Ask the Scholar
Document scope · 1 page
Scholar
Ask about this object, its catalog metadata, its source description, or the page inventory.
For page-specific OCR and visual context, open one of the page chats.
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
323154751
label
Veterans Briefing [Radio Address to Troops] 3/91 [OA 4424]
core
doc
dtoType
document
citationUrl
pageCount
1
Source metadata
id
323154751
contentType
document
title
Veterans Briefing [Radio Address to Troops] 3/91 [OA 4424]
citationUrl
identifierLocal
13884-013
collections
Records of the White House Office of Speechwriting (George H. W. Bush Administration)
Mary Kate Grant Subject Files
imageCount
1
hasImages
yes
source
import
hasTranscription
no
Source extras
naId
323154751
levelOfDescription
fileUnit
recordType
description
ocrSource
nara-archive
Single page context
seq
1
pageIndex
0
type
document
mediaId
0537fc2bb7417df6
ocrText
Originally Processed With FOIA(s):
FOIA Number:
S
FOIA
MARKER
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:
Grant, Mary Kate, Files
Subseries:
Subject File, 1988-1991
OA/ID Number:
13884
Folder ID Number:
13884-013
Folder Title:
Veterans Briefing [Radio Address to Troops], 3/91
Stack:
Row:
Section:
Shelf:
Position:
G
18
29
1
2
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
February 26, 1991
MEMORANDUM FOR LEIGH ANN METZGER
JOSEPH SAMORA
FROM:
GREG FITCH
SUBJECT:
PHONE CALL WITH ALLEN CLARK
Assit Secy, VA
Allen Clark called back after I told his secretary, Rose, of the
new times of the
our attempt to schedule a time with
the Secretary 1
the
Secretary, and
iate it
if you could g
review the eve
THE WHITE HOUSE
2/27/91
p.m. to
WASHINGTON
He also had a
1)
The
tes on
the
Christina
:ief
TO:
rem
iry's
tim
FROM: LEIGH ANN METZGER
2)
Is
Special Assistant to the President for
nder
imp
Public Liaison
Room 193 OEOB, Ext. 7142
oduce
Che
I said I
WOU
The attached is for:
3)
Suc
Information
remarks:
Review & Comment
Direct Response
of American
Appropriate Action
Draft Reply
ortant to
Signature
tten by
File
er; and
Other
ns even
ate threat
Please Return By
C:
b
Comments: FYI for POTUS
but would
vemans to 3/4/91 Vets briefing on
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
February 26, 1991
MEMORANDUM FOR LEIGH ANN METZGER
JOSEPH SAMORA
FROM:
GREG FITCH
SUBJECT:
PHONE CALL WITH ALLEN CLARK
Allen Clark called back after I told his secretary, Rose, of the
new times of the speakers and our attempt to schedule a time with
the Secretary tomorrow. He said he just talked with the
Secretary, and no meeting is necessary, but would appreciate it
if you could give the Secretary a call tomorrow after 1 p.m. to
review the event.
He also had a couple of other items:
1)
The Secretary wants to use some of his 20 minutes on
the dias to allow other senior VA officials brief
remarks. This would only cut into the Secretary's
time.
2)
Is the Secretary MC of the event? Clark is under
impression that Secretary is MC and will introduce
Cheney and Scrowcroft but wanted to verify. I said I
would have to check on this with you.
3)
Suggested talking points for the President's remarks:
O
there must be an immediate return of American
POWs from Iraq;
O
the issue of accountability is important to
veterans -- MIAs will not be forgotten by
this Administration once war is over; and
O
we will not forget American veterans even
when times are good, and no immediate threat
is present.
Clark said these topics are only suggested, but would
be well received by the audience.
Grant/Simon
February 28, 1991
3 p.m. / A:VETERANS
PRESIDENTIAL DROP-BY: VETERANS BRIEFING
ROOM 450 E.O.B.
MONDAY, MARCH 4, 1991
1:45 P.M.
((Thank you, very much, for such a warm welcome ...
I
understand you've been briefed by Secretary Cheney and General
Scowcroft, as well as our very able Secretary of Veterans
Affairs, Ed Derwinski -- and what a tremendous job he's doing. //
I'm glad to see the familiar faces from America's top veterans
organizations -- (name) of the Veterans of the Foreign Wars;
(name) of the Disabled American Veterans; and (name) of the
American Legion. Welcome, again, to the White House. ))
( (You know, when I asked Governor Sununu what day I was
going to speak to the veterans, he said, "March fourth." /// I
replied, "Don't order me around like that. I just asked what day
Obviously an ARMY joke
it was. /// Well, I got that joke from an Army man. //))
I want to begin by giving credit where credit is due. From
the day that Saddam Hussein first invaded Kuwait, America's
veterans stood rock-solid behind our troops. because
you
understood what was at stake: the rule of law and the cause of
freedom. You understood, as you did when you answered the call
to service in your time, that when the forces of aggression
must
arise, America stands ready to do the hard work of freedom.
You understood because you've been there, fighting wars we
didn t want against enemies we didn't know. You know how
2
IS
important the support of the folks back home was to our troops.
And now Our brave men and women are coming home soon -- home to
And let me tell you.
the respect and gratitude of the American people. // they've carned it,
I want all of our toops new veterans back as soon as possible,
every last one of them. We are demanding that Iraq release all
coalition prisoners of war immediately. // We will hold Iraq
accountable for all soldiers missing in action, and we demand
that they be returned home as soon as possible. // And finally,
and Iraq must release the remains of all who have fallen. // We are
here today to ensure that our nation always remembers those who
defended her -- the heroic men and women who stood where duty
required them to stand. //
This has been a
Our country' newest veterans have achieved a triumph for
the 28 nations united against aggression. But as I said in my
address to the nation the final night of Kuwait's liberation,
this is not a time to gloat or brag. but rather It's a time to be
tuends who stood with us
proud -- proud of our troops, proud of our alliance, and proud of
our
They were thrones Their
the people. whose strength and perseverance ensured that our
success was as certain as our cause.
we must we owe it to - that they
Our next cause is to ensure that our veterans return home to
n confedentzand full of promise-
a better America than ever before. The future awaits us, and so
awartses,
does the hard work of freedom But the American people are up to
the job, as they have always been. Let me close with the words
of Abraham Lincoln, who spoke to the nation on this very day in
a devastiting civil war.
1865, at the end of the war which brought brother against brother
and tore the nation in half:
3
"With malice toward none, with charity for all, with
firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us
strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation's
wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for
his widow and his orphan, to do all which may achieve and cherish
a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations."
God bless our valiant soldiers, those who have risked their
lives and those who have sacrificed their lives -- may we hold
their memory sacred forever. And may God bless the United States
of America.
# # # menhish beaume
Thousands, 1
Second
of
at
call
and
the
were notion
lumn they the
McNally/Simon
Feb. 28, 1991
Draft Two (A:RADIO)
91 FEB 28 PM 5: 07
PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS: RADIO ADDRESS TO U.S. TROOPS IN THE GULF
FRIDAY, MAR. 1, 1991, 9:00 A.M.
Good morning. Never have I been more proud of our troops,
or more proud to be your Commander-in-Chief. For today, amid
prayers of thanks and hope, the flags of freedom once again fly
high above Kuwait city. And they're there because you and your
Coalition Allies put them there. 111
Kuwait is liberated. And soon hometowns across America will
be welcoming back home the finest combat force ever assembled --
Army, Navy, Coast Guard, Marines, Air Force -- the brave men and
women of the United States of America!
Saddam Hussein's dreams of an Iraqi superpower -- dominating
the Middle East by force of a nuclear arsenal and an army of a
million men -- threatened the future of our children and the
entire world. And the world was faced with a simple choice: If
Iraq could not or would not remove Saddam Hussein from power --
then we had to remove power from Saddam Hussein.
And that's exactly what you did. Throughout seven long and
arduous months, the troops of 28 nations stood with you,
shoulder-to-shoulder in an unprecedented partnership for peace.
Today we thank you -- for the victory in Kuwait was born in the
courage and resolve of free men and women. The stunning success
of our troops was the result of superb training, superb planning,
superb execution -- and incredible acts of bravery. III
The Iraqi army was defeated. [40 divisions] were put out of
action. They lost [almost 4,000] tanks. Almost [2,000] armored
2
vehicles. More than [2,000] artillery guns. And over half a
million Iraqi soldiers were captured, defeated, or disarmed. You
were as good as advertised -- you were indeed, "Good to go!" III
This is a war we did not seek and did not want. But Saddam
Hussein turned a deaf ear to the voices of peace and reason. And
when he began burning Kuwait and her people to the ground, the
Coalition faced a moral imperative to put a stop to the
atrocities in Kuwait once and for all. Boldly, bravely, you did
just that -- and when the rubber met the road -- you did it in
just four days. III
The evil Saddam has done can never be forgotten. But his
power to attack his neighbors and threaten the peace of the
region is today grievously reduced. He has been stripped of his
capacity to project offensive military power. His regime is
totally discredited, and as a threat to peace, the day of this
dictator is over. And the bottom line is this: Kuwait's night
of terror has ended. 111
Thomas Jefferson said the price of freedom is eternal
vigilance. We must remain vigilant to make absolutely sure the
Iraqi dictator is never, ever allowed to stoke the ashes of
defeat into the burning embers of aggression. The sacrifice of
our troops demands nothing less. 111
Saddam made many mistakes. But one of the biggest was to
underestimate the determination of the American people and the
daring of our troops. We saw in the desert what Americans have
learned through 215 years of history about the difference between
3
democracy and dictatorship: Soldiers who fight for freedom are
more committed than soldiers who fight to remain enslaved. 111
Americans today are confident of our country, confident of
our future, and, most of all, confident about you. We promised
this would not be another Vietnam, and we kept that promise. The
enemies of freedom are now on notice: The specter of Vietnam has
been buried forever in the desert sands of the Persian Gulf. III
Today, the promise of spring is almost upon us, the promise
of regrowth and renewal: Renewed life in Kuwait. Renewed pros-
pects for real peace throughout the Middle East. And a renewed
sense of pride and confidence here at home. And we are committed
to seeing every American, and every allied P.O.W., home soon --
home to the thanks and the respect and the love of a grateful
nation.
Yes, there remain vital tests ahead, both here and abroad.
But nothing the American people can't handle. America has always
accepted the challenge, paid the price, and passed the test. On
this day, our spirits are as high as our flag -- and our future
is a bright as liberty's torch. Tomorrow we dedicate ourselves
anew, as Americans always have, and as Americans always will.
The first test of the new world order has been passed. The
hard work of freedom awaits.
Thank you. Congratulations. And God bless the United
States of America.
#
#
#
copy M.K.
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
DATE: March 1, 1991
TO:
David Demarest
FROM:
ANDY CARD
I've sent this to Dick Darman and Ede
Holiday for comment; it may be something
we might want to include in the veterans
speech Monday.
03/01/91
09:03
202 606 3567
OPM/DIRECTOR
0002
2/28
4:95
DRART
MEMORANDUM FOR THE HEADS OF EXECUTIVE
DEPARTMENTS AND AGENCIES
SUBJECT: Return of Desert Storm Participants
to Federal Civilian Employment
Now that our Armed Forces and their Coalition partners have
achieved success in meeting our military objectives in the
Gulf region, we can look forward to the return of the valiant
men and women who participated in operation Desert Storm.
Many of these participants are reservists who left their
regular civilian loyment to join in this national effort,
with great disruption to their families and their normal
pursuits. In recognition of the sacrifices they have made,
it is essential that their civilian employers do everything
possible to ease their return to civilian life.
The Federal Government has always been a model for other
employers in the protections and benefits provided for mili-
tary reservists, and I am committed to ensuring that we
continue to set an example for the Nation in this regard.
Accordingly, I have determined that the following actions by
executive departments and agencies are appropriate:
- Military reservists who are returning to civilian
employment should be restored to the same jobs they
left, and the legal flexibility of placement in
equivalent jobs should be used only when absolutely
necessary.
- Desert Stomm participants who are returning to their
Federal civilian employment should be afforded a week
of excused absence from their duties, without charge
to leave, to assist them in making the transition to
civilian life.
- Federal employees who have served in the Armed Forces
during this emergency and who qualify for retirement
may do SO without returning to their civilian employ-
ment under 5 U.S.C. 8332 (g).-
The Office of Personnel Management will be issuing guidance
on these matters, and I urge the heads of executive depart-
ments and agencies to take all necessary action to provide
for prompt implementation.
During this emergency, the Office of Personnel Management
took action to ensure that reservists who had been called to
active duty would be freed from the requirement to pay normal
employee contributions for their civilian health benefits and
03/01/91
09:04
202 608 3567
OPM/DIRECTOR
003
DRAFT
-2-
life insurance. Current law limits this protection to one
year of military absence. This time limit has not been a
problem to date, butz in order to ensure that no problem
arises in the future, I am directing the Office of Personnel
Management to seek necessary legislation to waive the time
limit.
As our regular troops return, we can expect many to be seek-
ing civilian employment in the future. I am directing the
Office of Personnel Management to take such actions as are
appropriate, in cooperation with departments and agencies, to
ensure that Federal civilian employment opportunities are
made available to the greatest extent possible to these
veterans, particularly those who have become disabled as a
result of their military service. This will benefit not only
the veterans, but also the Federal Government, which will be
able to use their skills and abilities.
Finally, we must all recognize the many contributions that
have been made to our successful military operations by Fed-
eral civilian employees, both in the Department of Defense
and elsewhere in the Government. I urge heads of departments
and agencies to recognize these accorplishments, and to
utilize fully the Federal employee incentive awards program
for this purpose.
When I asked my scheduler what day I was going to speak to the
veterans, she said, "March 4th. " I said, "Don't order me around
like that. I just asked what day it was. "
or
We're meeting on the day that the Army dreads all year long:
March Fourth.
11:15
DAV
VFW
AL
VETERANS BRIEFING
3/4/91
Derwishi
&
Cheney
1:45 POTUS
3- 3½ pages
from
Bob