[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2008, Book II)]
[November 11, 2008]
[Pages 1354-1358]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]
Remarks at a Rededication Ceremony at the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space
Museum in New York City
November 11, 2008
Thank you all. Thank you for the warm welcome. Be seated. Charles and Rich,
thanks a lot. I gratefully accept the Freedom Award. And I'm honored to
be with you today as we rededicate a great monument to freedom, the
Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum. At this ceremony, we recognize nearly
55,000 Americans who served aboard the USS Intrepid, including some who
are here today. And we commemorate Veterans Day by honoring all those
who have worn the uniform of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, and
Marine Corps. Thank you for serving our great Nation.
I am proud to be traveling with the First Lady of the United
States, Laura Bush, the most patient woman in
America. [Laughter] Governor, thank you
for joining us. Secretary Kempthorne,
Senator Hillary Clinton, I'm proud to
be with you. Thank you for being here. Congressman Pete King, Congressman Charlie Rangel, Congressman Anthony Weiner,
thank you all for joining us today. Looking forward to that lame duck
session, aren't we? [Laughter]
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What an awesome guy General Jim Conway
is, Commandant of the United States Marine Corps and member of the Joint
Chiefs. Christine Quinn, thank you for
your remarks. Bill White, the Vanna
White of the Intrepid. He's a--[laughter].
Arnold Fisher and the Fisher family, what a
fabulous contribution the Fishers have made to the United States of
America, and we thank you from the bottom of our hearts.
John Rich, fellow Texan; John, tell them we're
coming home, and we're coming home with our heads held high.
Members of the Intrepid Museum and Foundation board of trustees;
wounded warriors. You know, oftentimes they ask me, ``What are you going
to miss about the Presidency?'' And first reaction is, I say, ``No
traffic jams in New York.'' The truth of the matter is, I will miss
being the Commander in Chief of such a fabulous group of men and women,
those who wear the uniform of the United States military.
Veterans Day has a long and solemn history. The event that inspired
it took place 90 years ago today in a small railway car in a French
forest. November the 11th, 1918, the Allied Powers and Germany signed an
armistice that ended one of the bloodiest wars the world had ever
witnessed. By the time that day arrived, World War I had raged for more
than 4 years, and more than 8 million soldiers had given their lives.
But on the 11th hour of the 11th day of that 11th month, the guns fell
silent, and peace began to return to Europe.
To commemorate the war's end, President Woodrow Wilson declared that
November the 11th should be remembered as Armistice Day, a holiday to
honor the brave sacrifices of the American soldiers who defended
democracy and freedom overseas. Today, we know it as Veterans Day, a day
when we celebrate and thank and honor every man and woman who have
served in our Armed Forces.
These noble Americans are our sons and daughters, they are our
fathers and mothers, they are our family, and they are our friends. They
leave home to do the work of patriots, and they lead lives of quiet
dignity when they return. Today we send a clear message to all who have
worn the uniform: Thank you for your courage, thank you for your
sacrifice, and thank you for standing up when your Nation needed you
most.
In the years since we began celebrating Veterans Day, America's
Armed Forces have defended our freedom in many conflicts. And in those
conflicts, they have often relied on the might of the USS Intrepid.
The great ship's keel was laid on December 1, 1941. Less than a week
later, Pearl Harbor was attacked, and America entered World War II. In
the years to come, as the United States Navy defended the freedom in the
Pacific, the men of the ``Fighting I'' would be in the thick of the
battle. The Intrepid participated in the invasion of the Marshall
Islands. She played a key role in the amphibious assault on Okinawa. She
was part of one of the greatest sea battles in history, the Battles of
Leyte Gulf.
In that massive engagement, American forces faced some of the most
formidable elements of the Japanese Navy. The Japanese fleet included
the Yamamato [Yamato]* and the Musashi; these were the heaviest and the
largest battleships ever constructed. The Imperial Navy approached the
coast of the Philippines from three different directions, and it was a
fearsome challenge, but the men of this ship were ready. The Intrepid's
air group fought courageously and without rest. By the time the battle
ended 3 days later, the United States Navy had sunk the Musashi to the
ocean floor and lifted hopes for victory in the Pacific.
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*White House correction.
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The war ended the following year, but the Intrepid's mission did not
end. As the
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United States raced into the new frontier of space, the Intrepid stood
by to retrieve astronauts returning to Earth. During the cold war, she
patrolled the Mediterranean and helped force the surrender of pro-Castro
terrorists who had hijacked a freighter in the Caribbean, and did three
tours off the waters of Vietnam. For our Nation's bicentennial
celebration, the United States Congress paid a fitting tribute to this
ship's extraordinary service when they selected the Intrepid to
represent the United States Navy in Philadelphia.
After more than 30 years at sea, the Intrepid was permanently
decommissioned. Despite her amazing history, she was destined to be
scrapped. But thanks to the work of the Intrepid Museum Foundation, she
found a home in New York City. Since 1982, she has been a museum that
educates new generations of Americans about the high price that those
who came before them paid for their freedom.
One of the veterans who has been honored here was a Navy pilot who
flew Avenger torpedo planes during World War II. When he was invited
onboard the Intrepid for the 50th anniversary of D-day, he was moved to
see that the museum had arranged for a vintage Avenger, painted in the
style of his unit, to be right here on the deck. It just so happens that
it was flanked by two of the men who had flown in his squadron. The man
the Intrepid honored that day is a great American. He's a dedicated
servant to this country, and I can tell you from personal experience
he's a fabulous father.
Even as a museum, the Intrepid still answered the call to service.
I'm pretty certain most Americans don't understand what I'm about to
tell you, but on September the 11th, when we came attacked just a few
blocks from here, the Intrepid was used as an emergency command center.
First-responders launched helicopters from the decks. It became clear
that this ship, which helped defeat the great totalitarian threats of
the 20th century, was front and center in the opening moments of a new
struggle against the forces of hatred and fear.
The war on terror has required courage; it has required resolve
equal to what previous generations of Americans brought to the fields of
Europe and the deep waters of the Pacific. And I'm proud to report to my
fellow citizens, our Armed Forces, the Armed Forces of this generation,
have showed up for the fight, and America is more secure for it.
This morning, Laura and I flew up here with
some brave
men and women who are keeping us safe. I want to introduce
them to you.
Staff Sergeant Michael Noyce Merino
was the first National Guardsman ever to be named the Army's
Noncommissioned Officer of the Year. Senior Airman Alicia
Goetschel was named one of the Air Force's
Outstanding Airmen of the Year for her work in keeping dangerous
extremists off the streets of Iraq. Chief Petty Officer Shenequa
Cox won several awards recognizing her as one
of the Navy's finest sailors. Petty Officer First Class Chris
Hutto was honored as the Coast Guard's
Enlisted Person of the Year. And United States Marine Sergeant John
Badon's bravery earned him two Purple Hearts for
his service in Operation Iraqi Freedom. Where are my new pals? God bless
you.
They are representatives of the finest our Nation offers. And they
have the support of strong and caring and loving families. And so on
this Veterans Day, not only do we honor those who have worn the uniform,
those who are wearing the uniform, we honor their families. And we thank
them from the bottom of our hearts.
We have a moral obligation to support our families, and we have a
moral obligation to support our veterans. It has been my privilege to
work with Members of the United States Congress to nearly double the
funding for those who have worn the uniform. It has been my privilege to
work to implement the recommendations from
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the Dole-Shalala
Commission, to make sure that we have a mental health care system and
physical health care system worthy of the sacrifice of those who have
worn the uniform.
It has been my privilege to work with the United States Congress to
expand education benefits for both members of our military as well as
our veterans. It has been my privilege to say loud and clear to our
veterans: We love you, we respect you, and we thank you for serving the
United States of America.
And I love what the Intrepid Relief Fund and the Intrepid Fallen
Heroes Fund have done to support our veterans as well. They provided
more than $100 million to military families in need. The Intrepid's
Fisher House program has provided temporary housing for families of
service men and women receiving medical treatment.
At the center for the Intrepid's physical rehabilitation facility in
San Antonio, Texas, America's wounded warriors receive some incredible
medical care. I have seen what happens in this place of healing and hope
firsthand. The Intrepid Center brings great compassion to those who have
worn and are wearing the uniform. It also shows that the American people
are incredibly generous in supporting the veterans. And I want to thank
the Intrepid members and those who support the Intrepid foundations for
your work on behalf of our country.
Throughout the decades, our service men and women have shown a
spirit of selfless courage. I was impressed by the story of Alonzo
Swann, who on October 29, 1944, here on
the deck of the Intrepid, had to help his fellow sailors deal with a
kamikaze attack. He saw his best friend burning alive and caught in a
gun mount. He rushed into the flames. He attempted to save his buddy,
but before he could do so, an ammunition bin detonated; nine were
killed, six injured, including Alonzo.
For his bravery, he was awarded the
Bronze Star. It's a high honor, but a lot of folks didn't think it was a
high enough honor. They felt he deserved the Navy Cross, and many
believed that he had been denied the Navy Cross because of the color of
his skin--he was an African American. For 50 years his advocates
petitioned the Government, and for 50 years they were unsuccessful. But
he kept the faith. November 3, 1993, under the Presidency of my
predecessor, President Bill Clinton,
right here on the deck of the Intrepid, Alonzo Swann finally received
his Navy Cross. And I want people to listen to what he said. He said,
``If you think you're right, fight your heart out.'' That ought to be
the motto of the modern United States military. You think you're right,
and you're fighting your heart out for the sake of peace and freedom,
and we thank you for it.
Laura and I are honored to be here. We're
honored to see this majestic place. I love the fact that parents can
answer a child's question about ``Why fight?'' with this answer: These
brave souls fought for freedom, they fought for liberty, and they fought
to guarantee the rights given to us by our Creator. And that has been
the history of our Armed Forces: brave folks, the mightiest defenders of
those unalienable rights.
So on behalf of a grateful nation, I thank our veterans for your
service, for your commitment. May God bless you, and may God continue to
bless the United States of America.
Note: The President spoke at 12:27 p.m. In his remarks, he referred to
Charles de Gunzburg and Richard Santulli, cochairmen, and Arnold Fisher,
chairman emeritus, Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum board of trustees;
Gov. David A. Paterson of New York; Christine C. Quinn, speaker, New
York City Council; Bill White, president, Intrepid Sea, Air & Space
Museum; television personality Vanna White; and entertainer John Rich.
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