[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George H. W. Bush (1991, Book I)]
[April 7, 1991]
[Pages 340-341]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



Remarks Commemorating the National Days of Thanksgiving in Houston, 
Texas
April 7, 1991

    Dr. Payne, thank you, sir. Barbara and I are delighted to be here on 
this very special day of National Day of Thanksgiving.
    Almost as soon as the peace was shattered in the Gulf last August, 
prayers for peace began at St. Martin's. First were special prayers on 
Sundays, and then in the midweek services. And by January, I'm told 
there were daily prayers. And the Sunday school children sent handmade 
Christmas cards to our men and women in the Gulf, and the church sent 
along prayer books and crosses. And Houston, as we saw all across 
America, was bedecked in flags and yellow ribbons.
    This says much about our city and about our nation. But it says much 
more about our country. For during these anxious months, this story has 
unfolded a thousand times over. In churches, in synagogues, in temples, 
in mosques, in communities of every size, in schools and scout troops, 
and countless times in the quiet, simple acts of individuals who care. 
We are one nation under God.
    On these special Days of Thanksgiving, we do have so very much for 
which to be thankful. We are grateful for the long-awaited liberation of 
tiny Kuwait and the end of the terror rendered upon the Kuwaiti people. 
And for our men and women who performed their mission with such courage 
and conviction, we are grateful that their losses were mercifully few. 
And we're extraordinarily proud of our troops now returning home.
    It is the time to give thanks to God, not for winning the war but 
for helping us to do what was right. We mourn for those who have fallen, 
and our hearts go out to their families. But we should thank God 
Almighty for men and women who will risk their lives to save the lives 
of others. Remember Michener, James Michener's Admiral Tarrant asked, 
``Where did we get such men?'' And the answer is, those men and women 
came right here, right here at home. That's where they came from.
    Well, I believe that two such men are with us here today, recently 
returned from the Gulf: F-16 pilot Captain John Hunnell and his wingman 
Lieutenant Scott Long. Maybe you'd stand up, if you all are there. 
[Applause] Thank you.
    I read the letter that John sent to Reverend Di Paola about his 
second combat mission over Iraq. It was as terrifying as it was 
majestic. He describes an unnerving silence amidst missile trails and 
bright flashes of flak; the only sounds, the dull roar of his engine, 
the radio, and the beeping of his radar alarm. And although he didn't 
mention it, probably the beating of his heart felt pretty loud at that 
time. [Laughter]
    And it's been said, ``The wings of prayer carry high and far.'' 
Well, Captain Hunnell mentioned a prayer he repeated often. And it says, 
``If I forget Thee, do not Thou forget me.'' The Lord did not forget 
him, nor the righteousness of our cause. And so, on this National Day of 
Thanksgiving, this church being one of many across the country 
celebrating this National Day of Thanksgiving, let me conclude with a 
brief prayer:
    Dear God, we humbly give you our heartfelt thanks. We thank you for 
bringing the war to a quick end. We thank you for spar-

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ing the lives of so many of our men and women who went to the Gulf. We 
ask you to bring comfort to the families of those who gave their lives 
for their country. We ask you to protect the innocents who this very day 
are suffering in Iraq and elsewhere. We give thanks for the bravery and 
steadfast support of our coalition partners, and yes, we pray for our 
enemies, that a just peace may come to their troubled land.
    We are not an arrogant nation, a gloating nation. For we know: 
``Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the Earth.'' On this 
special day, this grateful nation says, ``Thank you, God.''

                    Note: The President spoke at 9:50 a.m. in the main 
                        sanctuary of St. Martin's Episcopal Church. The 
                        President referred to the Reverend Claude E. 
                        Payne, rector of the church, and Joseph Di 
                        Paola, associate rector.