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VFW [Veterans of Foreign Wars], Baltimore, MD 8/16/90 [OA 8130]
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VFW [Veterans of Foreign Wars], Baltimore, MD 8/16/90 [OA 8130]
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Records of the White House Office of Speechwriting (George H. W. Bush Administration)
Curt Smith Chronological Files
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This is not a textual record. This is used as an
administrative marker by the George Bush Presidential
Library Staff.
Record Group/Collection:
George H.W. Bush Presidential Records
Collection/Office of Origin:
Speechwriting, White House Office of
Series:
Smith, Curt, Files
Subseries:
Chron File, 1989-1992
OA/ID Number:
13889
Folder ID Number:
13889-023
Folder Title:
VFW [Veterans of Foreign Wars], Baltimore, Maryland, 8/15/90
Stack:
Row:
Section:
Shelf:
Position:
G
18
29
1
5
(Smith/Garmey)
8 A.M.
August 15, 1990
VFW
SUGGESTED REMARKS: VFW ADDRESS
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND
MONDAY, AUGUST 20, 1990
10 A.M.
Ladies and gentlemen, it is a privilege to join you. And a
deep personal pleasure to renew old ties -- and to greet new
friends. // My thanks to all of you -- but especially to Walter
Hogan, doing a great job as your Commander in Chief. Following a
legend like Cooper Holt isn't easy -- but you've picked a superb
replacement. To both Walter and Cooper, a heart-felt salute. //
I also want to mention today's honorees. Major General
James Fretland, Bud Dudley, and also somebody I've spent some
time with over the years. // Any of our kids will tell you she's
the five-star general in our family. Believe me, when she gives
the orders, an entire division clears out. // My wife, Barbara. //
Finally, I want to thank my V.A. Secretary and fellow VFW
member Ed Derwinski. // Ed's got so much going on -- but I'm
especially happy to see the work he's doing to improve our
veterans' hospitals. // All of us know U.S. vets deserve only
the finest medical care. Here's a promise: Under the leadership
of Secretary Derwinski, that's exactly what they'll receive. //
As a fellow Veteran, I want to salute the VFW on its
91st year. And all of you who embody the essence of America's
national security -- an organization both growing and constantly
renewing -- more than 2.1 million members strong. //
2
( (We meet amid great challenges -- foreign and domestic.
First,
domestic.
I have been deluged by a flood of recent
inquiries. In response, I want everyone to know that Millie is
fully recovered from a brief brush with lead poisoning. //
(( Barbara was pretty concerned -- but as all who work with
John Sununu know, it wasn't the first time the words "get the
lead out" have been heard around the White House. )) //
( (Second, on the foreign scene, it takes something like the
Middle East to put things into perspective. When an aide burst
into my office in early August and said, "There's a dictator on
the rampage," I replied, "I thought the Yankees already solved
the Steinbrenner problem. ") ) //
But
seriales
Seriously I would like to discuss today a far greater
problem: the crisis in the Persian Gulf. And let me begin by
noting how the Chinese word for "crisis" is formed from two
characters. // One brush stroke stands for "danger"; the other,
"opportunity." In this case, the opportunity to build real
peace. The kind of peace which lasts. //
Over the past year, we have seen real peace sweep the globe
from Hungary to Nicaragua, from and Panama to Poland. Evoking what
to VietN
American GI's fought for from Khe Sanh to Normandy: The right to
live where you want -- to work as you choose -- and to live your
life without tyranny and fear. //
The Revolution of ',89 was historic, but not unprecedented.
It is was not unlike America's Revolution of 1776. Both showed
that real peace doesn't spring, as the old song goes, through
3
"Wishing and hoping." // Each proved that liberty requires
patience, planning, and at times, personal sacrifice And that no
one walks away from appeasing an agressor. He only crawls. //
Twelve days ago, these beliefs prompted me to take action
in the Middle East to preserve the sovereignty of Kuwait and
deter the aggression of a renegade regime threatening the vital
interests of the United States. I acted knowing that our cause
might not be easy -- but would always be right. // And that
while one should not underestimate the desperation of cowardly
thugs -- an even greater mistake would be to underestimate
when
America's commitment to freedom wherever freedom is imperiled. //
Today, the outcome is not yet decided. Hard choices remain.
But of this we are certain. We will do what it takes to preserve
economic independence. We will not be bullied -- America will
not be deterred. // We will act to promote a common code and rule
cooperation
of law that promotes community instead of conflict. Above all,
when some ask: Where does America stand? Our answer is: We
stand against those who would brutalize the family of Nations.
( (You know, it was fifty years ago that another thug tried to
maim a peaceful Nation. He met, you recall, the RAF. A people
made of iron. And Winston Churchill, who said, "I am always
ready to learn, though I do not always enjoy being taught." //
( (Well, over the last few days, Saddam Hussein's begun to be
taught what I meant when I told the American people, "The day of
the dictator is over. 11 Though he's been a bit slow in
getting the message. So we sent a little two-by-four we call-the
4
"82nd Airborne." Their message is relatively difficult to
mistake // So much for teaching. But what of learning?
Already, what have we learned from August of 1990?) 11
The first lesson we have learned -- or re-learned -- for no
to
one should doubt it -- is the steadfast character of the American
more
will
We know that if we don't stand up to our enemies, our
enemies will be standing over us. So as a Nation, we revere
these words of General Patton -- old Blood and Guts -- telling
his troops that in coming months they'd wonder whether they would
retreat under fire Don't worry about it," he advised them. "I
can assure you, you will all do your duty." //
Look to the sands of Saudi Arabia -- to our brave Americans
-- they are, and will, do their duty. Just as you did at
Okinawa, Pork Chop, and Hamburger Hill. Think of the men and
women aboard our planes and battleships -- young, alone, and so
very far from home. // Are they frightened? You bet. Yet
they've overcome their fear -- which, after all, is the very
definition of courage. They make us proud, and humble -- and I
pledge to you we will do whatever it takes to help them complete
their mission. // Fellow veterans, stand with me to salute the
finest heroes any Nation could ever have. //
A second lesson of the past twelve days is closely linked to
the first. That is: Although the size of America's armed forces
will be smaller -- thanks to less immediate threat to Europe and
if
IS and contenue
less threat of global war -- America's defense capacity must be,
and is, "a lean, mean fighting machine. "//
The
5
By 1995, we estimate that our security needs can be met by
an active force 25 per cent smaller than today's -- the lowest
not
level since 1950. Yet reduction in numbers must never mean
reduction of force. // That is why we must shape our defense
capabilities to changing strategic factors. And focus on these
priorities: Exerting our presence in key areas. Responding
effectively to crisis. Instead of reliving past contingenies,
preparing for the challenges of the 1990s and beyond. //
Last week, the Commander of the Joint Chiefs of Staff,
General Powell, spoke to this when he praised "the finest
peacetime forces in the history of America." Fewer in troop
6
strength, but restructured, purposeful, and proud. // For proof,
look at how Operation Desert Shield has linked manpower with need
112xg
-- through the 18th Airborne Corps, command ship LaSalle,
and
the
First Tactical Fighter Wing, and Marines in Saudi Arabia.
Adroitly, and flexibly, they show that as long as the darker
>
instincts of mankind's human nature are sustained, so must we
sustain our commitment to a strong national defense. //
This brings me to the third lesson of the past twelve days
-- the means to make this commitment real. The strategist Robert
Thompson has said, "National strength equals / manpower plus
applied resources / times will." As Desert Shield has shown: If
the best way to ensure war is for democracies to be militarily
weak, today's "applied resources" can help America ensure the
peace that comes from democracies being militarily strong. //
6
Now, I know:
Some folks don't understand this. Not to be
specific -- but let's look at the Congress. // Here, many still
believe the more impotent we are, the safer we are. That's why
they haven't supported any new weapons since the slingshot and
the pea-shooter. // Too often, they react like Pavlov's Dog --
barking the mindless chant "Cut Defense" -- no matter the facts,
or the needs of our troops abroad. Fellow veterans, do you
agree? [NO]. // What an enlightened crowd. // Ask our soldiers
in the Middle East. They'll tell you: The big Penagon cutters
are as much in tune with our vital defense needs -- and with
reality -- as Roseanne Barr is with the National Anthem. //
Fellow veterans, like most Americans, you know better. You
know that when it comes so national defense, finishing second
means finishing last. So you oppose what the House Armed
Services Committee recently suggested: A $24 billion cut from
our defense budget for Fiscal Year 1991. // You know that one of
difficulties
Desert Shield's few weak links has been the strain imposed on the
hansport
U.S. military because of insufficient airplanes and ships. So
you support funds for transport planes and reserve ships. // You
know that giving peace a chance does not mean taking a chance on
peace: So you endorse what ultra-liberals have tried to kill:
The M-X, Midgetman, B-2, and Strategic Defense Initiative. //
You want arms negotations to succeed -- knowing that an historic
START treaty isn't feasible without these weapons systems. So
recalling the adage, "Dance with the one who brung you," you know
dain
is
>5
7
that as our national defense policies have helped us gain the
peace -- we need a strong defense today to maintain that peace. //
( (Let me tell you a story -- occurred earlier this year --
about why I feel so strongly. I was talking to some of the young
soldiers who liberated Panama -- and I asked one of them -- a
medic -- about the action he'd seen. He told of withering fire
- but not of what he'd done. So his commanding officer told the
rest of the story. This medic had been wounded, but repeatedly
Count
endured fire to pull out other wounded -- and was awarded the
#
Silver Star for Bravery. Listening, I thought to myself: I will
never -- ever -- let Americans like this down. )) //
Ask that shy medic. He'll tell you real peace cannot
withstand cuts in the military which would betray our heritage as
guardians of freedom. Or his buddies. They know that victory
after victory on distant battlefields deserve more than surrender
by the United States Congress. // Instead, they know that real
peace will require America's will, manpower, and unparelled
resources -- acting not alone, but in concert, as soldiers for
-democracy -- fighting harder to preserve their freedom than
soldiers of a dictator will fight to remain enslaved. //
This, perhaps, is the final lesson of the past twelve days.
By itself, America can do much. With other allies, America can
help freedom do more. // Think back to World War II, where
together allies confronted an evil which embodied hell on earth.
Or Korea, where United Nations forces sought to rid a people of
totalitarianism. Or today, where -- increasingly -- Nations have
together
8
joined to become policemen for peace -- a co-operative force that
will not stand by while one country mugs another. //
Gone are the days when America was the only cop on the block
-- responding alone to cries of help from victims of attack. //
For instance, look at our oldest ally -- a bulwark of Desert
Shield. I salute Great Britain for dispatching fighter planes
and the destroyer HMS York to the Persian Gulf. 11 Look at
France, Canada, and Austrlia. I salute those Nations. To Saudi
Arabia, Morocco, and Jordan, Syria, Turkey and Egypt: The cause
of human dignity is in your debt. 11 To the members of the U.N.
Security Council: Your support of sanctions has burnished the
morning star of freedom. // Finally, I salute the Soviet Union
-- where Desert Shield shows how fists once clenched in animosity
can become hands joined in stability and peace. Who would have
thought it -- even one year ago? The U.S. and U.S.S.R. -- two
7
Nations once allied, and now aligned again. We know that while a
too
new era of peace has arrived with the closing of the American-
shong
Soviet gulf, a threat to our security remains as long as self-
determination is challenged in the Persian Gulf. //
Over the past twelve days, we have launched what history
will judge one of the most crucial deployments of allied power
since World War II. A period that for Sadam Hussein, has been
The Dirty Dozen. And for America, what one might term The Twelve
Days of Freedom. // In my speech of two weeks ago, I demanded the
complete and unconditional withdrawal of all Iraqi folrces from
9
Kuwait and the restoration of Kuwait's legimitate government.
Today, I say: Those objectives are, and will remain, unchanged.
Will it take time? Of course. For we are engaged in a
cause larger than ourselves. It is the cause of liberty -- what
Americans fought, and died for, at Bunker Hill, Gettysburg, at
Anzio, and Inchon. A cause perhaps best shown by a moment many
of you remember -- and that I'd like to close with: D-Day -- June
6, 1944. As Dwight Eisenhower addressed the sailors, soldiers,
and airmen of the Allied Expeditionary Force. //
"You are about to embark," he told them, "upon a great
crusade -- the eyes of the world are upon you. The hopes and
prayers of liberty-loving people everywhere march with you. " And
then Ike spoke this moving prayer: "Let us all beseech the
blessing of almighty God, upon this great and noble undertaking."
Fellow veterans, more than half of all VFW members fought in
World War II. Many of you serving -- as I did -- under Dwight
David Eisenhower. // You know how America remains the hope of
"liberty-loving people everywhere." Loving freedom in peacetime
-- preserving it in wartime -- so that the community of Nations
might build a more safe and civil world. //
For 214 years, real peace has been America's mission. It
remains -- must always be -- America's goal today. Thank you for
your help in achieving it, and your sacrifice and prayers. Thank
you for the privilege of sharing today. And may God bless the
land we so deeply love -- these United States of America.
# # # #
8
8/14/96 11:15
(Smith/Garmey)
8 A.M.
August 15, 1990
VFW
SUGGESTED REMARKS: VFW ADDRESS
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND
MONDAY, AUGUST 20, 1990
10 A.M.
Ladies and gentlemen, it is a privilege to join you. And a
deep personal pleasure to renew old ties -- and to greet new
friends. 11 My thanks to all of you -- but especially to Walter
Hogan, doing a great job as your Commander in Chief. Following a
legend like Cooper Holt isn't easy -- but you've picked a superb
replacement. To both Walter and Cooper, a heart-felt salute. //
I also want to mention today's honorees. Major General
James Fretland, Bud Dudley, and also somebody I've spent some
no reference
time with over the years. // Any of our kids will tell you
she's
Barbara the five-star general in our family. Believe me, when
to full name
she gives the orders, an entire division clears out. // B B
Finally, I want to thank my V.A. Secretary and fellow VFW
member Ed Derwinski. 11 Ed's got so much going on -- but I'm
especially happy to see the work he's doing to improve our
veterans' hospitals. // All of us know U.S. vets deserve only
the finest medical care. Here's a promise: Under the leadership
of Secretary Derwinski, that's exactly what they' 11 receive. 11
As a fellow Veteran, I want to salute the VFW on its
91st year. And all of you who embody the essence of America's
national security -- an organization both growing and constantly
renewing -- more than 2.1 million members strong. //
2
( (We meet amid great challenges -- foreign and domestic.
First, domestic. I have been deluged by a flood of recent
inquiries. In response, I want everyone to know that Millie is
fully recovered from a brief brush with lead poisoning. //
(( Barbara was pretty concerned -- but as all who work with
John Sununu know, it wasn't the first time the words "get the
lead out" have been heard around the White House. )) //
( (Second, on the foreign scene, it takes something like the
Middle East to put things into perspective. When an aide burst
into my office in early August and said "There's a dictator on
the rampage," I replied, "I thought the Yankees already solved
the Steinbrenner problem. ")) //
Shpngani
Seriously, I would like to discuss today a far greater
The
problem: the crisis in the Persian Gulf. And let me begin by
noting how the Chinese word for "crisis" is formed from two
characters. // One brush stroke stands for "danger"; the other,
"opportunity." In this case, the opportunity to build real
peace. The kind of peace which lasts. //
Over the past year, we have seen real peace sweep the globe
-- linking Hungary and Nicaragua, Panama and Poland. Just as
bad
American GI did from Khe Sanh to Normandy, brave men and women
was
have sought to live where they want, and work as they choose. +
no
analagy
Going freely about their lives without tyranny and fear. //
Like you, these heroes know that real peace doesn't spring,
as the old song goes, through "Wishing and hoping." But through
patience, planning, and at times, personal sacrifice. // Like
yes 1ˢᵗ
3
you, they know that America must use its strength to make fragile
peace strong -- and temporary peace permanent. And that no one
walks away from appeasing an agressor He only crawls. //
They
Twelve days ago, these beliefs prompted me to take action
in the Middle East to preserve the sovereignty of Kuwait and
deter the aggression of a renegade regime threatening the vital
interests of the United States. I acted knowing that our cause
might not be easy -- but would always be right. // And that
while one should not underestimate the desperation of cowardly
thugs -- an even greater mistake would be to underestimate
America's commitment to freedom wherever freedom is imperiled. //
Today, the outcome is not yet decided. Uncertainty lingers;
hard choices remain. But of this we are certain. We will act to
preserve our economic independence. We will not be bullied --
5
m
l
her
America will not be deterred. // We will act -- not for
3,
THE
FOR
ourselves, but the world -- to promote a common code and rule of
ort
law that promotes community instead of conflict. Above all, when
some ask: Where does America stand? Our answer is: We stand
X
against those who use force to brutalize the family of Nations. //
( (You know, it was fifty years ago that another thug tried to
maim a peaceful Nation. He met, you recall, the RAF. A people
made of iron. And a man -- Winston Churchill -- who said, "I am
always ready to learn, though I do not always enjoy being
So
taught. " //
( (Well, over the last few days, Saddam Hussein's begun to be
taught what I meant when I told the American people, "The day of
us I wel
"99 Je email
now 3 w
in
in
STATE This of for 1333,
4
the dictator is over." // Though he's been a bit slow in
getting the message. So we sent a little two-by-four we call the
"82nd Airborne." Their message is relatively difficult to
mistake. // So much for teaching. But what of learning?
Already, what have we learned from August of 1990?) //
The first lesson we have learned -- or re-learned -- for no
one should doubt it -- is the steadfast character of the American
will. // We know that if we don't stand up to our enemies, our
enemies will be standing over us. And that if we betray our
allies, soon we won't have any allies to betray. // So as a
Nation, we revere these words of General Patton -- old Blood and
Guts -- telling his troops that in coming months they'd wonder
whether they would retreat under fire. "Don't worry about it,"
he advised them. "I can assure you, you will all do your duty."
Look to the sands of Saudi Arabia -- to our brave Americans
-- they are, and will, do their duty. Just as you did at
Okinawa, Pork Chop, and Hamburger Hill. Look to the men and
als,
women aboard our planes and battleships.
Young and often
me
frightened, and so very far from home. // Do they want to be
Yes
there? They know they must be -- for America's sake, and the
world's. So they've overcome their fear -- which, after all, is
the very definition of courage. // Not to win a war. But
moreover, to preserve the peace. They make us proud, and humble
ay
-- and I pledge to you we will do whatever it takes to help
complete their mission. // Fellow veterans, stand with me
salute the finest heroes any Nation could ever have. //
you
to them 35 y i 5 3' 14
is
satus, Laile
is
Dail
yop.
reluxes,
Ruls is lealses
SEAL is is c>rle
5
A second lesson of the past twelve days is closely linked to
the first. That is: Although the size of America's armed forces
will be smaller -- thanks to less immediate threat to Europe and
less threat of global war -- America's defense capacity must be,
and is, "a lean, mean fighting machine. "//
By 1995, we estimate that our security needs can be met by
an active force 25 per cent smaller than today's -- the lowest
level since 1950. Yet reduction in numbers must never mean
reduction of force. // That is why we must shape our defense
capabilities to changing strategic factors. And focus on these
priorities: Exerting our presence in key areas. Responding
effectively to crisis. Instead of reliving past contingenies,
preparing for the challenges of the 1990s and beyond. //
C.
Last week, General Powell spoke to this when he praised "the Colin
finest peacetime forces in the history of America." " Fewer in
troop strength, but restructured, purposeful, and proud. // For
proof, look at how Operation Desert Shield has linked manpower
with need -- through the 18th Airborne Corps, command ship
LaSalle, and First Tactical Fighter Wing, and Marines in Saudi
Arabia. Adroitly, and flexibly, they show that as long as the
345
darker instincts of mankind's human nature are sustained, so must
we sustain our commitment to a strong national defense. //
This brings me to the third lesson of the past twelve days
-- the means to make this commitment real.
The strategist Robert
Thompson has said, "National strength equals / manpower plus
applied resources / times will.'
As Desert Shield has shown: If
same crame that a
rataed down
5
P'
amount amount and protect
the best way to ensure war is for democracies to be militarily
to
on
flay
weak, today's "applied resources" can help America ensure the
peace that comes from democracies being militarily strong. //
Now, I know: Some folks don't understand this. Not to be
specific -- but let's look at the Congress. // Here, many still
believe the more impotent we are, the safer we are. That's why
they haven't supported any new weapons since the slingshot and
the pea-shooter. // Too often, they react like Pavlov's Dog --
barking the mindless chant, "Cut Defense" -- no matter the facts,
or the needs of our troops abroad. Fellow veterans, do you
my
agree? [NO]. // What an enlightened crowd. // Ask our soldiers
in the Middle East. They'll tell you: The big Penagon cutters
are as much in tune with our vital defense needs -- and with
reality -- as Roseanne Barr is with the National Anthem. //
You know better, and so do most Americans. You know that
when it comes so national defense, finishing second means
X
finishing last. So you oppose what the House Armed Services
Committee recently enacted: A $24 billion cut from our defense
Inggeotes
budget for Fiscal Year 1991. // You know that one of Desert
Shield's few weak links has been the strain imposed on the U.S.
military because of insufficient airplanes and ships. So you
support funds for transport planes and reserve ships. // You
know that giving peace a chance does not mean taking a chance on
You
peace: So you endorse what ultra-liberals have tried to kill:
The M-X, Midgetman, B-2, and Strategic Defense Initiative. //
You
You want arms negotations to succeed -- knowing that an historic
Is he
telling Then
7
START treaty isn't feasible without these weapons systems. So
recalling the adage, "Dance with the one who brung you,' you know
that as our national defense policies have helped us gain the
peace -- we need a strong defense today to maintain that peace. //
Real peace cannot withstand cuts in the military which would
betray our heritage as guardians of freedom. So I vow: Just as
our military is dedicated to defending the interests of America,
I am dedicated to defending the legitimate needs of our military.
// Nor -- despite victory after victory on distant battlefields
-- can real peace endure defeat in the United States Congress.
// Instead, it requires America's will, manpower, and unparelled
resources -- acting not alone, but in concert, as soldiers for
democracy -- fighting harder to preserve their freedom than
soldiers of a dictator will fight to remain enslaved. //
This, perhaps, is the final lesson of the past twelve days.
By itself, America can do much. With other allies, America can
owh.
help freedom reap more. // Think back to World War II, where
julo
together allies confronted an evil which embodied hell on earth.
he
Or Korea, where United Nations forces sought to rid a Nation of
we have
totalitarianism. Even more today, we live in an era where most of
jainel
the world has become policemen for peace -- a co-operative force
that will not stand by while one country mugs another. //
Gone are the days when America was the only cop on the block
-- responding alone to cries of help from victims of attack. //
For instance, look at our oldest ally -- a bulwark of Desert
Shield. I salute Great Britain for dispatching fighter planes
in houel as
pack cens
8
and the destroyer HMS York to the Persian Gulf. // Look at
France, Canada, and Austrlia. I salute those Nations. To Saudi
Arabia, Morocco, and Jordan, Syria, Turkey, and Egypt: The cause
of self-determination is in your debt. // To the members of the
U.N. Security Council: Your support of sanctions has burnished
the morning star of liberty. // Finally, let me salute the
Soviet Union -- where Desert Shield shows how fists once clenched
in animosity can become hands joined in stability and peace. Who
would have thought it -- even one year ago? The U.S. and
U.S.S.R. -- two Nations once allied, and now aligned again. We
know that while a new era of peace has arrived with the closing
of the American-Soviet gulf, a threat to our security remains as
dan4
long as our interests are challenged in the Persian Gulf. //
employee
Over the past twelve days, we have launched what history
our"
faction
will judge one of the most crucial deployments of allied power
since World War II. A period that for Sadam Hussein, has been
The Dirty Dozen. And for the America, what one might term The
X
Twelve Days of Freedom. // Two weeks ago, I called for the
complete and unconditional withdrawal of all Iraqi folrces from 3
meels
Kuwait and the restoration of Kuwait's legimitate government.
Today, I say: Those objectives are, and will remain, unchanged.
Will it take time? Of course it will. For we are engaged
in a cause larger than ourselves. The cause of liberty -- what
Americans fought, and died for, at Bunker Hill, and Gettysburg,
and Anzio, and Inchon. It is a cause perhaps best shown by a
moment many of you remember and which wrote a glorious page in
is as In Mudi
9
American history. A moment I'd like to close with: D-Day -- June
6, 1944. As Dwight Eisenhower -- formerly, beloved Ike --
addressed the sailors, soldiers, and airmen of the Allied
Expeditionary Force. //
"You are about to embark," he told them, "upon a great
crusade -- the eyes of the world are upon you. The hopes and
prayers of liberty-loving people everywhere march with you. " And
then Ike spoke this moving prayer: "Let us all beseech the
blessing of almighty God, upon this great and noble undertaking."
Fellow veterans, more than half of all VFW members fought in
World War II. Many of you serving -- as I did -- under Dwight
David Eisenhower. 11 You know how America remains the hope of
"liberty-loving people everywhere." Loving freedom in peacetime
-- preserving it in wartime -- so that the community of Nations
might build a more safe and civil world. / /
For 214 years, real peace has been America's mission. It
remains -- must always be -- America's goal today. Thank you for
your help in achieving it, and for your sacrifice and prayers.
Thank you for the privilege of sharing this occasion. And may
God bless the land we so deeply love -- these United States of
America.
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8
complete and unconditional withdrawal of all Iraqi folrces from
Kuwait and the restoration of Kuwait's legimitate government.
Today, I say: Those objectives are, and will remain, unchanged.
Will it take time? Of course. For we are engaged in a
cause larger than ourselves. It is the cause of liberty -- what
Americans fought, and died for, at Bunker Hill, Gettysburg, at
Anzio, and Inchon. A cause perhaps best shown by a moment many
of you remember -- and that I'd like to close with: D-Day -- June
6, 1944. As Dwight Eisenhower addressed the sailors, soldiers,
and airmen of the Allied Expeditionary Force.
//
"You are about to embark," he told them, "upon a great
crusade -- the eyes of the world are upon you. The hopes and
prayers of liberty-loving people everywhere march with you. " And
then Ike spoke this moving prayer: "Let us all beseech the
blessing of almighty God, upon this great and noble undertaking."
Fellow veterans, more than half of all VFW members fought in
World War II. Many of you serving -- as I did -- under Dwight
David Eisenhower. // You know how America remains the hope of
"liberty-loving people everywhere." Half-a-century ago, the
world had the chance to stop an aggressor, and missed it. I
pledge to you: We will not make that mistake again. //
For 214 years, peace has been America's mission. It remains
--- must always be -- America's goal today. Thank you for your
help in achieving it, and your sacrifice and prayers. Thank you
for the privilege of sharing today. And may God bless the land
we so deeply love -- these United States of America.