by thanking the volunteers who made it possible. Viet Nam vets.
Cities and towns. Foundations, organizations, and other
contributors. We honor them by giving all our vets the hope and
opportunity they have earned. And by teaching our children what
this memorial teaches us. About selflessness and sacrifice.
Qualities which know no generation or place.
Unlike other veterans, the brave boys who went to Viet Nam
had to endure two wars. The first war was the battle waged in
swamps and jungles abroad. The second was the battle fought for
respect and recognition at home. If ultimate victory was denied
them in the first, victory is finally theirs in the second.
The children who come here today and will come tomorrow
evidence that victory. They must know about the courageous
people whose names illuminate these tablets. These men would
want our kids to have the future they were deprived of. A future
without war and fear. Their sacrifice has helped make that
future possible.
Lincoln termed such sacrifice "that last full measure of
devotion." And we must never forget it. For if the Texans we
4
honor today could speak, they might say, "Praise us as you will
-- but above all, we want to be remembered."
Today, we remember the Lone Star heroes of America's Longest
War. And through them, heroes throughout our history --
America's uniformed sons and daughters who took up arms and bore
our burden for a cause larger than themselves.
Today, we remember the nearly 3.3 million Americans who
served in Viet Nam -- more than 450,000 of them Texans. Men like
- 's Sam Johnson, a prisoner for 7 years in what they called the
Hanoi Hilton. Tortured, but never defeated. Now a State
legislator.
This morning, we also remember America's wounded from the
Viet Nam conflict -- and the over 17,000 proud Texans who paid
a heavy price. They were proud of the United States. They make
us proud today.
And there are our missing or unaccounted for -- we remember
them, too. For while they may be missing in action -- and from
our lives -- MIA's are not missing from our thoughts nor from our
hearts. And so the POW-MIA flag now flies at the Viet Nam
Veterans Memorial in Washington on Memorial Day, Veterans Day,
and POW-MIA Recognition Day. // And we will not rest until
every veteran is accounted for.
Finally, we remember the 58,022 Americans who gave their
lives in Viet Nam. And the 3,243 brave men -- the third-largest
number of any State -- who came from almost 600 Texas cities and
small towns. Men like Ruben Jose Carbajal of El Paso, only 21
5
when he was killed by a fragmentation device. And Robert Larry
Oakes from Lamesa -- only 20, killed by rifle fire. Both died
exactly 20 years ago today. Yes, think of these men, honor them.
Recall how they served from Dak To to Khe Sanh.
Last month, I received a letter I'd like to share with you.
It was from Mrs. Connie McWright of Dallas. And in it she
talked of her family -- four sons, a daughter. And how she lost
two of those boys on the battlefields of Viet Nam.
"Ed and Dale," she wrote, "died with the Marines. They
were both extremely proud to represent Texas -- Ed asked that I
send him a Texas flag." She said his buddies called him BIG TEX.
Several moments ago, I met with Mrs. McWright and her
daughter, Connie. For in her letter, she told me that each of
her sons had a dream -- Ed, to be a baseball player; Dale, to own
a stable. Her dream, she said, had been "to one day [shake] the
hand of a President of the United States."
Mrs. McWright, it is I who am honored to shake your hand.
For it is you -- and millions of other mothers, fathers,
daughters, and sons -- who embody the decency, service, and
almost unbelievable courage that makes this Memorial such a
monument to everything that America is -- and can become.
This is your memorial. Ed and Dale's memorial. The
memorial which honors the spirit of the Alamo. And San Jacinto.
And earlier heroes named Travis and Houston and Bowie. Fellow
vets, I salute you. God bless you and God bless America. And
now, it is my great privilege to officially open this tribute to
6
the greatest sons and daughters any Nation could ever have -- the
Texas Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
# # # #
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
November 7, 1989
MEMORANDUM FOR CHRISS WINSTON
FROM:
ROGER B. PORTER RBP
SUBJECT:
Presidential Remarks: Viet Nam Memorial, Dallas
These remarks are very well done. The speech is moving
and rightly pays tribute to Americans who fell in Viet Nam or
who are missing in action. Another home run for the
speechwriters.
We have no comments from a policy standpoint and approve of
the draft in its current form.
CC: James W. Cicconi
22 22 8 100 68
088511SS
Document No.
WHITE HOUSE STAFFING MEMORANDUM
DATE:
11/7/89
ACTION/CONCURRENCE/COMMENT DUE BY: 11/8/89 10:00 AM
PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS: VIET NAM MEMORIAL, DALLAS
SUBJECT:
ACTION FYI
ACTION FYI
VICE PRESIDENT
MCCLURE
SUNUNU
NEWMAN
SCOWCROFT
PORTER
DARMAN
ROGICH
BATES
UNTERMEYER
CARD
ROGERS
CICCONI
WINSTON
DEMAREST
PINKERTON
FITZWATER
WHMO
GRAY
HAGIN
REMARKS:
Please forward any comments directly to Chriss Winston, Rm. 122,
x2930, no later than 10:00 AM, Wednesday, November 8, with a
copy to my office. Thank you.
RESPONSE:
James W. Cicconi
Assistant to the President
and Deputy to the Chief of Staff
Ext. 2702
(Smith/Blessey)
1989 NOV - 7 PM 1: 42
Draft Three
November 6, 1989
TEXAS
PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS: VIET NAM MEMORIAL
DALLAS, TEXAS
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 1989
Mr. Wheeler, Mr. Russell, Mr. Burkett, Members of the
Foundation, Fellow Veterans and Texans, My fellow Americans.
Thank you, Jack, for that generous introduction. It is a
privilege to be with you -- and to officially dedicate a monument
that is proud and patriotic and thus, quintessentially Texan.
The Texas Viet Nam Veterans Memorial.
Memorials like these form the very embodiment of a Nation.
Expressing our deepest values, and our character as a people.
For we Americans navigate by such symbols. The St. Louis Arch,
pointing toward the West. The Statue of Liberty, its silhouette
a morning star of freedom. The Lincoln and Jefferson Memorials,
whose majesty proclaims the principle of self-government. All
show that what we are matters more than what we have.
So it is here, today, for the Lone Star heroes of America's
Longest War. For this Memorial moves us, inspires us. And its
lessons live as oral history -- passed from one generation to
another. This Memorial is not mere stone and masonry, as
striking as they are. It is a tangible testament to America's
love for the living -- and for the dead.
2
Last year, nearly half of the visitors to America's Viet
Nam memorials were boys and girls age 12 or younger. These
children don't remember the conflict in Southeast Asia. And when
they wonder, "What is this memorial all about?" we owe them an
answer. An answer whose honesty will be worthy of our veterans.
They will ask, first, "Who were these men and women?" --
these Lone Star heroes of Viet Nam. And we must answer: They
were black and white, red and brown -- almost a quarter of the
names on this memorial are Hispanic. They were native-born and
foreign-born, the privileged and the poor. But most of all, they
were Americans. Americans from the barrios of San Antonio, the
city streets of Houston, and the vast expanse of western Texas.
Americans who were young, and often frightened. And so very far
from home.
Next, our kids will wonder: "What did they value?" -- these
brave young soldiers. And we must tell them: They valued
freedom. They valued human dignity. They loved the United
States of America. And so they overcame their fear -- which,
after all, is the very definition of courage. In a struggle
which -- like every war -- showed man's inhumanity to man, they
strove to prove man's fidelity to honor.
Then, our kids will pose a fundamental question: "Why were
these boys in Viet Nam?" And we will say: Because to defend
democracy and liberty is always a valiant cause. From the fields
of Flanders to the rugged cliffs of Normandy. Whether scaling
Korea's uplands. Or trudging through the rice paddies of the
3
Mekong. For liberty can ensure for individuals, choice; for
society, pluralism; and for Nations, self-determination.
Finally, our children will ask us: "How do we salute the
men who fought for freedom?" We salute them by never forgetting
that true peace means the triumph of freedom -- not merely the
absence of war. We salute them through memorials like this. And
by thanking the volunteers who made it possible. Viet Nam vets.
Cities and towns. Foundations, organizations, and other
contributors. We honor them by giving all our vets the hope and
opportunity they have earned. And by teaching our children what
this memorial teaches us. About selflessness and sacrifice.
Qualities which know no generation or place.
Unlike other veterans, the brave boys who went to Viet Nam
had to endure two wars. The first war was the battle waged in
swamps and jungles abroad. The second was the battle fought for
respect and recognition at home. If ultimate victory was denied
them in the first, victory is finally theirs in the second.
The children who come here today and will come tomorrow
evidence that victory. They must know about the courageous
people whose names illuminate these tablets. These men would
want our kids to have the future they were deprived of. A future
without war and fear. Their sacrifice has helped make that
future possible.
Lincoln termed such sacrifice "that last full measure of
devotion." And we must never forget it. For if the Texans we
4
honor today could speak, they might say, "Praise us as you will
-- but above all, we want to be remembered."
Today, we remember the Lone Star heroes of America's Longest
War. And through them, heroes throughout our history --
America's uniformed sons and daughters who took up arms and bore
our burden for a cause larger than themselves.
Today, we remember the nearly 3.3 million Americans who
served in Viet Nam -- more than 450,000 of them Texans. Men like
's Sam Johnson, a prisoner for 7 years in what they called the
Hanoi Hilton. Tortured, but never defeated. Now a State
legislator.
This morning, we also remember America's wounded from the
Viet Nam conflict -- and the over 17,000 proud Texans who paid
a heavy price. They were proud of the United States. They make
us proud today.
And there are our missing or unaccounted for -- we remember
them, too. For while they may be missing in action -- and from
our lives -- MIA's are not missing from our thoughts nor from our
hearts. And so the POW-MIA flag now flies at the Viet Nam
Veterans Memorial in Washington on Memorial Day, Veterans Day,
and POW-MIA Recognition Day. // And we will not rest until
every veteran is accounted for.
Finally, we remember the 58,022 Americans who gave their
lives in Viet Nam. And the 3,243 brave men -- the third-largest
number of any State -- who came from almost 600 Texas cities and
small towns. Men like Ruben Jose Carbajal of El Paso, only 21
5
when he was killed by a fragmentation device. And Robert Larry
Oakes from Lamesa -- only 20, killed by rifle fire. Both died
exactly 20 years ago today. Yes, think of these men, honor them.
Recall how they served from Dak To to Khe Sanh.
Last month, I received a letter I'd like to share with you.
It was from Mrs. Connie McWright of Dallas. And in it she
talked of her family -- four sons, a daughter. And how she lost
two of those boys on the battlefields of Viet Nam.
"Ed and Dale," she wrote, "died with the Marines. They
were both extremely proud to represent Texas -- Ed asked that I
send him a Texas flag." She said his buddies called him BIG TEX.
Several moments ago, I met with Mrs. McWright and her
daughter, Connie. For in her letter, she told me that each of
her sons had a dream -- Ed, to be a baseball player; Dale, to own
a stable. Her dream, she said, had been "to one day [shake] the
hand of a President of the United States."
Mrs. McWright, it is I who am honored to shake your hand.
For it is you -- and millions of other mothers, fathers,
daughters, and sons -- who embody the decency, service, and
almost unbelievable courage that makes this Memorial such a
monument to everything that America is -- and can become.
This is your memorial. Ed and Dale's memorial. The
memorial which honors the spirit of the Alamo. And San Jacinto.
And earlier heroes named Travis and Houston and Bowie. Fellow
vets, I salute you. God bless you and God bless America. And
now, it is my great privilege to officially open this tribute to
6
the greatest sons and daughters any Nation could ever have -- the
Texas Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
# # # #
088511SS
Document No.
WHITE HOUSE STAFFING MEMORANDUM
DATE:
11/7/89
ACTION/CONCURRENCE/COMMENT DUE BY: 11/8/89 10:00 AM
PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS: VIET NAM MEMORIAL, DALLAS
SUBJECT:
ACTION FYI
ACTION FYI
VICE PRESIDENT
MCCLURE
SUNUNU
NEWMAN
SCOWCROFT
PORTER
DARMAN
ROGICH
BATES
UNTERMEYER
CARD
ROGERS
CICCONI
WINSTON
DEMAREST
PINKERTON
FITZWATER
WHMO
GRAY
HAGIN
REMARKS:
Please forward any comments directly to Chriss Winston, Rm. 122,
x2930, no later than 10:00 AM, Wednesday, November 8, with a
copy to my office. Thank you.
RESPONSE:
4785
see Commet 11/8/89.
James W. Cicconi
Assistant to the President
and Deputy to the Chief of Staff
Ext. 2702
(Smith/Blessey)
1989 NOV -7 PM 1: 42
Draft Three
November 6, 1989
TEXAS
PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS: VIET NAM MEMORIAL
DALLAS, TEXAS
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 1989
Mr. Wheeler, Mr. Russell, Mr. Burkett, Members of the
Foundation, Fellow Veterans and Texans, My fellow Americans.
Thank you, Jack, for that generous introduction. It is a
privilege to be with you -- and to officially dedicate a monument
that is proud and patriotic and thus, quintessentially Texan.
The Texas Viet Nam Veterans Memorial.
Memorials like these form the very embodiment of a Nation.
Expressing our deepest values, and our character as a people.
For we Americans navigate by such symbols. The St. Louis Arch,
pointing toward the West. The Statue of Liberty, its silhouette
a morning star of freedom. The Lincoln and Jefferson Memorials,
whose majesty proclaims the principle of self-government. All
show that what we are matters more than what we have.
So it is here, today, for the Lone Star heroes of America's
Longest War. For this Memorial moves us, inspires us. And its
lessons live as oral history -- passed from one generation to
another. This Memorial is not mere stone and masonry, as
striking as they are. It is a tangible testament to America's
love for the living -- and for the dead.
2
Last year, nearly half of the visitors to America's Viet
Nam memorials were boys and girls age 12 or younger. These
children don't remember the conflict in Southeast Asia. And when
they wonder, "What is this memorial all about?" we owe them an
answer. An answer whose honesty will be worthy of our veterans.
They will ask, first, "Who were these men and women?" --
these Lone Star heroes of Viet Nam. And we must answer: They
were black and white, red and brown -- almost a quarter of the
names on this memorial are Hispanic. They were native-born and
foreign-born, the privileged and the poor. But most of all, they
were Americans. Americans from the barrios of San Antonio, the
city streets of Houston, and the vast expanse of western Texas.
Americans who were young, and often frightened. And so very far
from home.
Next, our kids will wonder: "What did they value?" -- these
brave young soldiers. And we must tell them: They valued
freedom. They valued human dignity. They loved the United
States of America. And so they overcame their fear -- which,
after all, is the very definition of courage. In a struggle
which -- like every war -- showed man's inhumanity to man, they
strove to prove man's fidelity to honor.
Then, our kids will pose a fundamental question: "Why were
these boys in Viet Nam?" And we will say: Because to defend
democracy and liberty is always a valiant cause. From the fields
of Flanders to the rugged cliffs of Normandy. Whether scaling
Korea's uplands. Or trudging through the rice paddies of the
3
Mekong. For liberty can ensure for individuals, choice; for
society, pluralism; and for Nations, self-determination.
Finally, our children will ask us: "How do we salute the
men who fought for freedom?" We salute them by never forgetting
that true peace means the triumph of freedom -- not merely the
absence of war. We salute them through memorials like this. And
by thanking the volunteers who made it possible. Viet Nam vets.
Cities and towns. Foundations, organizations, and other
contributors. We honor them by giving all our vets the hope and
opportunity they have earned. And by teaching our children what
this memorial teaches us. About selflessness and sacrifice.
Qualities which know no generation or place.
Unlike other veterans, the brave boys who went to Viet Nam
had to endure two wars. The first war was the battle waged in
swamps and jungles abroad. The second was the battle fought for
respect and recognition at home. If ultimate victory was denied
them in the first, victory is finally theirs in the second.
The children who come here today and will come tomorrow
evidence that victory. They must know about the courageous
people whose names illuminate these tablets. These men would
want our kids to have the future they were deprived of. A future
without war and fear. Their sacrifice has helped make that
future possible.
Lincoln termed such sacrifice "that last full measure of
devotion." And we must never forget it. For if the Texans we
4
honor today could speak, they might say, "Praise us as you will
-- but above all, we want to be remembered."
Today, we remember the Lone Star heroes of America's Longest
War. And through them, heroes throughout our history --
America's uniformed sons and daughters who took up arms and bore
our burden for a cause larger than themselves.
Today, we remember the nearly 3.3 million Americans who
check #.
more than
served in Viet Nam -- more than 450,000 of them Texans. Men like
3 mil.
's Sam Johnson, a prisoner for 7 years in what they called the
Hanoi Hilton. Tortured, but never defeated. Now a State
legislator.
This morning, we also remember America's wounded from the
Viet Nam conflict -- and the over 17,000 proud Texans who paid
a heavy price. They were proud of the United States. They make
us proud today.
And there are our missing or unaccounted for -- we remember
them, too. For while they may be missing in action -- and from
our lives -- MIA's are not missing from our thoughts nor from our
hearts. And so the POW-MIA flag now flies at the Viet Nam
Veterans Memorial in Washington on Memorial Day, Veterans Day,
and POW-MIA Recognition Day. // And we will not rest until
every veteran is accounted for.
Finally, we remember the 58,022 Americans who gave their
lives in Viet Nam. And the 3,243 brave men -- the third-largest
number of any State -- who came from almost 600 Texas cities and
small towns. Men like Ruben Jose Carbajal of El Paso, only 21
5
when he was killed by a fragmentation device. And Robert Larry
Oakes from Lamesa -- only 20, killed by rifle fire. Both died
exactly 20 years ago today. Yes, think of these men, honor them.
Recall how they served from Dak To to Khe Sanh.
Last month, I received a letter I'd like to share with you.
It was from Mrs. Connie McWright of Dallas. And in it she
talked of her family -- four sons, a daughter. And how she lost
two of those boys on the battlefields of Viet Nam.
"Ed and Dale," she wrote, "died with the Marines. They
were both extremely proud to represent Texas -- Ed asked that I
send him a Texas flag." She said his buddies called him BIG TEX.
Several moments ago, I met with Mrs. McWright and her
daughter, Connie. For in her letter, she told me that each of
her sons had a dream -- Ed, to be a baseball player; Dale, to own
a stable. Her dream, she said, had been "to one day [shake] the
hand of a President of the United States."
Mrs. McWright, it is I who am honored to shake your hand.
For it is you -- and millions of other mothers, fathers,
daughters, and sons -- who embody the decency, service, and
almost unbelievable courage that makes this Memorial such a
monument to everything that America is -- and can become.
This is your memorial. Ed and Dale's memorial. The
memorial which honors the spirit of the Alamo. And San Jacinto.
And earlier heroes named Travis and Houston and Bowie. Fellow
vets, I salute you. God bless you and God bless America. And
now, it is my great privilege to officially open this tribute to
6
the greatest sons and daughters any Nation could ever have -- the
Texas Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
# # # #
088511SS
Document No
WHITE HOUSE STAFFING MEMORANDUM
DATE:
11/7/89
11/8/89 10:00 AM
ACTION/CONCURRENCE/COMMENT DUE BY:
PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS: VIET NAM MEMORIAL, DALLAS
SUBJECT:
ACTION FYI
ACTION FYI
VICE PRESIDENT
MCCLURE
SUNUNU
NEWMAN
SCOWCROFT
PORTER
DARMAN
ROGICH
BATES
UNTERMEYER
CARD
ROGERS
CICCONI
WINSTON
DEMAREST
PINKERTON
FITZWATER
WHMO
GRAY
HAGIN
REMARKS:
Please forward any comments directly to Chriss Winston, Rm. 122,
x2930, no later than 10:00 AM, Wednesday, November 8, with a
copy to my office. Thank you.
60
RESPONSE: $ 100.68
No comments.
James W. Cicconi
Assistant to the President
and Deputy to the Chief of Staff
Ext. 2702
(Smith/Blessey)
Draft Four
November 8, 1989
TEXAS
PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS: VIETNAM MEMORIAL
DALLAS, TEXAS
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 1989
10:50 A.M.
Governor Clements, Mr. Russell, Mr. Burkett, Mr. Ruff,
Chaplain Adickes, Mr. Wheeler, Members of the Foundation, Fellow
Veterans and Texans, My fellow Americans.
Thank you, Governor, for that generous introduction. It is
a privilege to be with you -- and to officially dedicate a
monument that is proud and patriotic and, thus, quintessentially
Texan. The Texas Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
Memorials like these are the very embodiment of a Nation.
Expressing our deepest values, and our character as a people.
For we Americans navigate by such symbols. The St. Louis Arch,
pointing toward the West. The Statue of Liberty, its silhouette
a morning star of freedom. The Lincoln and Jefferson Memorials,
whose majesty proclaims the principle of self-government. Each
reflects what we are as a Nation and a people.
So it is here, today, for the Lone Star heroes of America's
Longest War. For this memorial moves us, inspires us. And its
lessons live as oral history -- passed from one generation to
another. This memorial is not mere stone and masonry, as
striking as they are. It is a tangible testament to America's
love for the living -- and for the dead.
2
Last year, nearly half of the visitors to America's Vietnam
memorials were boys and girls age 12 or younger. These children
don't remember the conflict in Southeast Asia. And when they
wonder, "What is this memorial all about?" we owe them an
answer. An answer whose honesty will be worthy of our veterans.
They will ask, first, "Who were these men and women?" --
these Lone Star heroes of Vietnam. And we must answer: They
were black and white, red and brown -- almost a quarter of the
names on this memorial are Hispanic. They were native-born and
foreign-born, the privileged and the poor. But most of all, they
were Americans. Americans from the barrios of San Antonio, the
city streets of Houston, and the vast expanse of western Texas.
Americans who were young, and often frightened. And so very far
from home.
Next, our kids will wonder: "What did they value?" -- these
brave young soldiers. And we must tell them: They valued
freedom. They valued human dignity. They loved the United
States of America. And so they overcame their fear -- which,
after all, is the very definition of courage. In a struggle
which -- like every war -- showed man's inhumanity to man, they
strove to prove man's fidelity to honor.
Then, our kids will pose a fundamental question: "Why were
these boys in Vietnam?" And we will say: Because to defend
democracy and liberty is always a valiant cause. From the fields
of Flanders to the rugged cliffs of Normandy. Whether scaling
Korea's hillsides. Or trudging through the rice paddies of the
3
Mekong. For liberty can ensure for individuals, choice; for
society, pluralism; and for Nations, self-determination.
Finally, our children will ask us: "How do we salute the
men who fought for freedom?" We salute them by never forgetting
that true peace means the triumph of freedom -- not merely the
absence of war. We salute them through memorials like this. And
by thanking the volunteers who made it possible. Vietnam vets.
Cities, towns, and communities. Foundations, organizations, and
other contributors. We honor them by giving all our vets the
hope and opportunity they have earned. And by teaching our
children what this memorial teaches us. About selflessness and
sacrifice. Qualities which know no generation.
Unlike other veterans, the brave boys who went to Vietnam
had to endure two wars. The first war was the battle waged in
swamps and jungles abroad. The second was fought for respect and
recognition at home and with the passage of time, they have
finally won the battle for the hearts of their countrymen.
The children who come here today and will come tomorrow
evidence that victory. They must know about the courageous
people whose names illuminate these tablets. The men who died
would want our kids to have the future they never knew. A future
without war and fear. Their sacrifice helped make that future
possible.
Lincoln termed such sacrifice "that last full measure of
devotion." And we must never forget it. For if the Texans we
4
honor today could speak, they might say, "Praise us as you will
-- but above all, we want to be remembered."
Today, we remember the Lone Star heroes of America's Longest
War. And through them, heroes throughout our history --
America's uniformed sons and daughters who took up arms and bore
our burden for a cause larger than themselves.
Today, we remember the more than 3 million Americans who
served in Vietnam -- among them, so many proud Texans. Men like
Plano's Sam Johnson, a prisoner for 7 years in what they called
the Hanoi Hilton. Tortured, but never defeated. Now a State
legislator.
This morning, we also remember America's wounded from the
Vietnam conflict -- and the many brave Texans who paid a heavy
price. They were proud of the United States. They make us proud
today.
And there are our missing or unaccounted for -- we remember
them, too. For while they may be missing in action -- and from
our lives -- MIAs are not missing from our thoughts nor from our
hearts. And so the POW-MIA flag now flies at the Vietnam
Veterans Memorial in Washington on Memorial Day, Veterans Day,
and POW-MIA Recognition Day. // And we will not rest until
every veteran is accounted for.
Finally, we remember the 58,175 Americans who gave their
lives in Vietnam. And the 3,427 brave men -- the third-largest
number of any State -- who came from over 600 Texas cities and
small towns. Men like Ruben Jose Carbajal [CAR-ba-hall] of El
5
Paso, only 21 when he was killed by a fragmentation device. And
Robert Larry Oakes from Lamesa -- only 20, killed by rifle fire.
Both died exactly 20 years ago today. Yes, think of these men,
honor them. Recall how they served in lonely places like Dak To
[TOE] and Khe Sanh [K-sahn].
Last month, I received a letter I'd like to share with you.
It was from Mrs. Connie McWright of Dallas. And in it she
talked of her family -- four sons, a daughter. And how she lost
two of those boys on the battlefields of Vietnam.
"Ed and Dale," she wrote, "died with the Marines
They were both extremely proud to represent Texas
Ed asked
that I send him a Texas flag." She said his buddies called him
BIG TEX.
Several moments ago, I met with Mrs. McWright and her
daughter, Connie. For in her letter, she told me that each of
her children had a dream -- Ed, to be a baseball player; Dale, to
own a stable. Connie's dream, her mother said, had been to "one
day [shake] the hand of a President of the United States."
Mrs. McWright and Connie -- it is I who am honored to shake
your hands. For it is you -- and millions of other mothers,
fathers, daughters, and sons -- who embody the decency, service,
and courage that make this memorial such a monument to everything
that America is -- and can become.
This is your memorial. Ed and Dale's memorial. The
memorial which honors the spirit of the Alamo. And San Jacinto.
And earlier heroes named Travis and Houston and Bowie. Fellow
6
vets, I salute you. God bless you and God bless America. And
now, it is my great privilege to officially open this tribute to
the greatest sons and daughters any Nation could ever have -- the
Texas Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
# # # #
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
November 8, 1989
MEMORANDUM FOR CHRISS WINSTON
DEPUTY ASSISTANT TO THE PRESIDENT FOR
COMMUNICATIONS
FROM:
FREDERICK D. NELSON FDN.
ASSOCIATE COUNSEL TO THE PRESIDENT
SUBJECT:
Review of Presidential Remarks: Viet Nam
Memorial, Dallas
The Counsel's office has no legal objection to the above-
referenced Presidential remarks.
CC: James W. Cicconi
Assistant to the President and
Deputy to the Chief of Staff
6€ :6v 8 130.68
088511SS
Document No.
WHITE HOUSE STAFFING MEMORANDUM
DATE:
11/7/89
ACTION/CONCURRENCE/COMMENT DUE BY: 11/8/89 10:00 AM
PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS: VIET NAM MEMORIAL, DALLAS
SUBJECT:
ACTION FYI
ACTION FYI
VICE PRESIDENT
MCCLURE
SUNUNU
NEWMAN
SCOWCROFT
PORTER
DARMAN
ROGICH
BATES
UNTERMEYER
CARD
ROGERS
CICCONI
WINSTON
DEMAREST
PINKERTON
FITZWATER
WHMO
GRAY
HAGIN
REMARKS:
Please forward any comments directly to Chriss Winston, Rm. 122,
x2930, no later than 10:00 AM, Wednesday, November 8, with a
copy to my office. Thank you.
RESPONSE:
James W. Cicconi
Assistant to the President
and Deputy to the Chief of Staff
Ext. 2702
(Smith/Blessey)
1989 NOV - 7 PM 1: 42
Draft Three
November 6, 1989
TEXAS
PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS: VIET NAM MEMORIAL
DALLAS, TEXAS
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 1989
Mr. Wheeler, Mr. Russell, Mr. Burkett, Members of the
Foundation, Fellow Veterans and Texans, My fellow Americans.
Thank you, Jack, for that generous introduction. It is a
privilege to be with you -- and to officially dedicate a monument
that is proud and patriotic and thus, quintessentially Texan.
The Texas Viet Nam Veterans Memorial.
Memorials like these form the very embodiment of a Nation.
Expressing our deepest values, and our character as a people.
For we Americans navigate by such symbols. The St. Louis Arch,
pointing toward the West. The Statue of Liberty, its silhouette
a morning star of freedom. The Lincoln and Jefferson Memorials,
whose majesty proclaims the principle of self-government. All
show that what we are matters more than what we have.
So it is here, today, for the Lone Star heroes of America's
Longest War. For this Memorial moves us, inspires us. And its
lessons live as oral history -- passed from one generation to
another. This Memorial is not mere stone and masonry, as
striking as they are. It is a tangible testament to America's
love for the living -- and for the dead.
2
Last year, nearly half of the visitors to America's Viet
Nam memorials were boys and girls age 12 or younger. These
children don't remember the conflict in Southeast Asia. And when
they wonder, "What is this memorial all about?" we owe them an
answer. An answer whose honesty will be worthy of our veterans.
They will ask, first, "Who were these men and women?" --
these Lone Star heroes of Viet Nam. And we must answer: They
were black and white, red and brown -- almost a quarter of the
names on this memorial are Hispanic. They were native-born and
foreign-born, the privileged and the poor. But most of all, they
were Americans. Americans from the barrios of San Antonio, the
city streets of Houston, and the vast expanse of western Texas.
Americans who were young, and often frightened. And so very far
from home.
Next, our kids will wonder: "What did they value?" -- these
brave young soldiers. And we must tell them: They valued
freedom. They valued human dignity. They loved the United
States of America. And so they overcame their fear -- which,
after all, is the very definition of courage. In a struggle
which -- like every war --- showed man's inhumanity to man, they
strove to prove man's fidelity to honor.
Then, our kids will pose a fundamental question: "Why were
these boys in Viet Nam?" And we will say: Because to defend
democracy and liberty is always a valiant cause. From the fields
of Flanders to the rugged cliffs of Normandy. Whether scaling
Korea's uplands. Or trudging through the rice paddies of the
3
Mekong. For liberty can ensure for individuals, choice; for
society, pluralism; and for Nations, self-determination.
Finally, our children will ask us: "How do we salute the
men who fought for freedom?" We salute them by never forgetting
that true peace means the triumph of freedom -- not merely the
absence of war. We salute them through memorials like this. And
by thanking the volunteers who made it possible. Viet Nam vets.
Cities and towns. Foundations, organizations, and other
contributors. We honor them by giving all our vets the hope and
opportunity they have earned. And by teaching our children what
this memorial teaches us. About selflessness and sacrifice.
Qualities which know no generation or place.
Unlike other veterans, the brave boys who went to Viet Nam
had to endure two wars. The first war was the battle waged in
swamps and jungles abroad. The second was the battle fought for
respect and recognition at home. If ultimate victory was denied
them in the first, victory is finally theirs in the second.
The children who come here today and will come tomorrow
evidence that victory. They must know about the courageous
people whose names illuminate these tablets. These men would
want our kids to have the future they were deprived of. A future
without war and fear. Their sacrifice has helped make that
future possible.
Lincoln termed such sacrifice "that last full measure of
devotion." And we must never forget it. For if the Texans we
4
honor today could speak, they might say, "Praise us as you will
-- but above all, we want to be remembered. "
Today, we remember the Lone Star heroes of America's Longest
War. And through them, heroes throughout our history --
America's uniformed sons and daughters who took up arms and bore
our burden for a cause larger than themselves.
Today, we remember the nearly 3.3 million Americans who
served in Viet Nam -- more than 450,000 of them Texans. Men like
's Sam Johnson, a prisoner for 7 years in what they called the
Hanoi Hilton. Tortured, but never defeated. Now a State
legislator.
This morning, we also remember America's wounded from the
Viet Nam conflict -- and the over 17,000 proud Texans who paid
a heavy price. They were proud of the United States. They make
us proud today.
And there are our missing or unaccounted for -- we remember
them, too. For while they may be missing in action -- and from
our lives -- MIA's are not missing from our thoughts nor from our
hearts. And so the POW-MIA flag now flies at the Viet Nam
Veterans Memorial in Washington on Memorial Day, Veterans Day,
and POW-MIA Recognition Day. 11 And we will not rest until
every veteran is accounted for.
Finally, we remember the 58,022 Americans who gave their
lives in Viet Nam. And the 3,243 brave men -- the third-largest
number of any State -- who came from almost 600 Texas cities and
small towns. Men like Ruben Jose Carbajal of El Paso, only 21
5
when he was killed by a fragmentation device. And Robert Larry
Oakes from Lamesa -- only 20, killed by rifle fire. Both died
exactly 20 years ago today. Yes, think of these men, honor them.
Recall how they served from Dak To to Khe Sanh.
Last month, I received a letter I'd like to share with you.
It was from Mrs. Connie McWright of Dallas. And in it she
talked of her family -- four sons, a daughter. And how she lost
two of those boys on the battlefields of Viet Nam.
"Ed and Dale," she wrote, "died with the Marines. They
were both extremely proud to represent Texas -- Ed asked that I
send him a Texas flag." She said his buddies called him BIG TEX.
Several moments ago, I met with Mrs. McWright and her
daughter, Connie. For in her letter, she told me that each of
her sons had a dream -- Ed, to be a baseball player; Dale, to own
a stable. Her dream, she said, had been "to one day [shake] the
hand of a President of the United States."
Mrs. McWright, it is I who am honored to shake your hand.
For it is you -- and millions of other mothers, fathers,
daughters, and sons -- who embody the decency, service, and
almost unbelievable courage that makes this Memorial such a
monument to everything that America is -- and can become.
This is your memorial. Ed and Dale's memorial. The
memorial which honors the spirit of the Alamo. And San Jacinto.
And earlier heroes named Travis and Houston and Bowie. Fellow
vets, I salute you. God bless you and God bless America. And
now, it is my great privilege to officially open this tribute to
6
the greatest sons and daughters any Nation could ever have -- the
Texas Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
# # # #
088511SS
Document No.
WHITE HOUSE STAFFING MEMORANDUM
DATE:
11/7/89
ACTION/CONCURRENCE/COMMENT DUE BY: 11/8/89 10:00 AM
PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS: VIET NAM MEMORIAL, DALLAS
SUBJECT:
ACTION FYI
ACTION FYI
VICE PRESIDENT
MCCLURE
SUNUNU
NEWMAN
SCOWCROFT
PORTER
DARMAN
ROGICH
BATES
UNTERMEYER
CARD
ROGERS
CICCONI
WINSTON
DEMAREST
PINKERTON
FITZWATER
WHMO
GRAY
HAGIN
REMARKS:
Please forward any comments directly to Chriss Winston, Rm. 122,
x2930, no later than 10:00 AM, Wednesday, November 8, with a
copy to my office. Thank you.
RESPONSE:
OK. Bruce Запи for Siy Rogich
or : 11v 8 100 68
James W. Cicconi
Assistant to the President
and Deputy to the Chief of Staff
Ext. 2702
(Smith/Blessey)
1989 NOV -7 PM 1: 42
Draft Three
November 6, 1989
TEXAS
PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS: VIET NAM MEMORIAL
DALLAS, TEXAS
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 1989
Mr. Wheeler, Mr. Russell, Mr. Burkett, Members of the
Foundation, Fellow Veterans and Texans, My fellow Americans.
Thank you, Jack, for that generous introduction. It is a
privilege to be with you -- and to officially dedicate a monument
that is proud and patriotic and thus, quintessentially Texan.
The Texas Viet Nam Veterans Memorial.
Memorials like these form the very embodiment of a Nation.
Expressing our deepest values, and our character as a people.
For we Americans navigate by such symbols. The St. Louis Arch,
pointing toward the West. The Statue of Liberty, its silhouette
a. morning star of freedom. The Lincoln and Jefferson Memorials,
whose majesty proclaims the principle of self-government. All
show that what we are matters more than what we have.
So it is here, today, for the Lone Star heroes of America's
Longest War. For this Memorial moves us, inspires us. And its
lessons live as oral history -- passed from one generation to
another. This Memorial is not mere stone and masonry, as
striking as they are. It is a tangible testament to America's
love for the living -- and for the dead.
2
Last year, nearly half of the visitors to America's Viet
Nam memorials were boys and girls age 12 or younger. These
children don't remember the conflict in Southeast Asia. And when
they wonder, "What is this memorial all about?" we owe them an
answer. An answer whose honesty will be worthy of our veterans.
They will ask, first, "Who were these men and women?" --
these Lone Star heroes of Viet Nam. And we must answer: They
were black and white, red and brown -- almost a quarter of the
names on this memorial are Hispanic. They were native-born and
foreign-born, the privileged and the poor. But most of all, they
were Americans. Americans from the barrios of San Antonio, the
city streets of Houston, and the vast expanse of western Texas.
Americans who were young, and often frightened. And so very far
from home.
Next, our kids will wonder: "What did they value?" -- these
brave young soldiers. And we must tell them: They valued
freedom. They valued human dignity. They loved the United
States of America. And so they overcame their fear -- which,
after all, is the very definition of courage. In a struggle
which -- like every war -- showed man's inhumanity to man, they
strove to prove man's fidelity to honor.
Then, our kids will pose a fundamental question: "Why were
these boys in Viet Nam?" And we will say: Because to defend
democracy and liberty is always a valiant cause. From the fields
of Flanders to the rugged cliffs of Normandy. Whether scaling
Korea's uplands. Or trudging through the rice paddies of the
3
Mekong. For liberty can ensure for individuals, choice; for
society, pluralism; and for Nations, self-determination.
Finally, our children will ask us: "How do we salute the
men who fought for freedom?" We salute them by never forgetting
that true peace means the triumph of freedom -- not merely the
absence of war. We salute them through memorials like this. And
by thanking the volunteers who made it possible. Viet Nam vets.
Cities and towns. Foundations, organizations, and other
contributors. We honor them by giving all our vets the hope and
opportunity they have earned. And by teaching our children what
this memorial teaches us. About selflessness and sacrifice.
Qualities which know no generation or place.
Unlike other veterans, the brave boys who went to Viet Nam
had to endure two wars. The first war was the battle waged in
swamps and jungles abroad. The second was the battle fought for
respect and recognition at home. If ultimate victory was denied
them in the first, victory is finally theirs in the second.
The children who come here today and will come tomorrow
evidence that victory. They must know about the courageous
people whose names illuminate these tablets. These men would
want our kids to have the future they were deprived of. A future
without war and fear. Their sacrifice has helped make that
future possible.
Lincoln termed such sacrifice "that last full measure of
devotion." And we must never forget it. For if the Texans we
4
honor today could speak, they might say, "Praise us as you will
-- but above all, we want to be remembered."
Today, we remember the Lone Star heroes of America's Longest
War. And through them, heroes throughout our history --
America's uniformed sons and daughters who took up arms and bore
our burden for a cause larger than themselves.
Today, we remember the nearly 3.3 million Americans who
served in Viet Nam -- more than 450,000 of them Texans. Men like
's Sam Johnson, a prisoner for 7 years in what they called the
Hanoi Hilton. Tortured, but never defeated. Now a State
legislator.
This morning, we also remember America's wounded from the
Viet Nam conflict -- and the over 17,000 proud Texans who paid
a heavy price. They were proud of the United States. They make
us proud today.
And there are our missing or unaccounted for -- we remember
them, too. For while they may be missing in action -- and from
our lives -- MIA's are not missing from our thoughts nor from our
hearts. And so the POW-MIA flag now flies at the Viet Nam
Veterans Memorial in Washington on Memorial Day, Veterans Day,
and POW-MIA Recognition Day. // And we will not rest until
every veteran is accounted for.
Finally, we remember the 58,022 Americans who gave their
lives in Viet Nam. And the 3,243 brave men -- the third-largest
number of any State -- who came from almost 600 Texas cities and
small towns. Men like Ruben Jose Carbajal of El Paso, only 21
5
when he was killed by a fragmentation device. And Robert Larry
Oakes from Lamesa -- only 20, killed by rifle fire. Both died
exactly 20 years ago today. Yes, think of these men, honor them.
Recall how they served from Dak To to Khe Sanh.
Last month, I received a letter I'd like to share with you.
It was from Mrs. Connie McWright of Dallas. And in it she
talked of her family -- four sons, a daughter. And how she lost
two of those boys on the battlefields of Viet Nam.
"Ed and Dale," she wrote, "died with the Marines. They
were both extremely proud to represent Texas -- Ed asked that I
send him a Texas flag." She said his buddies called him BIG TEX.
Several moments ago, I met with Mrs. McWright and her
daughter, Connie. For in her letter, she told me that each of
her sons had a dream -- Ed, to be a baseball player; Dale, to own
a stable. Her dream, she said, had been "to one day [shake] the
hand of a President of the United States."
Mrs. McWright, it is I who am honored to shake your hand.
For it is you -- and millions of other mothers, fathers,
daughters, and sons -- who embody the decency, service, and
almost unbelievable courage that makes this Memorial such a
monument to everything that America is -- and can become.
This is your memorial. Ed and Dale's memorial. The
memorial which honors the spirit of the Alamo. And San Jacinto.
And earlier heroes named Travis and Houston and Bowie. Fellow
vets, I salute you. God bless you and God bless America. And
now, it is my great privilege to officially open this tribute to
6
the greatest sons and daughters any Nation could ever have -- the
Texas Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
# # # #