[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1995, Book I)]
[March 31, 1995]
[Pages 435-437]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



Remarks to United States Troops in Port-au-Prince, Haiti
March 31, 1995

    The President. Thank you.
    Audience member. Go, Razorbacks!
    The President. Who said, ``Go, Razorbacks?'' We should have had a 
longer promotion ceremony up here. [Laughter]
    General Fisher asked me to take roll call. Are the 2d Brigade 
Warriors here? [Applause] The 65th Engineer Staffers? [Applause] The 1st 
of the 21st Gimlet? [Applause] The DISCOM Lightning Supporters? 
[Applause] The 1st of the 25th Aviation Bandits? [Applause] Special 
Forces Green Berets? Per person, they deserve applause. What about the 
3d Squadron 2d ACR Wolfpack? [Applause] Are all the Light Fighters 
present and accounted for? [Applause]
    I've been told that your lungs are as strong as your hearts and your 
hands.
    Did I leave out anybody? Would you like to be heard? [Applause]
    Audience members. Semper Fi!
    The President. Good for you. [Laughter]
    Every one of you who has taken part in Operation Uphold Democracy, 
on behalf of the American people, I am here to say thank you. Thank you 
for serving your Nation. Thank you for being democracy's warriors. Thank 
you for helping to bring back the promise of liberty to this long 
troubled land. You should be very proud of what you have done.
    We gave you a tough and demanding mission which some said could not 
be done, and you proved them wrong. Look what you have accomplished. 
Seven months ago, a brutal military regime ruled Haiti, beating and 
torturing and murdering its citizens. Now the Haitian people are moving 
from a dark night of fear to a new day of freedom. You and all those who 
have served since last September helped to make that happen.
    Seven months ago, thousands of migrants were streaming out of Haiti. 
Now tens of thousands of Haitians have come home, home to start to build 
a better life for themselves and their fellow country men and women. You 
helped to make that happen.
    Seven months ago, the world wondered whether the United States could 
summon the will to protect democracy in this hemisphere. Now the world 
knows once again that the United States will honor its commitment and 
stand up for freedom. And you helped to make that happen. For all this, 
you should be very, very proud.
    We gave our word, and the men and women of the Army, the Navy, the 
Air Force, the Marines, and the Coast Guard, you've kept our word. You 
have succeeded because you're the best trained, best prepared, best 
equipped fighting force in the world. Your reputation landed in Haiti 
before you did. And I am convinced that is one of the reasons that so 
much was done with so little bloodshed. The moment the military rulers 
learned that you were on the way, they got out of the way.
    Since you've been here, you've been asked to do it all, and you 
have. You've taken thousands of guns off the street. You've helped to 
train a new Haitian police force. You've repaired roads and bridges. 
You've brought food and medicine to the farthest reaches of our 
country--to this country. And of course, you have literally turned the 
lights back on in dozens of towns.
    You not only answered the call of duty, time and again you have gone 
beyond it. And that is what heroism is all about. Each of you in your 
own way has become a hero in Haiti. I'd like to mention a few of you 
whose stories I have learned about.
    Sergeant 1st Class Steven Lamb, whose platoon conducted over 140 
patrols, often under hazardous conditions: On one mission the platoon 
came across a mob using steel pipes to beat a man whose hands were tied 
behind his back. They dispersed the crowd, freed the man, treated his 
injuries. By stopping violence, confiscating weapons, and defusing 
problems before they got out of control, the platoon helped to give 
hundreds of Haitians a new sense of confidence and security. Thank you, 
Sergeant Lamb.
    I met Sergeant 1st Class Michelle Howard of the Army: Many men and 
women under her command were overseas for the first time. Their morale 
was a little low without any mail from home, so she wrote the families 
of every single soldier in her platoon and told them to sound off in 
writing more often. Then the letters, postcards, and packages came in by 
the dozens. And

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now Sergeant Howard is called by the troops ``Mother Teresa With a 9-
Millimeter.'' Well, thank you, Mother Teresa, and thank you, Sergeant 
Howard.
    I met 1st Sergeant Jose Garcia Apponte: And he and dozens of 
volunteers from all the service branches, on their free time and with no 
pay, started the School of Hope to teach Haitians English. Already the 
school has graduated more than 300 students. And now they'll return to 
their communities to share what they have learned. Thank you, Sergeant 
Garcia Apponte.
    I met Private 1st Class John Firneno, a medic from the 32 ACR: He 
was on patrol about midnight last month when he came upon a young 
Haitian woman about to give birth. Now, that requires courage. 
[Laughter] As his comrades clustered around him with flashlights, he 
helped to deliver an 8-pound baby boy. Well, he didn't get a medical 
degree, but the boy now bears his name. Thank you, Private Firneno.
    I want to thank the special forces who fanned out across the country 
and helped our local leaders learn the basics of government of, by, and 
for the people, good things like keeping the streets safe and holding 
town meetings and even some of the not so good things like collecting 
taxes.
    Through these and dozens of other acts, big and small, you have 
defended democracy and made it stronger here. You have shown the 
Haitians what it means to be a soldier in a free society, working for 
the people, not against them. And when you go home, you must know that 
you have inspired a new generation of Haitians, supported by the United 
Nations mission, to carry on the never-ending struggle for freedom.
    I know that for those of you who are preparing to leave, your loved 
ones are ready to welcome you home. General Sullivan, the Army Chief of 
Staff, recently visited in Hawaii with the families of the 25th Infantry 
Division soldiers. On my behalf, he thanked them for their sacrifice and 
the extraordinary support they have given to you. They and all of our 
military families have been heroes, too. And our country is in their 
debt, as well.
    I'd also like to thank the soldiers from other countries who have 
been our partners in this remarkable endeavor. I know some of them are 
represented to my right here. Some of them have shared this encampment 
with you, and some of them are in other places. I got to thinking about 
what a small world it can be when we are united for democracy and 
freedom.
    Some of you may know that the First Lady is about to visit two of 
the countries represented here, Bangladesh and Nepal. Americans there, 
the First Lady and my daughter and others, Bangladeshis and Nepalese 
here, all standing for freedom all across the world, led by the United 
States, led by you. You should be very proud.
    Even though, my fellow Americans, Haiti is democratic, free, and 
more secure than ever before, we know there is long hard work ahead. And 
we know that some of you will have a hand in it as part of the United 
Nations mission. In the end, of course, we all know the Haitian people 
themselves must rebuild their country and realize their dreams, just as 
we must in the United States. But now because of you, they have a chance 
to do so, just as we do in the United States.
    The hand-painted signs seen all over Haiti say it all, ``Thank you, 
America.'' Today America says thank you to the men and women of our 
Armed Forces who helped to give Haiti a second chance.
    Whether you serve in an active unit, the Reserves, or the National 
Guard, we ask you to bear many burdens. We ask you to travel far from 
home. We ask you to stand in the face of danger. We ask you to be away 
from your families and your friends for a very long time. We ask you to 
protect your country and to defend democracy and freedom. We ask all 
these things. And time and again, you have risen to the challenge. 
Today, because of you, the Haitian people know why we call the United 
States ``land of the free and the home of the brave.''
    You have allowed freedom to triumph over fear here. You have helped 
to remind the world that democracy is still on the march, even though it 
still has enemies. And you have stood up for a principle upon which our 
country was founded, that liberty is everyone's birthright.
    Thank you, each and every one of you, and God bless America.

Note: The President spoke at 9:28 a.m. at Warrior Base. In his remarks, 
he referred to Maj. Gen. George A. Fisher, USA, Commanding General, 25th 
Infantry Division.

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