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Skriven 2005-11-11 23:33:14 av Whitehouse Press (1:3634/12.0)
Ärende: Press Release (0511114) for Fri, 2005 Nov 11
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Vice President's Remarks at a Remembrance Ceremony for Veterans Day
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For Immediate Release
Office of the Vice President
November 11, 2005

Vice President's Remarks at a Remembrance Ceremony for Veterans Day
Tomb of the Unknowns
Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington, Virginia


˙˙˙˙˙Fact Sheet: Honoring America's Veterans
˙˙˙˙˙In Focus: Honoring Our Veterans

11:41 A.M. EST

THE VICE PRESIDENT: Thank you very much. Members of the Cabinet, members of
Congress, members of the Armed Forces, veterans, fellow Americans: thank
you for the warm welcome. It's a high honor to join in this ceremony, and
to be in the company of so many veterans of the United States military.

It is fitting that we gather at Arlington National Cemetery, for it is the
final resting place of thousands of our veterans. Near us are President
John F. Kennedy, General John J. Pershing and General Marshall, Major Audie
Murphy, and Chief Justice William Rehnquist.

All around us today are reminders of the men and women who stepped forward,
in every generation, to serve the United States and the cause of freedom
and who as veterans continue to make a contribution for the welfare of our
nation.

Each year, on the 11th of November the American people pause to recognize
the veterans who served across the years. And we offer special thanks to
those who still walk among us. Approximately 25 million of our fellow
citizens once carried the title of Marine, soldier, airman, sailor, Coast
Guardsman, National Guardsman, Merchant Mariner, and now carry the title of
veteran. We know them as our neighbors, friends, colleagues, and family
members. They make us proud to be Americans.

Many of our veterans served in a great war in the middle of the last
century. You are the ones who fought in Europe and the Pacific to throw
back tyrants, to answer aggression, and to liberate millions. Others of you
defended our interests in the mountains of Korea, or in the jungles of
Vietnam, or during the long vigil of the Cold War, or in the caves of
Afghanistan and the sands of the Middle East. Whenever and wherever your
service took place, you earned this nation's respect on the day you first
put on the uniform -- and you still have our respect today.

America is still home to a few who served in uniform during the First World
War, which came to an end 87 years ago today. Their ranks have grown very
thin, yet this nation will never forget all they did for us. One of these
gentlemen, Emiliano Mercado del Toro, recently celebrated his 114th
birthday. (Applause.) He is believed to be the oldest man in the world, and
he is a proud veteran of the United States Army. (Applause.)

America's military veterans served our country in many different
circumstances -- from intense battlegrounds, to the high seas, to far-away
landing fields, to bases closer here to home. Yet all of them, throughout
their service, shared the same fundamental commitments. They took an oath
to serve a cause greater than self-interest. They lived by a code, and
dedicated themselves to the highest standards of discipline and loyalty,
diligence and faithfulness to duty. And they stood ready, if duty required
it, to fight and to die for our country.

Because such men and women have always been willing to serve, our nation
has been able to win freedom for others, to hold off the ambitions of the
violent, and to keep the peace in troubled places. And above all, thanks to
our veterans, the people of this great nation have lived in freedom for 229
years. We owe them our liberty.

Veterans understand profoundly the meaning of service and sacrifice -- so
they are not the kind of people who take life for granted. And they, along
with all Americans, hold a special place in memory for those who fell in
the line of duty, many of whom also rest here in Arlington.

A few moments ago I presented a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns, as a
symbol of this nation's respect for those who never lived to be called
veterans. Marine Joe Foss, who earned the Medal of Honor in World War II,
used to say, "Those of us who lived have to represent those who didn't make
it." And this, also, is a sign of the character of our veterans. Across
this country, in communities of every size, military veterans show the very
ideal of good citizenship.

Veterans are comfortable with responsibility and gladly accept positions of
leadership. They look out for each other, and move swiftly to the side of
fellow citizens in need. They build and care for war memorials. They stand
behind our men and women in uniform, and welcome home our returning
soldiers. They give moral support and encouragement to those who have come
home with injuries and who face a hard road ahead. And they provide a daily
example of dependability, physical and moral strength, and unselfish
courage.

Americans appreciate these qualities even more during a time of war. In
this young century, our nation has seen what harm our enemies can inflict,
and the kind of destruction they still intend for free nations. And we are
deeply grateful to the men and women who rise every day in defense of
America and our friends. Today's generation of American service members are
performing their duties with skill, with effectiveness, and with honor.
They are deployed on many fronts in the war on terror, tracking the enemies
of freedom and holding them to account. They have taken down two
dictatorships and liberated 50 million people from tyranny. And at this
hour they continue their work -- striking hard against the forces of murder
and chaos, conducting raids, countering attacks, seizing weapons, capturing
killers. Members of the active duty armed forces, National Guard, and
reserves have faced hard conditions -- tough duty, long deployments, and
the loss of comrades. Our nation has said farewell to some of our finest,
and we mourn their passing. We grieve with their families. We will honor
their memory forever.

Many times since this war began, the people of the United States have
learned of heroic actions taken by members of our military. There is simply
no way to overstate the quality and the bravery of their performance.
Difficult missions are still to come, and we cannot know every turn that
lies ahead. Yet we can be certain that by the resolve of our country, by
the rightness of our cause, and by the character of our fighting forces, we
will prevail. (Applause.)

Well over two centuries have passed since George Washington first took
command of the Continental Army. Yet we can see in today's military the
same virtues that won this nation our independence, and which have
safeguarded our country despite all the challenges of history. The men and
women who wear the uniform in the year 2005 follow in a long, honorable,
and unbroken tradition of service passed down to them by our veterans. To
every veteran, this nation owes a debt we cannot possibly discharge but we
will always acknowledge. And so on this day of reflection and appreciation,
on behalf of the President, I offer the nation's esteem and gratitude to
all the veterans of the United States Armed Forces.

Thank you very much.

END 11:50 A.M. EST
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