    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1993, Book I)]
    [April 1, 1993]
    [Pages 371-372]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    [[Page 371]]

    Remarks to Midshipmen at the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis,
    Maryland
    April 1, 1993

        Thank you very much, Admiral Lynch, men and women of the brigade.
    I'm delighted to be here. They say there's no such thing as a free
    lunch, but I thought as President I'd come here and test the theory.
        In a few moments I am going to deliver a speech, as Admiral Lynch
    has already said, to the newspaper editors of our country about our
    Nation's purposes in the world and specifically about what we should be
    doing now to promote democracy in Russia and in the other Republics of
    the former Soviet Union. The struggle to build free societies in those
    new nations is probably the great security challenge of our age, one of
    the greatest opportunities the United States will have. And how we do
    this job, in many ways, will shape the future that you will have in our
    Armed Forces.
        I believe we must do what we can to support the reform movement and
    to support democracy, a precious commodity anywhere in the world. And
    that is why my first trip out of the United States as President will be
    to Vancouver, Canada, this weekend to meet with the Russian President
    Boris Yeltsin.
        The success of the changes that he and the other reformers are
    advancing will ultimately have an impact on the life of every American
    but especially an impact on your lives. If Russia can continue to be a
    partner with us addressing global concerns and dousing the flames of
    regional crises, then it is less likely that you and the men and women
    under your command will have to be sent into harm's way during my term
    or under some future President.
        I respect the difficulty and the danger of the work that the men and
    women of our armed services perform. I understand that in a new way now,
    because last month I watched the flight operations on the deck of the
    United States ship Theodore Roosevelt. And I was deeply saddened a few
    days after I was there to learn that five naval aviators lost their
    lives returning to the TR from operations in support of our presence in
    the former Yugoslavia.
        The conflict in that region and those we see elsewhere remind us
    that we have entered a new world that will test us in new ways. Our Navy
    will play an important role in getting us past those tests, as it has
    throughout our history. To help the men and women in our Navy perform
    effectively and safely, we will need talented, committed leadership as
    never before.
        Leadership can take many forms. It can be command of a ship or a
    submarine, of an aviation squadron, or of a naval base. It can show
    itself in training commanders by teaching leadership to the next
    generation of midshipmen as your instructors are doing here at the
    Academy. Whatever form it takes, your leadership will make an important
    contribution not only to the Navy but to the security of our great
    Nation. This is a new and a hopeful world but also one where there is
    still danger. I want you to know that I'm proud of you and the work you
    do, and so is the Nation you have chosen to serve.
        Finally, although I'm sure this doesn't apply to any of you here, I
    read this little sign. As you might imagine as I travel around the
    country, I'm used to seeing such signs. [Laughter] Some of them are not
    altogether favorable. That's a good part of our democracy, that people
    feel free to express their views.
        One of the most compelling signs that I saw was on the way from the
    airport the other day in New York State to the home of President
    Franklin Roosevelt in Hyde Park. And there were hundreds of people
    standing along the road in 8 degree temperature, and one person was
    holding a sign that said, ``Just do something.'' So that's what I'm
    going to do.
        In the tradition followed by Commanders in Chief in visits to the
    service academy, I hereby grant amnesty to the members of the brigade--
    the last thing the Superintendent said before I got up here was to
    finish the sentence so that it would not be a total and complete
    amnesty--from all punishments for all 4000-level conduct offenses. And
    even though this is April Fools' Day, that's not April fools.
        Thank you very much, and God bless you all.

    Note: The President spoke at 1:03 p.m. in Bancroft Hall at the U.S.
    Naval Academy. In his re-

    [[Page 372]]

    marks, he referred to Rear Adm. Thomas C. Lynch, USN, Superintendent of
    the U.S. Naval Academy.