    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1993, Book II)]
    [December 21, 1993]
    [Pages 2195-2196]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks at the Groundbreaking Ceremony for the Pan Am Flight 103
    Memorial in Arlington, Virginia
    December 21, 1993

        Thank you very much. Thank you. I believe, ladies and gentlemen,
    before you sit we should give a standing ovation to Jane for all the
    work that she has done here. [Applause] Thank you very much, Senator and
    Mrs. Kennedy, Senator Lautenberg, General Reno, and most importantly,
    the families, friends, and supporters of Pan Am 103.
        On this day, 5 years ago, Pan American flight 103 was torn from the
    sky over the hills of Lockerbie, Scotland. Today we assemble in solemn
    remembrance to dedicate a simple monument to the victims of a savage act
    of terrorism. Here there will soon stand a cairn, the traditional
    Scottish marker for the resting place of the dead, built of 270 stones
    to memorialize 259 passengers and crew and the 11 villagers below whose
    lives were stolen without warning. Each tells the story of a life
    wrongfully cut short. Like so many of you here today, these granite
    stones have traveled a long way, carved from a quarry in Lockerbie and
    donated to the families of those who were murdered. These rose-red
    stones are now given to the Nation to stand here among so many silent
    markers of our Nation's sacrifice.
        There were on that day 189 Americans, including 25 members of our
    Armed Forces, aboard Pan Am 103. We honor them. This memorial will serve
    as lasting testament to the innocent who died, to the grieving who
    survive them, to the brave who found in tragedy the strength and the
    persistence to ensure that their children, their parents, their brothers
    and sisters would not be forgotten.
        I know this season must be especially difficult for all of you. I
    know you still see their faces and hear their voices and feel their
    absence, and nothing the rest of us can do can erase that loss. But I
    say to you today that our Nation will never stop pursuing justice
    against those who caused it, for the attack on Pan Am 103 was an attack
    not only on the individuals from 21 nations who were aboard the
    aircraft, it was an attack on America.
        Our creed of freedom and opportunity is not a mere abstraction and
    neither are its enemies. Indeed, the states that sponsor terrorism know
    that the American idea is a mortal threat to their illegitimate and
    repressive authority. They know, too, that history, the rising tide of
    democracy seen everywhere in the world, is turning against them. And so
    with terrorism and any other means at their disposal, they lash back. We
    saw it in Pan Am 103. We saw it at the World Trade Center. We saw it in
    an attempt to assassinate former President Bush. These outlaws seek to
    legitimize their voice through violence, to advance their agenda through
    threats, to cripple our daily lives through fear. My friends, you and
    the efforts you have made are proof that they fundamentally
    misunderstand the

    [[Page 2196]]

    character of America.
        Just a few moments ago, I had the opportunity to meet with some
    representatives of the families of Pan Am 103. It was clear to me as
    never before that the brutality of their crime only fortified your
    determination, and I can tell you it only fortifies the determination of
    your Nation and its Government. That is why we remain determined to see
    that those who murdered those who were aboard Pan Am 103 are brought to
    justice, why we have demanded the surrender of the two Libyans indicted
    for this vicious offense, why we have pushed for and secured tougher
    international sanctions against Libya, and why we will not rest until
    the case is closed.
        As we break ground, let us vow again that we will do all we can to
    protect our people. And let us draw renewed strength from the lives of
    the individuals in whose memories we come to honor.
        I want to read to you in closing the words of Georgia Nucci, who
    lost her son over Lockerbie and later assembled an extraordinary book
    about the lives of each of the victims. As she returned from Scotland,
    she wrote the following: ``Out of the ashes of this disaster came a
    torrent of love and friendship and help freely given from a whole
    community that was itself a victim.''
        Today is the shortest day of the year. But the winter solstice is
    also a turning point from which the light begins to return. While this
    season and this day for you and for all Americans are blackened by the
    agony of senseless loss, I pray that each of your lives will be
    brightened in some measure by the monument we dedicate here.
        Let us grieve for those who fell from the firmament, and those who
    lay below, on that winter day still frozen so clearly in your memory.
    The Bible says: ``Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be
    comforted.'' As each stone is set in this cairn, may your wounds set and
    heal as well. And as long as this monument shall stand, may you find
    comfort in the knowledge that your Nation stands behind you.
        I ask you now to join me in a moment of silent prayer.
        I'd like now to ask Constable George Esson and Eleanor and Nicky
    Bright to join Jane Schultz down here for the groundbreaking ceremony.

    Note: The President spoke at 10:23 a.m. at Arlington National Cemetery.
    In his remarks, he referred to Jane Schultz, executive vice president,
    Victims of Pan Am Flight 103; Chief Constable George Esson of Dumfries,
    Scotland; and Eleanor and Nicky Bright, family members of a Pan Am
    flight 103 victim. The proclamation of December 17 on the fifth
    anniversary day of remembrance is listed in Appendix D at the end of
    this volume.