Remarks By The President To Military Personnel
The President made the following speech to members of Coalition Forces at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait earlier today:
I’m here to thank you for your service. I want you to know the American people are mighty proud of you, and so am I. Sorry my wife isn’t with me. She was here the other day though. She sends her best. I’m traveling today with the Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice. I just had a meeting with our Ambassador and our Commander on the ground in Iraq. I’m proud to be here with Ambassador Ryan Crocker and General David Petraeus.
Since the Third Army was established at the close of World War I, its soldiers have proven themselves true to their motto, “The Third … always first.” You’re the first bunch I’ve been talking to here on my trip — first bunch of those wearing the uniform. People say, you looking forward to the trip? I said, one thing I’m really looking forward to is seeing the men and women who represent the United States in our military. The reason I am is — anxious to be here is because we can’t thank you enough, and we can’t thank your families enough for doing the hard work necessary to protect the United States of America.
I appreciate what this Third Army did in World War II. I hope you do too, as well. After all, you’re members of Patton’s own. Played a vital role in the destruction of the Nazi war machine. They helped liberate about 12,000 towns; at least that’s according to the history of the Third Army. From their noble ranks came soldiers with some of our nation’s highest directors* [sic], including 19 recipients of the Medal of Honor. You are — a distinguished history, and you’re making history yourselves. Sometimes it’s hard to forecast what the history pages are going to see when you’re right in the midst of it all. Sometimes it’s hard to judge how the Third Army will be talked about by future Presidents when you’re in the midst of protecting the country, when you’re in the midst of dealing in a dangerous region.
But I want to tell you what the history will say. The history will say, it was when you were called upon, you served, and the service you rendered was absolutely necessary to defeat an enemy overseas so we do not have to face them here at home. It will say loud and clear that this military, comprised of brave men and women who sacrificed on behalf of a noble cause called peace — the men and women of this military understood that we’re in an ideological struggle; that we’re facing cold-blooded murderers who kill the innocent to achieve their hateful vision of a future.
And they understood, history will show, that those who wore the uniform in the beginning of the 21st century understood a timeless truth that the ideology of — based upon liberty is necessary for peace; that in this ideological struggle, on the short-term, we will find and bring the enemies to justice, but in the long term, the best way to defeat the ideology of hate is one with an ideology of hope, and that’s one with liberty at its fundamental core.
It’s hard work that you’re doing, but it’s necessary work. It’s hard to be away from your home, but that’s a soldier’s life. When you get to emailing your family, you tell them I checked in with you. And you’re looking pretty good. It looks like you haven’t missed a meal. But you also tell them that the message I brought was, they’re in this fight as well. And the citizens of the United States of America respect our military, and we respect our military families. And this government will make sure that our families have a good life, with good support, when you’re deployed overseas.
And so I thank you for what you’re doing. There is no doubt in my mind that we will succeed. There is no doubt in my mind when history was written, the final page will say: Victory was achieved by the United States of America for the good of the world; that by doing the hard work now, we can look back and say, the United States of America is more secure, and generations of Americans will be able to live in peace.
God bless you, and God bless the United States.
Christopher Swift
January 12th, 2008 at 8:38 pmIn 2002 I had the chance to meet Mitt Romney for the first time. He was serving food at the Court Street Shelter for veterans in Downtown Boston. I was living there at the time and showed up to get lunch near the end of the lunch hour.
As I walked into the empty kitchen area I saw that it was Mitt Romney and I and one other person looking at each other. We had a brief discussion as to what the place was like. It lasted about 5 minutes at best, but he left a favorble impression on me.
In early 2003 on his inaguaration day as Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts he served breakfast with his wife and his Lieutenant Governor Kerry Healy and her husband. As I approached the line they ran out of food and I got stuck waiting there and had a conversation with Mitt and his wife Ann. She informed that her father had been a Marine, and that there seemed to be a lot of Marines at Court Street. I informed her there were too many.
I went to the inauguration later that day and had a great view from the atrium looking down at the initial proceedings.
Later in the year when it became obvious that there had been some bad financial management of the facility at Court Street , Governor Romney wrote a personal check to keep the utilities from being shut off.
He is the only politician I ever saw go in there. He actually would have one on one discussions, not just photo opportunities. He saw that there was a problem and attempted to fix what he could instead of lip service.
Mitt Romney is a problem solver…that I saw first hand.
David
January 13th, 2008 at 11:28 pmIs that so!! talk is cheap, and deceiving words can not be understood untill it is to late.
The right questions have never been ask, because the new media don’t want us to know
about their MAN. All I got to say is people wake up, and get your head out of the sand.