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    "localId": "1252732",
    "label": "3/9/76 - Remarks at a Banquet for Members of Congress Sponsored by the Veterans of Foreign Wars",
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    "title": "3/9/76 - Remarks at a Banquet for Members of Congress Sponsored by the Veterans of Foreign Wars",
    "citationUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/1252732",
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    "subjects": [
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        "day": 9,
        "logicalDate": "1976-03-09",
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        "year": 1976
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{
    "seq": 1,
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    "type": "document",
    "url": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/32/2527/1252732/content/library/document/0122/1252732.pdf",
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    "ocrText": "The original documents are located in Box 25, \"3/9/76 - Remarks at a Banquet for\nMembers of Congress Sponsored by the Veterans of Foreign Wars\" of the President's\nSpeeches and Statements: Reading Copies at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library.\nCopyright Notice\nThe copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) governs the making of\nphotocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. Gerald Ford donated to the United\nStates of America his copyrights in all of his unpublished writings in National Archives collections.\nWorks prepared by U.S. Government employees as part of their official duties are in the public\ndomain. The copyrights to materials written by other individuals or organizations are presumed to\nremain with them. If you think any of the information displayed in the PDF is subject to a valid\ncopyright claim, please contact the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library.\nDigitized from Box 25 of President's Speeches and Statements: Reading Copies at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library\nTHE PRESIDENT HAS SEEN\nVETERANS OF FOREIGN WARS\nBANQUET FOR MEMBERS OF THE CONGRESS\nSHERATON PARK HOTEL\nTUESDAY, MARCH 9, 1976\nACKNOWLEDGEMENTS\nTHANK YOU, PETE\n(Pete Walker , Commander-in-Chief, VFW)\nCONGRESSMAN EDDIE HEBERT\nDISTINGUISHED MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE AND SENATE\nMEMBERS AND GUESTS OF THE VETERANS OF FOREIGN WARS\n-1-\nTHANK YOU FOR YOUR VERY KIND WELCOME\nALL I CAN SAY IS\nt\nIT FEELS AS WARM AND AS COMFORTING\nAS A RAY OF FLORIDA SUNSHINE\n-2-\nAS A PROUD MEMBER OF OLD KENT POST V.F.W. 830,\nLET ME SAY HOW HAPPY I AM TO BE HERE WITH YOU TONIGHT\nAT THIS ANNUAL BANQUET FOR MEMBERS OF\nIve THE CONGRESS attended + 1\nAND MY CONGRATULATIONS TO JOAN LARSON AND ALL THE\nOTHER WINNERS OF THE V.F.W. \"VOICE OF DEMOCRACY\" CONTEST.\n-3-\nLET ME START BY SAYING THAT THIS AFTERNOON\nAT THE WHITE HOUSE I RECEIVED A VISIT FROM A FELLOW MICHIGANDER\nNAMED MARLA MARAQUIN (MARE-A-QUIN) --\nTHE V.F.W. BUDDY POPPY GIRL FOR 1976. W hat a sweet\nyoung lady.\nas she left she\nJay.\n-4-\nSHE'S A CHARMING TWELVE-YEAR-OLD FROM THE V.F.W'S\nNATIONAL HOME IN EATON RAPIDS, AND I KNOW SHE WILL HELP US\nTO HAVE A VERY SUCCESSFUL BUDDY POPPY CAMPAIGN THIS YEAR\nSEEING WHAT THE V.F.W. HAS DONE FOR HER SHOULD MAKE ALL OF US\nESPECIALLY PROUD TO BE MEMBERS OF THIS FINE ORGANIZATION\n-5-\nI RECALL JUST ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF AGO,\nI HAD THE HONOR OF SPEAKING TO YOUR 75TH NATIONAL CONVENTION\nSHORTLY AFTER I BECAME PRESIDENT\n-6-\nAT THAT TIME I HAD THE PLEASURE OF APPOINTING\nDICK ROUDEBUSH -- MY FORMER COLLEAGUE IN THE CONGRESS\nAND A PAST NATIONAL COMMANDER OF THE V.F.W., TO BE HEAD\nOF THE VETERANS ADMINISTRATION,\nI SAID THEN I WAS CONFIDENT\nTHAT ROUDY WOULD DO A FIRST-CLASS JOB, AND 18 MONTHS LATER\nI'M GLAD TO SAY\nTHINK\nWE CAN ALL AGREE HE HAS DONE\nA FIRST-CLASS JOB\n-7-\nROUDY'S FINE WORK AS AN ADMINISTRATOR ASSURES US\nTHAT VETERANS ARE GOING TO GET THE MOST OUT OF THEIR NEW\nV.A. BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 1977\n-8-\nDESPITE OUR TIGHT FISCAL CONSTRAINTS,\nMY BUDGET INCLUDES A RECORD AMOUNT OF OVER FOUR BILLION DOLLARS\nFOR V.A. MEDICAL CARE\nI HAVE REQUESTED FUNDS\nFOR MORE THAN NINE THOUSAND NEW V.A. MEDICAL PERSONNEL\nIN THE BUDGETS FOR FISCAL YEARS 1976 AND 1977\n-9-\nWE ARE GOING TO PROVIDE MORE FUNDING,\nMORE PEOPLE,\nAND EVEN BETTER FACILITIES TO GIVE ELIGIBLE VETERANS\nTHE HIGHEST QUALITY AND FASTEST POSSIBLE CARE WE CAN PROVIDE\n-10-\nONE VERY DISTINGUISHED MEMBER OF THE CONGRESS\nWHO SHARES MY CONCERN FOR VETERANS IS MY GOOD FRIEND\nEDDIE HEBERT, WHOM YOU ARE RIGHTLY HONORING TONIGHT\n-11-\nI HAVE RESPECTED EDD IE'S ENORMOUS TALENTS AND\nCAPABILITIES EVER SINCE I ENTERED THE CONGRESS IN 1949\nAT THAT TIME HE HAD ALREADY SPENT ALMOST A DECADE\nIN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, AND HE HAD BEEN SERVING\nTHE AMERICAN PUBLIC EVEN LONGER THAN THAT,\nAS A GIFTED AND COURAGEOUS JOURNALIST IN HIS HOME STATE\nOF LOUISIANA\n-12-\nWE\nSERVED IN THE GOVERNMENT TOGETHER\nFOR MORE THAN A QUARTER OF A CENTURY\nOVER THAT PERIOD\nWE'VE ALWAYS ENJOYED\nAND I MEAN ENJOYED\nA CLOSE PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP\n-13-\nI HAVE ALWAYS HAD SPECIAL RESPECT FOR TWO THINGS\nTHAT EDDIE HEBERT HAS STOOD FOR THROUGHOUT HIS CAREER\nHE HAS ALWAYS BEEN A STRONG SUPPORTER OF FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY\nAND SENSIBLE RESTRAINTS ON GOVERNMENT SPENDING\n-14-\nAND HE HAS ALWAYS STOOD FOR SOMETHING ELSE\nI KNOW ALL OF US IN THIS ROOM BELIEVE IN --\nA STRONG AND SECURE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,\nAND I SALUTE HIM FOR THAT\nWe have frught shoulder\nLET ME SAY A FEW WORDS ON THAT SUBJECT TONIGHT.\nIn shoulder for The High D yourse\ndollar & The strongest meditary\ncapablity for all Mr form.\n-15-\nMY ADMINISTRATION'S FOREIGN POLICY,\nAND OUR DEFENSE POLICY, ARE ACTUALLY PART OF A SINGLE\nNATIONAL POLICY WHICH CAN BE SUMMED UP IN THREE WORDS:\nPEACE THROUGH STRENGTH\nLET'S TAKE A MOMENT TO LOOK\nAT WHAT THOSE WORDS MEAN\n-16-\nWE ARE ALL IN FAVOR OF PEACE\nAND FOR A VETERAN\nTHE WORD PEACE HAS SPECIAL MEANING\nTHOSE OF US WHO HAVE SEEN WAR CHERISH\nTHE COMRADESHIP WE ENJOYED, AS INDIVIDUALS BROUGHT TOGETHER\nUNDER UNIQUELY DEMAND ING CIRCUMSTANCES\n-17-\nBUT WE REMEMBER THE FRIENDS WE LOST AS WELL AS\nTHE FRIENDS WE MADE\nWE WILL NEVER FORGET THE TERRIBLE COST\nOF WAR IN TERMS OF HUMAN SUFFERING\nIN BLOOD AND PAIN\nAND LIVES CUT TRAGICALLY SHORT\n-18-\nANOTHER WORLD WAR, \\ AS WE ARE ALL AWARE,\nWOULD MEAN DEATH AND DESTRUCTION ON A SCALE so VAST\nTHAT THE HUMAN MIND CAN BARELY COMPREHEND IT\nAND so PEACE TODAY IS MORE IMPERATIVE THAN EVER\n-19-\nWHATEVER OUR FIELD OF ENDEAVOR --\nIN PRIVATE LIFE,\nIN BUSINESS,\nIN GOVERNMENT --\nWE KNOW THAT IN A NUCLEAR AGE THERE CAN BE NO\nLASTING ACCOMPLISHMENTS WITHOUT A LASTING PEACE\n-20-\nTHE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA IS A PEACEFUL NATION\nAND WE ARE A STRONG NATION\nHISTORY HAS TAUGHT US\nTHAT WE CAN REMAIN AT PEACE ONLY IF WE REMAIN STRONG\nWE CAN REMAIN FREE ONLY IF WE REMAIN FIRM\nWE CAN REMAIN PROUD AMERICANS, ONLY IF WE STAND READY\nTO DEFEND AMERICA\n-21-\nONE MEASURE OF OUR STRENGTH AS A NATION IS\nOUR DEEP-ROOTED BELIEF IN FREEDOM\nFOR 200 YEARS OUR FAITH\nIN GOVERNMENT BY THE PEOPLE, FOR THE PEOPLE HAS ENDURED\nWE HAVE HAD THE STRENGTH TO RESIST THE STRAINS\nTHAT MIGHT HAVE BROKEN THE WILL OF OTHERS\n-22-\nOUR STRENGTH HAS MEANT THAT WE AS A PEOPLE\nARE NOT EASILY INTIMIDATED\nWE CAN RECOGNIZE\nAND RESPOND TO A REAL DANGER, WITHOUT CRYING WOLF\nAT A FALSE ONE\n-23-\nOUR NATIONAL STRENGTH IS SURPASSED BY NO\nOTHER NATION\nOUR FIGHTING FORCES ARE SECOND TO NONE\nWE ARE A STRONG NATION, AND TO SUGGEST OTHERWISE\nIS IRRESPONSIBLE AND RECKLESS\nBUT WE MUST CONTINUE\nTO MAKE SURE THAT WE WILL STAY A STRONG NATION\n-24-\nTHE FIRST DEFENSE BUDGET I SUBMITTED AS PRESIDENT\nWAS FOR MORE THAN 104 BILLION DOLLARS / WHICH THE CONGRESS\nCHOSE TO CUT BY OVER SEVEN BILLION DOLLARS\nTHIS YEAR AGAIN\n/\nHAVE GONE TO THE CONGRESS\nWITH A RECORD PEACETIME DEFENSE BUDGET OF MORE THAN\n112 BILLION DOLLARS\n-25-\nWith The\nUNDER MY ADMINISTRATION, AND WITH ENOUGH\nMEMBERS OF THE CONGRESS VOTING ON DEFENSE MATTERS\nAS EDDIE HEBERT AND I HAVE OVER THE YEARS\n/\nTHERE WILL BE\nNO POLICY OF SECOND BEST IN OUR NATIONAL DEFENSE\n-26-\nI AM SURE THAT EDDIE FEELS, AS I DO,\nTHAT THE TRADITIONAL BIPARTISAN SPIRIT IN FAVOR OF\nNATIONAL SECURITY HAS NOT BEEN LOST -- THAT EVEN IN AN\nELECTION YEAR, THE NEED TO MAINTAIN A STRONG NATIONAL DEFENSE\nIS MORE PRESSING THAN POLITICS\n-27-\nI AM CONFIDENT THAT ALL OF US FEEL THE SAME WAY\nWE WILL PURSUE A POLICY OF PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH --\nWE WILL MAKE SURE THAT AMERICA REMAINS AS STRONG\nAS\nSHE IS FREE now & forever.\nTHANK YOU VERY MUCH\nEND OF TEXT"
}