[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1994, Book I)]
[May 28, 1994]
[Pages 1001-1003]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



The President's Radio Address
May 28, 1994

    Good morning. Next week, many millions of Americans, indeed people 
all across the world, will focus on the beaches of Normandy, France, for 
the commemoration of the 50th anniversary of D-Day. I'll be leaving for 
Europe in the next few days to represent our people at the ceremonies 
honoring the sacrifices of those who fought in World War II. D-Day, June 
6, 1944, saw the single greatest mobilization of any fighting force in 
human history. It was the turning point of World War II and in many 
respects a turning point of the 20th century. It was the beginning of 
the end of Nazi tyranny and a

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downpayment on all the years of freedom the rest of us have enjoyed ever 
since.
    Memorial Day, on Monday, reminds Americans everywhere that the 
ultimate price of freedom is never fully paid. This past week, I 
presented the Medal of Honor, our Nation's highest award for valor, to 
the widows and families of Sergeants Gary Gordon and Randall Shughart, 
who served nobly, fought bravely, and died while saving the life of a 
comrade in Somalia last October.
    It was the first time this medal had been earned in over 20 years. 
Sergeants Gordon and Shughart served above and beyond the call of duty 
and died in the most courageous and selfless way any human being can 
act. They risked their safety without hesitation and gave their lives to 
save a comrade. Because of their heroism and that of others on October 
3d, America was able to complete its mission in Somalia without any 
further casualties, turn over its responsibilities to the United 
Nations, to their soldiers from other lands, and to come home knowing 
that our efforts saved the lives of hundreds of thousands of people and 
gave Somalia at least a chance to become a stable land. These soldiers 
and others will live in the memories of those whose lives they touched.
    From the American Revolution to the Civil War, down through all the 
conflicts of our own century, the lives of all Americans have been moved 
by every patriot who ever fought and died for the freedoms we all share. 
To honor the sacrifices of those who have gone before, we must build on 
their service in a very different and challenging world. The World Wars 
are over. The cold war has been won. Now, it is our job to secure the 
peace. For the first time in history, there is a chance that democracy 
and economic progress can reach across all Europe and to the far corners 
of the world. It is an exciting and promising challenge. But if we are 
to expand freedom's reach, we must first and foremost stand ready to 
protect America from danger's reach.
    No era is ever free of dangers; none ever will be. And ours is no 
exception. The cold war world, which was bound up in a nuclear standoff, 
has been traded for a new world yearning for stability and facing 
unimaginable chaos. Nations once burdened by the smothering grip of 
communism faced economic insecurities as they moved toward market 
economies. The heavy lid of authoritarian regimes has been lifted to 
reveal the smoldering embers of ethnic and religious hatreds. Millions 
are dying from hunger rooted in environmental and economic devastation 
and uncontrolled migration. Millions more hunger to be free. And all of 
us on this Earth still face serious threats from the spread of nuclear 
weapons technology and the spread of other weapons of mass destruction 
around the world.
    In this new era we cannot dispatch our troops to solve every problem 
where our values are offended by human misery, and we should not. But we 
are prepared to defend ourselves and our fundamental interests when they 
are threatened. We'll do so on our own whenever necessary, and we'll act 
with others whenever that's possible and prudent. In all cases, as the 
great power of this era, we have a responsibility to lead, because 
millions around the world look to us for strength, for ideals, for the 
power of example.
    Today more than any time in human history, we live in an 
interdependent world where the fortunes of all nations are tied 
together. Through two World Wars, we learned that the security of our 
freedom here at home depends on the survival of freedom overseas. That's 
why we still have troops in Europe and in Korea. Now more than ever 
before, the strength of our economy here at home also is joined to the 
strength of economies abroad.
    In an age of increasing interdependence, our mission is to provide 
for our own security, fighting terrorism, fighting proliferation of 
weapons of mass destruction, fighting conventional threats; then to help 
other nations achieve economic reforms and prosperity and become more 
democratic. A world of free and stable trading partners is not only good 
for our economic security, it's important for our national security.
    That's why we've worked so hard for the North American Free Trade 
Agreement, for the worldwide GATT trade agreement, to reach out to the 
countries of the Asian-Pacific region and Latin America, to involve 
South Africa in the world's growing trade, and now to try to engage the 
Chinese to support not only human rights in that country but the 
continuing evolution of economic integration.
    To be sure, there is more danger and uncertainty ahead, but there 
also awaits a world of promise. As we go forward, we should learn from 
the brave veterans who stormed the shores of Normandy and fought in 
Italy 50 years ago.

[[Page 1003]]

They had no guarantee of survival when they approached their beachhead. 
Many now say that even with 50 years gone by, they remember expecting 
that they would not survive. They had no guarantees, but they went on 
against gunfire, under shelling, over land mines. Against all, they 
plowed ahead. And they knew that unless they prevailed, our very way of 
life might be lost.
    The sacrifices of their yesterdays have given us the promise of 
freedom in our tomorrows. A grateful nation must never forget that. It 
is our obligation to make a world in which no D-Day will ever be 
necessary again. Working together, with American leadership, we can do 
that. We can resist tyranny. We can combat terrorism and contain chaos. 
We can work for peace, for progress, for human rights. The sacrifices of 
those who went before us demand no less. Like the soldiers who fought on 
D-Day and in Italy, our great Nation must always push onward to see our 
freedom endure. For when our memories exceed our dreams, we have begun 
to grow old. And it is the destiny and the obligation of America to 
remain forever young.
    Thank you for listening.

Note: This address was recorded at 4:41 p.m. on May 27 in the Roosevelt 
Room at the White House for broadcast at 10:06 a.m. on May 28.