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1252732
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3/9/76 - Remarks at a Banquet for Members of Congress Sponsored by the Veterans of Foreign Wars
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1252732
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3/9/76 - Remarks at a Banquet for Members of Congress Sponsored by the Veterans of Foreign Wars
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President's Speeches and Statements Reading Copies (Ford Administration)
Reading Copies of Presidential Speeches and Statements
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Veterans
National security
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1252732
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9
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1976-03-09
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1976
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9
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1976-03-09
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1976
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The original documents are located in Box 25, "3/9/76 - Remarks at a Banquet for
Members of Congress Sponsored by the Veterans of Foreign Wars" of the President's
Speeches and Statements: Reading Copies 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. Gerald Ford 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States of America his copyrights in all of his unpublished writings in National Archives collections.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.
Digitized from Box 25 of President's Speeches and Statements: Reading Copies at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library
THE PRESIDENT HAS SEEN
VETERANS OF FOREIGN WARS
BANQUET FOR MEMBERS OF THE CONGRESS
SHERATON PARK HOTEL
TUESDAY, MARCH 9, 1976
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
THANK YOU, PETE
(Pete Walker , Commander-in-Chief, VFW)
CONGRESSMAN EDDIE HEBERT
DISTINGUISHED MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE AND SENATE
MEMBERS AND GUESTS OF THE VETERANS OF FOREIGN WARS
-1-
THANK YOU FOR YOUR VERY KIND WELCOME
ALL I CAN SAY IS
t
IT FEELS AS WARM AND AS COMFORTING
AS A RAY OF FLORIDA SUNSHINE
-2-
AS A PROUD MEMBER OF OLD KENT POST V.F.W. 830,
LET ME SAY HOW HAPPY I AM TO BE HERE WITH YOU TONIGHT
AT THIS ANNUAL BANQUET FOR MEMBERS OF
Ive THE CONGRESS attended + 1
AND MY CONGRATULATIONS TO JOAN LARSON AND ALL THE
OTHER WINNERS OF THE V.F.W. "VOICE OF DEMOCRACY" CONTEST.
-3-
LET ME START BY SAYING THAT THIS AFTERNOON
AT THE WHITE HOUSE I RECEIVED A VISIT FROM A FELLOW MICHIGANDER
NAMED MARLA MARAQUIN (MARE-A-QUIN) --
THE V.F.W. BUDDY POPPY GIRL FOR 1976. W hat a sweet
young lady.
as she left she
Jay.
-4-
SHE'S A CHARMING TWELVE-YEAR-OLD FROM THE V.F.W'S
NATIONAL HOME IN EATON RAPIDS, AND I KNOW SHE WILL HELP US
TO HAVE A VERY SUCCESSFUL BUDDY POPPY CAMPAIGN THIS YEAR
SEEING WHAT THE V.F.W. HAS DONE FOR HER SHOULD MAKE ALL OF US
ESPECIALLY PROUD TO BE MEMBERS OF THIS FINE ORGANIZATION
-5-
I RECALL JUST ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF AGO,
I HAD THE HONOR OF SPEAKING TO YOUR 75TH NATIONAL CONVENTION
SHORTLY AFTER I BECAME PRESIDENT
-6-
AT THAT TIME I HAD THE PLEASURE OF APPOINTING
DICK ROUDEBUSH -- MY FORMER COLLEAGUE IN THE CONGRESS
AND A PAST NATIONAL COMMANDER OF THE V.F.W., TO BE HEAD
OF THE VETERANS ADMINISTRATION,
I SAID THEN I WAS CONFIDENT
THAT ROUDY WOULD DO A FIRST-CLASS JOB, AND 18 MONTHS LATER
I'M GLAD TO SAY
THINK
WE CAN ALL AGREE HE HAS DONE
A FIRST-CLASS JOB
-7-
ROUDY'S FINE WORK AS AN ADMINISTRATOR ASSURES US
THAT VETERANS ARE GOING TO GET THE MOST OUT OF THEIR NEW
V.A. BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 1977
-8-
DESPITE OUR TIGHT FISCAL CONSTRAINTS,
MY BUDGET INCLUDES A RECORD AMOUNT OF OVER FOUR BILLION DOLLARS
FOR V.A. MEDICAL CARE
I HAVE REQUESTED FUNDS
FOR MORE THAN NINE THOUSAND NEW V.A. MEDICAL PERSONNEL
IN THE BUDGETS FOR FISCAL YEARS 1976 AND 1977
-9-
WE ARE GOING TO PROVIDE MORE FUNDING,
MORE PEOPLE,
AND EVEN BETTER FACILITIES TO GIVE ELIGIBLE VETERANS
THE HIGHEST QUALITY AND FASTEST POSSIBLE CARE WE CAN PROVIDE
-10-
ONE VERY DISTINGUISHED MEMBER OF THE CONGRESS
WHO SHARES MY CONCERN FOR VETERANS IS MY GOOD FRIEND
EDDIE HEBERT, WHOM YOU ARE RIGHTLY HONORING TONIGHT
-11-
I HAVE RESPECTED EDD IE'S ENORMOUS TALENTS AND
CAPABILITIES EVER SINCE I ENTERED THE CONGRESS IN 1949
AT THAT TIME HE HAD ALREADY SPENT ALMOST A DECADE
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, AND HE HAD BEEN SERVING
THE AMERICAN PUBLIC EVEN LONGER THAN THAT,
AS A GIFTED AND COURAGEOUS JOURNALIST IN HIS HOME STATE
OF LOUISIANA
-12-
WE
SERVED IN THE GOVERNMENT TOGETHER
FOR MORE THAN A QUARTER OF A CENTURY
OVER THAT PERIOD
WE'VE ALWAYS ENJOYED
AND I MEAN ENJOYED
A CLOSE PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP
-13-
I HAVE ALWAYS HAD SPECIAL RESPECT FOR TWO THINGS
THAT EDDIE HEBERT HAS STOOD FOR THROUGHOUT HIS CAREER
HE HAS ALWAYS BEEN A STRONG SUPPORTER OF FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY
AND SENSIBLE RESTRAINTS ON GOVERNMENT SPENDING
-14-
AND HE HAS ALWAYS STOOD FOR SOMETHING ELSE
I KNOW ALL OF US IN THIS ROOM BELIEVE IN --
A STRONG AND SECURE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,
AND I SALUTE HIM FOR THAT
We have frught shoulder
LET ME SAY A FEW WORDS ON THAT SUBJECT TONIGHT.
In shoulder for The High D yourse
dollar & The strongest meditary
capablity for all Mr form.
-15-
MY ADMINISTRATION'S FOREIGN POLICY,
AND OUR DEFENSE POLICY, ARE ACTUALLY PART OF A SINGLE
NATIONAL POLICY WHICH CAN BE SUMMED UP IN THREE WORDS:
PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH
LET'S TAKE A MOMENT TO LOOK
AT WHAT THOSE WORDS MEAN
-16-
WE ARE ALL IN FAVOR OF PEACE
AND FOR A VETERAN
THE WORD PEACE HAS SPECIAL MEANING
THOSE OF US WHO HAVE SEEN WAR CHERISH
THE COMRADESHIP WE ENJOYED, AS INDIVIDUALS BROUGHT TOGETHER
UNDER UNIQUELY DEMAND ING CIRCUMSTANCES
-17-
BUT WE REMEMBER THE FRIENDS WE LOST AS WELL AS
THE FRIENDS WE MADE
WE WILL NEVER FORGET THE TERRIBLE COST
OF WAR IN TERMS OF HUMAN SUFFERING
IN BLOOD AND PAIN
AND LIVES CUT TRAGICALLY SHORT
-18-
ANOTHER WORLD WAR, \ AS WE ARE ALL AWARE,
WOULD MEAN DEATH AND DESTRUCTION ON A SCALE so VAST
THAT THE HUMAN MIND CAN BARELY COMPREHEND IT
AND so PEACE TODAY IS MORE IMPERATIVE THAN EVER
-19-
WHATEVER OUR FIELD OF ENDEAVOR --
IN PRIVATE LIFE,
IN BUSINESS,
IN GOVERNMENT --
WE KNOW THAT IN A NUCLEAR AGE THERE CAN BE NO
LASTING ACCOMPLISHMENTS WITHOUT A LASTING PEACE
-20-
THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA IS A PEACEFUL NATION
AND WE ARE A STRONG NATION
HISTORY HAS TAUGHT US
THAT WE CAN REMAIN AT PEACE ONLY IF WE REMAIN STRONG
WE CAN REMAIN FREE ONLY IF WE REMAIN FIRM
WE CAN REMAIN PROUD AMERICANS, ONLY IF WE STAND READY
TO DEFEND AMERICA
-21-
ONE MEASURE OF OUR STRENGTH AS A NATION IS
OUR DEEP-ROOTED BELIEF IN FREEDOM
FOR 200 YEARS OUR FAITH
IN GOVERNMENT BY THE PEOPLE, FOR THE PEOPLE HAS ENDURED
WE HAVE HAD THE STRENGTH TO RESIST THE STRAINS
THAT MIGHT HAVE BROKEN THE WILL OF OTHERS
-22-
OUR STRENGTH HAS MEANT THAT WE AS A PEOPLE
ARE NOT EASILY INTIMIDATED
WE CAN RECOGNIZE
AND RESPOND TO A REAL DANGER, WITHOUT CRYING WOLF
AT A FALSE ONE
-23-
OUR NATIONAL STRENGTH IS SURPASSED BY NO
OTHER NATION
OUR FIGHTING FORCES ARE SECOND TO NONE
WE ARE A STRONG NATION, AND TO SUGGEST OTHERWISE
IS IRRESPONSIBLE AND RECKLESS
BUT WE MUST CONTINUE
TO MAKE SURE THAT WE WILL STAY A STRONG NATION
-24-
THE FIRST DEFENSE BUDGET I SUBMITTED AS PRESIDENT
WAS FOR MORE THAN 104 BILLION DOLLARS / WHICH THE CONGRESS
CHOSE TO CUT BY OVER SEVEN BILLION DOLLARS
THIS YEAR AGAIN
/
HAVE GONE TO THE CONGRESS
WITH A RECORD PEACETIME DEFENSE BUDGET OF MORE THAN
112 BILLION DOLLARS
-25-
With The
UNDER MY ADMINISTRATION, AND WITH ENOUGH
MEMBERS OF THE CONGRESS VOTING ON DEFENSE MATTERS
AS EDDIE HEBERT AND I HAVE OVER THE YEARS
/
THERE WILL BE
NO POLICY OF SECOND BEST IN OUR NATIONAL DEFENSE
-26-
I AM SURE THAT EDDIE FEELS, AS I DO,
THAT THE TRADITIONAL BIPARTISAN SPIRIT IN FAVOR OF
NATIONAL SECURITY HAS NOT BEEN LOST -- THAT EVEN IN AN
ELECTION YEAR, THE NEED TO MAINTAIN A STRONG NATIONAL DEFENSE
IS MORE PRESSING THAN POLITICS
-27-
I AM CONFIDENT THAT ALL OF US FEEL THE SAME WAY
WE WILL PURSUE A POLICY OF PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH --
WE WILL MAKE SURE THAT AMERICA REMAINS AS STRONG
AS
SHE IS FREE now & forever.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH
END OF TEXT