[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George H. W. Bush (1992-1993, Book II)]
[December 7, 1992]
[Page 2177]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



[[Page 2177]]


Remarks at a Wreath-Laying Ceremony at the United States Navy Memorial
December 7, 1992

    Please be seated. May I say to Admiral Thompson, it's a great 
pleasure to be with you, sir, on this sunny day; Secretary of the Navy 
Sean O'Keefe; Admiral Frank Kelso; and Admiral Howell. And Captain Bill 
Perry, thank you, sir, for the invocation. And thank all of you for 
attending.
    Let me say at the very beginning, I am proud to have served in the 
United States Navy. And I am very proud of those who are serving in the 
United States Navy, each and every single one of them.
    Today we remember the servicemen, the brave and the innocent, who 
gave their lives to keep us free. The men we honor served a noble cause 
and made America forever proud. War embodies man's inhumanity to man. 
And these heroes mirrored man's fidelity to honor.
    The men of Pearl Harbor knew the things worth living for were also 
worth dying for: principle, decency, liberty, truth. So it is in their 
honor that the two new ships will join the fleet. The first, a new 
destroyer, will be named U.S.S. Ross for Captain Donald Ross, hero and 
Medal of Honor winner at Pearl Harbor. I met Don Ross at the memorial 
service commemorating the 50th anniversary of Pearl Harbor just last 
December. He passed away in May of this year, but the destroyer Ross, 
U.S.S. Ross, will pay tribute to Captain Ross in a way that will always 
live.
    The second ship is in a sense named for all who fought at Pearl 
Harbor, indeed for the entire generation of young men and women who 
entered the service inspired by the heroism of that day. To commemorate 
the sacrifice and honor of every sailor, marine, soldier, and airman who 
fought so valiantly on the 7th day of December in 1941, we will be 
naming amphibious dock landing ship 52, the U.S.S. Pearl Harbor.
    On that long ago day of infamy, brave boys became men, and brave men 
became heroes. And in that spirit, let this wreath that I place at the 
foot of the memorial serve as a symbol of our gratitude and respect. We 
can never properly repay these men. What we can and must do is honor 
them, remember them. Remember, too, the lesson we learned at Pearl 
Harbor, that America will always stand fast so that human liberty can 
stand tall.
    May God bless all the service people and their families, 
particularly those who are serving overseas at this minute and those who 
have served and those who are serving both at home and abroad. And may 
God bless this great country, the United States of America. Thank you 
very much.

                    Note: The President spoke at 3:02 p.m. at the U.S. 
                        Navy Memorial. In his remarks, he referred to 
                        Rear Adm. William Thompson, USN (Ret.), 
                        president, U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation; Adm. 
                        Frank B. Kelso II, USN, Chief of Naval 
                        Operations; Rear Adm. Paul N. Howell, USNR 
                        (Ret.), chairman, U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation; 
                        and Capt. Bill Perry, U.S. Navy District 
                        Chaplain.