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4526250
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United Vets Council of Kent County, February 7, 1970
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4526250
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document
title
United Vets Council of Kent County, February 7, 1970
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Gerald R. Ford Congressional Papers
Speeches
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Veterans
Vietnam War, 1961-1975
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4526250
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1970-02-28
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2
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1970
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1970-02-01
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2
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1970
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The original documents are located in Box D28, folder "United Vets Council of Kent
County, February 7, 1970" of the Ford Congressional Papers: Press Secretary and Speech
File at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library.
Copyright Notice
The copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) governs the making of
photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. The Council donated to the United
States of America his copyrights in all of his unpublished writings in National Archives collections.
Works prepared by U.S. Government employees as part of their official duties are in the public
domain. The copyrights to materials written by other individuals or organizations are presumed to
remain with them. If you think any of the information displayed in the PDF is subject to a valid
copyright claim, please contact the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library.
UNITED VETS COUNCIL OF KENT COUNTY (Sat., February 7, 1970).
Jerry: I suggest you talk about what a great contribution
all of the veterans organizations make to American national
life...how they have always worked for the good of the
United States
how the men who were comrades in war have con-
tinued in peace the sense of service and dedication to
America that led them to offer their lives for their country
in the first instance.
1. VETERANS ORGANIZATIONS ARE, BASICALLY, GROUPS WHICH
HAVE DEDICATED THEMSELVES TO SERVING THEIR COMMUNITY,
THEIR STATE AND THE NATION.
Digitized from Box D28 of the Ford Congressional Papers: Press Secretary and Speech File at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library
2/VETS
2. THERE IS PERHAPS A GREATER NEED TODAY FOR SUCH
ORGANIZATIONS
ORGANIZATIONS WITH THE IDEALS
AND PATRIOTISM OF VETERANS GROUPS
THAN AT ANY
OTHER TIME IN OUR HISTORY.
3. FOR THIS IS A TIME OF CRISIS PERHAPS MORE ACUTE THAN
THE COUNTRY HAS KNOWN SINCE IT FIRST SURVIVED THE
PANGS OF BIRTH AND THE DIVISIONS WHICH ACCOMPANIED
ITS BIRTH AS A NATION.
3/VETS
4. AMERICA HAS KNOWN NO WAR AS HORRIBLE AS THE VIETNAM
CONFLICT. WE SHOULD ALL MARVEL AT THE SACRIFICE
WHICH IS BEING MADE BY THE YOUNG AMERICANS WHO ARE
BRAVELY SERVING THEIR COUNTRY IN VIETNAM
THE
SHEER GUTS OF THESE KIDS WHO ARE STICKING IT OUT IN
VIETNAM DESPITE ALL THE EFFORTS OF THOSE WHO WOULD
HAVE US JUST THROW IN THE TOWEL, CAPITULATE AND TURN
SOUTH VIETNAM OVER TO THE COMMUNISTS.
4/VETS
5. WE ALL HATE WAR, BUT THERE ARE SOME THINGS WORSE THAN
WAR. ONE OF THOSE THINGS IS TO THINK THAT NOTHING IS
WORTH FIGHTING FOR
TO SLINK OFF AND LET OTHERS
BEAR THE BRUNT OF THE BATTLE.
6. WE HAVE MEN IN VIETNAM TODAY WHO KNOW WHAT IT MEANS TO
BE HONEST-TO-GOD AMERICANS, MEN OF WHOM WE CAN ALL BE
PROUD JUST AS THE FOLKS AT HOME WERE PROUD OF THE
G.I.'s WHO FOUGHT IN KOREA, THE SAD SACKS OF WORLD WAR II,
AND THE DOUGHBOYS OF WORLD WAR I.
5/VETS
7. WE HAVE MADE A GREAT CONTRIBUTION TO WORLD PEACE IN
VIETNAM, AND NOW THE TIME HAS COME TO TURN THE WAR
BACK TO THE SOUTH VIETNAMESE.
8. WE WOULD RATHER NEGOTIATE A SETTLEMENT, A JUST PEACE,
BUT SINCE NORTH VIETNAM REFUSES TO NEGOTIATE IN GOOD
FAITH THE ONLY ANSWER IS TO GIVE THE WAR BACK TO OUR
ALLIES.
6/VETS
9. THIS IS WHAT WE CALL VIETNAMIZATION
AND I AM HAPPY
TO REPORT THAT IT IS AHEAD OF SCHEDULE. OUR TROOP
WITHDRAWALS ARE AHEAD OF SCHEDULE. WE WILL HAVE
WITHDRAWN 110,000 MEN FROM VIETNAM BY APRIL 15, AND I
WOULD ANTICIPATE THAT WE WILL HAVE AN ADDITIONAL
ANNOUNCEMENT REGARDING THE PROGRESS OF VIETNAMIZATION
AT THAT TIME.
10. WE HAVE MADE GREAT GAINS IN VIETNAM, AND I BELIEVE WE
WILL BE SUCCESSFUL THERE IN OUR AIM TO THWART A
COMMUNIST TAKEOVER BY FORCE.
7/VETS
11. DESPITE OUR SUCCESSES, THE NEED FOR ALL OF US TO
GIVE STRONG SUPPORT TO OUR COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF REMAINS
VERY MUCH WITH US.
12. I KNOW I CAN COUNT ON EVERY MEMBER OF OUR VETERANS
GROUPS, MEN WHO CHERISH AMERICAN IDEALS, VALUES,
PATRIOTISM, FREEDOM AND PERSONAL LIBERTIES.
13. YOU WERE AMONG THE NEARLY 32 MILLION AMERICANS WHO HAVE
FOUGHT FOR THIS COUNTRY OVER THE YEARS
HAVE FOUGHT
IN NINE MAJOR CONFLICTS SINCE THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION.
8/VETS
14. I KNOW YOU WILL NEVER SURRENDER OUR SACRED
BIRTHRIGHT
...
THAT YOU WILL STAND SHOULDER TO
SHOULDER WITH OUR PRESIDENT
...
OUR COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF
TO KEEP THIS NATION STRONG AGAINST ALL ITS ENEMIES.
###