    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1994, Book II)]
    [October 6, 1994]
    [Pages 1710-1712]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks Aboard the U.S.S. Eisenhower in Norfolk, Virginia
    October 6, 1994

        The President. Thank you very much, Secretary Perry, Admiral Miller,
    Admiral Owens, Admiral Flanagan, Admiral Murphy, Captain Gemmill, and to
    all of you who are here. It's a great honor for me to be here. I asked
    to see the person responsible for decorating the F-14 with my name and
    the Vice President's name there. I guess I'm going to have to take
    flying lessons.
        Audience member. He's right here, Mr. President, Skipper Al Myers.
        Comdr. Alan Myers. Al Myers, sir.
        The President. Thank you very much. I appreciate it. I told someone
    to take a picture of that, and I'm going to take it back to the Vice
    President when I see him this afternoon and suggest that we both take
    flying lessons. [Laughter] Admiral Miller said, ``You understand on that
    plane, you would still control the eject seat.'' [Laughter] And I told
    him, ``I don't believe in ejecting. I'd never bail out.'' But I was glad
    to know that.
        I thank you all for your service. I'm pleased and honored to be with
    you today. I understand that some of you have actually chosen to come
    back from your leave to be a part of this ceremony, and I'm deeply
    grateful for yet another expression of your devotion to your country. I
    am proud of the job you have done, proud of the great work that all of
    our troops are doing in Haiti. And on behalf of the American people, the
    most important message I have to you today is a simple, straightforward,
    heartfelt thank you.
        I also want to thank, especially, Captain Gemmill and the crew of
    this magnificent carrier for the ``I Like Ike'' button. You know, you
    may think that's funny, since he was a Republican and I'm a Democrat,
    but--[laughter]--when I was born, President Truman was President. But
    obviously, I was an infant; I didn't

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    have much consciousness of it. President Eisenhower was elected in the
    year I went to the first grade, so he was the first President I really
    ever knew anything about. And all of us, regardless of our party, liked
    Ike. I can still remember when the country was united in a way that it's
    not now and when political arguments were a little more civil than they
    tend to be now. President Eisenhower's life of service to our country
    and his incredible leadership throughout his military career,
    culminating in his leadership in World War II and of course ultimately
    in his election to the Presidency, was an inspiration to me and to every
    other young American and I know is a continuing inspiration to all of
    you who are privileged to serve on this great carrier and in this group.
        Much has been asked of you, and you have delivered. Thanks to your
    efforts, the Haitian people are moving from fear to freedom. Thanks to
    your efforts, the democratically elected government will soon return to
    power. Thanks to your efforts, the world knows that the United States
    will stand up for human rights and against slaughter, stand up for
    democracy, honor our commitments, and expect those who make commitments
    to us to honor them as well. We gave our word, and you, the men and
    women of the Eisenhower Battle Group, kept the word of the United
    States. And for that, we are all in your debt.
        The stories from Port-au-Prince and elsewhere in Haiti have inspired
    all Americans. We have seen the moving images of Haitians approaching
    and thanking American troops for their new-found freedom. We have seen
    the joy in their eyes and the hope in their faces. Operation Uphold
    Democracy is not over yet, and you know well that it still presents
    dangers to the men and women of our Armed Forces.
        But look what has happened in less than 3 weeks. In less than 3
    weeks, you've disarmed FRAPH, the attaches, and the other militia who
    terrorized thousands of Haitians. In less than 3 weeks, you took heavy
    weapons away from the military and made the cities and the towns more
    secure. In less than 3 weeks, you helped 1,900 refugees return home from
    Guantanamo, no longer afraid for their lives. In less than 3 weeks, you
    permitted Parliament once again to open its doors for business. And
    today, they're having a good, old-fashioned debate down there, about
    like what happens in Congress every day in Washington. In less than 3
    weeks, you returned Port-au-Prince Mayor Evans Paul, a man in hiding in
    his own country for 3 years, back to his office. In less than 3 weeks,
    you put state radio and television back into the hands of people who
    want democracy. In less than 3 weeks, you even turned the lights back on
    in Cap Haitien after 2 years of darkness. In less than 3 weeks, you
    showed the world what the men and women of the American military can do.
        All of us owe these achievements to the fact that you are the best
    trained, best prepared, best equipped, most highly motivated fighting
    force in the world. Your reputation preceded you to Haiti. When the
    military rulers learned that you were on your way, they agreed to step
    down. The awesome force you represent is the steel in the sword of
    America's diplomacy.
        The success of the mission in Haiti to date also shows how flexible
    our military has become. Thanks to careful planning by the U.S. Atlantic
    Command and the joint task force, we were able to quickly recall the
    massive assault force that was on its way. In its place, and within just
    hours of reaching agreement with Mr. Cedras and the other military
    leaders, we sent in troops, carried by the Eisenhower Battle Group, to
    keep the peace in Haiti.
        Operation Uphold Democracy demonstrates the value of mixing our four
    services together and drawing on the special capabilities of each of
    them, what Admiral Miller calls adaptive force packaging. You prepared
    the first-ever infantry air assault from a carrier. Had it not been for
    such innovation, it would have taken many more hours, if not days, for
    our troops to be on the ground there. I salute Admiral Miller and the
    members of his staff who developed this innovative plan, which will
    change our military planning and make it possible for us to do
    remarkable things well into the 21st century. You have laid the
    groundwork for a dramatic forward movement in a military planning and
    execution. You should be proud, and the Nation owes Admiral Miller and
    his staff a great deal.
        Of course, even the best strategists can only make a difference if
    they have the resources to do the job. That's why I was pleased
    yesterday to sign the fiscal year '95 defense authorization bill, which
    was passed with strong bipartisan support including the support of
    Virginia's two fine Senators, Chuck Robb and John Warner, and the two
    able Congressmen from this area, Norm Sisisky and Bobby Scott. This bill
    will

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    assure that you remain better trained, better equipped, and better
    prepared than any other military in the world, and I am determined that
    it will always be that way. [Applause] Thank you. I know that one piece
    of this defense bill will be especially welcome news for all of you, the
    $3.6 billion we will spend on a new aircraft carrier, CVN-76. That
    carrier will be built right here in Norfolk by thousands of hard-working
    Virginians. Like the Eisenhower, it will give us the capability to
    project our power around the world, to support peacekeeping and
    humanitarian relief missions, and, if necessary, to fight and to win
    regional conflicts.
        In 2 weeks, just 2 weeks, you set sail for the Adriatic, to carry on
    your work of protecting our country's national interests around the
    world. I know you will demonstrate the same skill and professionalism on
    this journey that you have shown in Haiti.
        In a few moments, I'll have the distinct honor of presenting Navy
    commendation medals for meritorious service in Haiti to several of you.
    But I want every one of you to know that in my book, each and every one
    of you is a medal winner, an example of what is the very best in our
    country. You serve with distinction, you serve in a selfless way, you
    serve in a way that will help us to build a peaceful and freer and
    stronger world for yourselves and your children as we move into the next
    century, and we are all in your debt.
        Men and women of the Ike, you have proved your capabilities time and
    again. In Haiti, you brought a new day to a people who thought they
    would never get it. You answered the call; you did the job; your country
    is proud of you.
        Thank you. God bless you, and God bless America.

    Note: The President spoke at 11:51 a.m. In his remarks, he referred to
    Adm. Paul D. Miller, commander in chief, U.S. Atlantic Command; Adm.
    William A. Owens, USN, Vice Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff; Adm.
    William J. Flanagan, Jr., commander in chief, Atlantic Fleet; Adm.
    Daniel J. Murphy, Jr., commander, Cruiser Destroyer Group 8; Capt. Mark
    Gemmill, commanding officer, U.S.S. Dwight D. Eisenhower; and Comdr.
    Alan Myers, commanding officer, Fighter Squadron VF-32, Oceana Naval Air
    Station, Virginia Beach, VA.