[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 40, Number 21 (Monday, May 24, 2004)]
[Pages 925-927]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]
<R04>
Remarks at the Sons of Italy Foundation Gala
May 19, 2004
The President. Thank you all. Please be seated.
Audience member. Mr. President!
The President. I promised the Prime Minister you'd behave
yourselves. [Laughter] It's great for the son of Barbara to be here with
the Sons of Italy. [Laughter] Thank you for having me. I'm honored.
It's a privilege for me to join you all as we celebrate the
achievements and contributions of Italian Americans. I'm especially
pleased to join you in welcoming our great friend the Prime Minister of
Italy, Silvio Berlusconi. At this crucial moment in history, America and
Italy are standing together as proud friends and strong allies in the
cause of freedom. Our two peoples are bound together by affection and
respect, and today, Americans feel respect and gratitude for the
leadership of the Prime Minister.
I appreciate Charlie; thank you for being the honorary chairman of
this event. I thank Phil as well for being the host. I want to thank Joe
Sciame, who is the chairman of the Sons of Italy Foundation, Paul Polo,
who is the president. Our Ambassador to Italy is with us, Mel Sembler. I
appreciate the job he is doing on behalf of the American people. Sergio
Vento is with us, who is the Italian Ambassador to the United States.
And Sergio, I appreciate your leadership.
I know there are some Members of Congress and the Senate here. I see
Santorum and Lieberman, and I appreciate you both being here. Thanks for
coming. I would recognize the other Members of Congress by name, but you
evidently are not here or have lousy seats. [Laughter]
I appreciate the fact that we've got scholarship and award
recipients who are with us, and I appreciate the distinguished guests
who are here as well.
This annual event is an opportunity to express well justified pride
in the Italian ancestry of millions of Americans. The immigrant journey
to America could be difficult. Families were often separated, and life
in a new country brought its hardships. But this country, the United
States, is fortunate that generations of Italian families made the
journey. They brought to our country strength of character, a deep faith
in God, love of family, and an appreciation of freedom. Without
question, America is a better place for the influence of the sons and
daughters of Italy.
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In so many aspects of American life, it is hard to think of this
country without the Italian influence. The life of our country has been
richer because of names like DiMaggio and Lombardi, Capra and Sinatra,
LaGuardia, Scalia, and Giuliani. Countless of other Italian Americans,
less well known, have excelled in every field, from the artisans who
carved the figure of Lincoln that overlooks the Mall right here in
Washington, to business leaders, to educators, to many good priests and
nuns who have kindly looked after Italian parishes here in America. It
was an Italian American, Mother Frances Cabrini, whose mission to build
hospitals and orphanages for poor immigrants made her America's first
saint. Of course, that's the official count--every Italian American man
will tell you his mother is the saint. [Laughter]
From our Nation's beginnings, the sons and daughters of Italy have
been fierce defenders of American liberty. Italians crossed the Atlantic
to fight with us in the Revolutionary War. In later struggles, dozens of
Italian Americans would receive the Medal of Honor. One of these was
Marine Sergeant John Basilone. For 3 days, he battled an entire enemy
regiment at Guadalcanal with nothing but his own machine gun, leading
General Douglas MacArthur to call him ``a one-man army.''
Sixty years ago, Allied troops freed Rome, and next month the Prime
Minister and I will meet in that city to commemorate its liberation. The
sacrifices of that terrible war were shared by both our countries and
helped to forge our determination to resist tyranny wherever it exists.
For more than five decades, Italy has shown great resolve and courage as
a member of NATO. In the past 3 years, America and Italy have been
steadfast allies in the war on terror.
The war on terror continues in Iraq. We're standing together in that
desperate country as a part of a strong coalition. America appreciates
the contributions and sacrifice of nearly 3,000 soldiers that Italy has
deployed in that country. We honor the memory of 19 Italians killed by a
terrorist's bomb last November and the memory of the Italian soldier
killed this week.
And we honor the courage of men like Fabrizio Quattrocchi, a baker
who went to Iraq to work as a security guard. He was kidnaped by
terrorists and faced his killers with the bravest defiance. Just before
he was murdered, he stood up and shouted, ``Now I will show you how an
Italian dies!'' In that moment, this good man from Genoa showed us that
and more: He showed us how a hero lives.
Now all our efforts in Iraq are approaching a crucial moment. The
Prime Minister and I had a strategy session on how to help the Iraqis
realize their liberty. I appreciate his good, strong advice. On June
30th, our coalition will transfer its authority to a sovereign Iraqi
government. With the assistance of the United Nations and our coalition,
Iraqi citizens are currently making important decisions about the nature
and the scope of that interim government.
In time, Iraq will be a democratic nation at the heart of the Middle
East. This will send a powerful message from Damascus to Tehran that
democracy and freedom can bring hope to lives in every culture. And this
advance of freedom will bring greater security to America, to Italy, and
to all who love freedom.
As June 30th approaches, the enemies of freedom grow even more
desperate to prevent the rise of democracy in Iraq. That's what you're
seeing on your TV screens, the desperate tactics of a hateful few,
people who cannot stand the thought of free societies in their midst.
They're targeting brave Iraqis who are leading toward democracy, such as
Mr. Salim, who was assassinated in Baghdad on Monday. They're murdering
Iraqi policemen, who stand as symbols of order. They kill foreign aid
workers who are helping to rebuild Iraq. They attack our military. You
see, their goal is to undermine the will of our coalition and to drive
us out before our mission is complete. They will not succeed. They will
not shake the will of America or our coalition.
My resolve is firm. The resolve of the Prime Minister of Italy is
firm. The resolve of the American people is firm. Our military is
skilled and determined. We all understand the stakes are high for
America and the world. We will not be intimidated by thugs and
assassins. We will win this essential victory in the war on terror.
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These are historic times. This is an historic moment. The world
watches for any weakness. They will see no weakness in America. They
will see no weakness in Italy. We will answer every challenge. U.S.
soldiers and Iraqi security forces are systematically destroying the
illegal militia in the south of Iraq. Coalition forces are working with
Iraqis in Fallujah to end control by Saddam loyalists and foreign
fighters. We're building up Iraqi security forces so at some point, they
can safeguard their own security. We're flexible in our methods, but our
goal is unchanging. Iraq will be free. Iraq will be a democratic nation.
The sons and daughters of Italy who are serving and sacrificing with
us in this cause have earned the gratitude of the American people. We're
honored to call the Italian Republic one of our closest friends and
strongest allies in the world. We are proud of the great Italian
heritage in America. I thank each of you for carrying this heritage
forward.
I thank you for your warm welcome tonight. And I ask for God's
blessing on the United States of America.
Note: The President spoke at 7:50 p.m. at the Grand Hyatt Hotel. In his
remarks, he referred to Charles Gargano, honorary gala chairman; Philip
R. Piccigallo, executive director and chief executive officer, Joseph
Sciame, chairman, and Paul S. Polo, president, Sons of Italy Foundation;
Rudolph W. Giuliani, former mayor of New York City; Iraqi Governing
Council President Izz al-Din al-Salim, who was killed in a suicide car
bomb attack on May 17 in Baghdad; and former President Saddam Hussein of
Iraq.