President Bush's speech on Memorial Day [ 2006-05-29 10:23 ]
(May 27,2006)
Good
morning. This Memorial Day weekend, Americans pay tribute to those who have
given their lives in service to our Nation. America is free because generations
of young Americans have been willing to sacrifice to defend the country they
love, so their fellow citizens could live in liberty.
This weekend, I am visiting some of the brave men and women who will soon
take their own place in the defense of our freedom -- the 2006 graduating class
at West Point. This was the first class to arrive at West Point after the
attacks of September the 11th, 2001. Each of them came to West Point in a time
of war, knowing all the risks and dangers that come with wearing our Nation's
uniform. And the reality of that war has surrounded them since their first
moments at the Academy. Thirty-four times since they arrived at West Point, they
have observed a moment of silence to honor a former cadet fallen in the war on
terror.
One of those former cadets was First Lieutenant Rob Seidel, a
2004 West Point graduate who gave his life in Iraq earlier this month. Rob grew
up in Maryland, and as a child he and his family made frequent visits to the
Civil War battlefield at Gettysburg, and from his earliest days he dreamed of
serving in the U.S. Army. He deployed to Iraq with the 10th Mountain division
and was killed by a bomb in Baghdad. His father says this about Rob: "He loved
his family, and believed in God, and he loved his country, and he was willing to
pay the ultimate sacrifice on behalf of his country."
We live in freedom because of young Americans like Lieutenant Rob Seidel. And
in recent days in Iraq, we've seen what their sacrifices have made possible. A
week ago, the new Prime Minister of Iraq announced the formation of a national
unity government. British Prime Minister Tony Blair recently visited Baghdad to
meet with Prime Minister Maliki and Iraq's new leaders, and this week he came to
the United States to give me his impressions. Prime Minister Blair told me that
Iraq's new leaders are determined to rid their country of terrorism, unite
Iraqis as one people, and deliver peace and prosperity for all their citizens.
The formation of a democratic government in Iraq marks a victory for the
cause of freedom in the Middle East. It is a victory for millions of Iraqis who
defied the terrorists and cast their ballots in three elections last year. It is
a victory for the Iraqi Security Forces, who fought and bled for this moment,
and now have a democracy worthy of their sacrifice. And it is a victory for the
American, British, and other coalition forces who removed a murderous dictator
who threatened the world. Because of their courage and sacrifices, Iraq has a
free government that will be a strong and capable ally in the global war on
terror.
The new government in Iraq is also a defeat for the terrorists, who fought
the arrival of a free and democratic Iraq with all the hateful power they could
muster. Now, a day that they feared has arrived. The terrorists can kill the
innocent, but they cannot stop the advance of freedom. We can expect the
terrorists to continue bombing and killing, but something fundamental has
changed: The terrorists are now fighting a free and constitutional government.
They are at war with the people of Iraq. The Iraqi people and their new leaders
are determined to defeat this enemy, and so is the United States of America.
This Memorial Day weekend, we remember First Lieutenant Seidel and the brave
Americans of every generation who have given their lives for freedom, liberated
the oppressed, and left the world a safer and better place. And the best way to
honor America's fallen heroes is to carry on their fight, defend our freedom,
and complete the mission for which they gave their lives.
Thank you for listening.
(来源:http://www.weeklyradioaddress.com/
英语点津姗姗编辑) |