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President Bush Attends Rededication Ceremony of the Intrepid Sea, Air _
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For Immediate Release Office of the Press Secretary November 11, 2008

President Bush Attends Rededication Ceremony of the Intrepid Sea, Air _
Intrepid Sea, Air _ New York, New York

˙ /news/releases/2008/11/20081111-2.wm.v.html ˙˙Presidential Remarks
˙˙Audio ˙˙Photos

˙˙˙˙˙ In Focus: Veterans

12:27 P.M. EST

THE PRESIDENT: 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 _

I am proud to be traveling with the First Lady of the United States, Laura
Bush -- (applause) -- 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. (Applause.)
Congressman Pete King, Congressman Charlie Rangel, Congress Anthony Weiner
-- thank you all for joining us today. Looking forward to that lame-duck
session, aren't we? (Laughter.)

What an awesome guy General Jim Conway is, Commandant of the United States
Marine Corps and member of the Joint Chiefs. (Applause.) Christine Quinn,
thank you for your remarks. Bill White, the Vanna White of the Intrepid.
(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. (Applause.)

John Rich, fellow Texan. John, tell them we're coming home, and we're
coming home with our heads held high. (Applause.)

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. (Applause.)

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 four 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. (Applause.)

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* 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 three
days later, the United States Navy had sunk the Musashi to the ocean floor,
and lifted hopes for victory in the Pacific.

The war ended the following year, but the Intrepid's mission did not end.
As the 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. (Applause.)

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. (Applause.)

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.
(Applause.)

They are representative 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 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. (Applause.)

And I love what the Intrepid Relief Fund and the Intrepid Fallen Heroes
Fund have done to support our veterans, as well. It provided more than $100
million to military families in need. The Intrepid's Fisher House program
has provided temporary housing for families of servicemen 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 servicemen 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 then 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. (Applause.)

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. (Applause.)

END 12:44 P.M. EST

*Yamato

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