    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1995, Book II)]
    [August 23, 1995]
    [Pages 1262-1263]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks at a Memorial Service in Arlington, Virginia, for the American
    Diplomats Who Died in Bosnia-Herzegovina
    August 23, 1995

        My fellow Americans, distinguished members of the diplomatic corps;
    most importantly, to the family, the friends, the colleagues, the loved
    ones of Robert Frasure, Joseph Kruzel, and Nelson Drew: Today we gather
    to honor three peacemakers who gave their lives seeking for others the
    blessings we Americans hold dear and too often take for granted, the
    opportunity to work and to dream, to raise our children to live and to
    love in a land of peace.

    [[Page 1263]]

        When I named Robert Frasure Special Envoy to the Former Yugoslavia,
    a key United States representative in seeking solutions to modern
    diplomacy's most difficult challenge--ending the bloodshed and bringing
    peace in the Balkans--he had already made diplomacy the steady
    dedication of a lifetime. He earned, justifiably, a reputation as a man
    for all crises, and many, many people around this world from Ethiopia to
    Estonia have better lives because of his superb work.
        Joseph Kruzel put his mind to the test of creating lasting security
    in a world that has known too much war. Besides his outstanding work in
    Bosnia, he led the Pentagon's efforts on critical issues of NATO
    enlargement and the re-integration of Eastern Europe into the West after
    the cold war. His service to our country spanned 28 years, from an Air
    Force officer in Vietnam to work on SALT I to being a major force in
    bringing the nations of Europe into the Partnership For Peace. The world
    is a more secure place because of his dedication.
        Colonel Nelson Drew was a soldier, a scholar, a teacher, and a
    gentleman. He was trained to fight war. But in more than 20 years of
    service as an Air Force officer, he gave his heart and soul to the
    search for peace. He was largely responsible for investing the military
    and diplomatic initiatives of our Nation in Bosnia with a coherent
    design. And he was universally respected for his knowledge, his
    negotiating skills, his strategic thinking about the future of NATO and
    Europe after the cold war. The White House and the Nation are better for
    his service.
        Bob, Joe, and Nelson each represented the finest qualities of
    American citizenship. For their service and their sacrifice in the cause
    of peace and freedom, it is my honor on this day to award them each the
    President's Citizens Medal.
        Let me say to Katharina Frasure and Sarah and Virginia; to Gail
    Kruzel and John and Sarah; to Sandy Drew and Samantha and Philip; and to
    all your other family members here, the American people mourn your loss
    and share your grief. America is profoundly grateful for the work your
    husbands and fathers did to make the world a better place.
        I hope you will always remember, along with the personal memories
    you shared with me just a few moments ago, the pride they took in their
    calling and the passion they brought to the search for peace. And I hope
    that always, always, you will be very proud.
        They were extraordinary Americans who made reason their weapon,
    freedom their cause, and peace their goal. Bob, Joe, and Nelson were in
    Bosnia because they were moved by the terrible injustice and suffering
    there. And they were there because they believed it could and must be
    changed. The sorrow we feel here reminds us of the suffering Bob, Joe,
    and Nelson sought to ease there.
        So as we praise these men--Robert Frasure, Joseph Kruzel, and Nelson
    Drew, quiet American heroes who gave their lives so that others might
    know a future of hope and a land at peace--let us resolve to carry on
    their struggle with the strength, determination, and caring they brought
    to their families, their work, and their very grateful Nation.
        May God bless their memories and lift up their souls.

    Note: The President spoke at 1:10 p.m. in Memorial Chapel at Fort Myer.