    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1996, Book I)]
    [June 30, 1996]
    [Pages 1001-1002]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    [[Page 1001]]

    Remarks at the Memorial Service at Patrick Air Force Base, Florida, for
    American Servicemen Killed in Saudi Arabia
    June 30, 1996

        Governor Chiles, Lieutenant Governor MacKay, Congressman King,
    Congressman Weldon, General Shalikashvili, Secretary White, Secretary
    Widnall, General Fogleman, Under Secretary de Leon, General Hawley,
    General Hinson, Colonel Carr, Colonel Friers, Lieutenant Colonel
    Holliway, Lieutenant Colonel Jozayt, Chaplain Nguyen, and Chief Graves;
    to the wounded airmen who are here, whose survival we give thanks for;
    to the families and friends of those we come to honor.
        Today, in this place, we honor seven sons of America who sacrificed
    their lives in the service of our Nation. To their loved ones and their
    friends and their families and to their family here at Patrick, I know I
    bring the thoughts and the prayers of all Americans with me. As one we
    mourn your loss, we share your grief, we thank God for the lives of your
    loved ones.
        Five of our fallen sons come from this base. They were pilots and
    navigators, communicators and engineers. Each was a part of the 71st
    Rescue Squadron, whose motto hangs especially heavy on our hearts today,
    ``So that others may live.'' Two others came from further away, but
    they, too, are now back home in this land that they loved and that they
    gave everything to defend.
        To the families and the loved ones of these fine men, I say I know
    well that no one can ever make whole the loss of your father, your
    husband, your brother or son, your fiance, or your best friend. But I do
    hope you can find some solace in the strength they showed every day, in
    the pride they took in their work, in the love and respect they
    engendered from so many others, love and respect which surround you
    today.
        They were extraordinary Americans who made a difference. They made a
    difference in Operation Desert Storm. Afterward they made a difference
    in enforcing the no-fly zone over Iraq, in helping to defend Iraq's
    neighbors. They made a difference in Bosnia, delivering planeload after
    planeload of food and equipment and medicine, allowing the people of
    Bosnia the chance to rebuild their lives and their land. They made a
    difference in seeking for others the blessings of liberty we hold so
    dear. And they made a difference in smaller ways, teaching others their
    hard-won skills, taking care of their crews, giving a helping hand,
    lending a sympathetic ear.
        They were of diverse races and regions and religions and ethnic
    groups. But to the man, they were liked by their peers, loved by their
    families, admired by their communities. And they were united in their
    love of country and the mission they assumed. They represented the best
    of our Nation, and they gave America their best.
        Let me say to their families and friends, as I did who mourned the
    12 Americans from Eglin Air Force Base who also lost their lives in
    Dhahran: America stands with you in your sorrow and in your outrage.
    Your loved ones were taken before their time, felled by the hands of
    hatred in an act whose savagery is matched only by its cowardice. We
    will not rest until our efforts to capture, prosecute, and punish those
    who did this evil deed are successful.
        But today let us just for a moment put aside our anger to remember
    those who were lost, to find strength in the service they gave, to thank
    God for the lives that they did live, and to resolve to continue the
    struggle for freedom and decency to which they were so devoted.
        We are blessed to live in a prosperous land at a time of peace. But
    we see here again today, in heartbreaking reality, that this time is not
    free of peril. While the modern world opens many new opportunities to
    us, it also opens us to the forces of intolerance and destruction and
    especially to the forces of terrorism that are so often rooted in ethnic
    and religious hatred. We know now painfully that terrorists can strike
    anywhere, from a subway in Tokyo to the streets of London, from the
    sacred ground of the Holy Land to the World Trade Center in New York and
    Oklahoma City and now in Saudi Arabia.
        My fellow Americans, during the long struggles of World War II and
    the cold war, our Nation stood fast for freedom. In our time, terrorism
    is the enemy of peace and freedom. America must not and America will not
    be driven from the fight against terrorism. In this ef-

    [[Page 1002]]

    fort, every American must stand with the men and women of our armed
    services. Every American must stand against violence and hatred and
    stand for dignity and tolerance, at home as well as abroad. We must
    honor the memory of those we have lost by upholding the ideals for which
    they lived and the mission for which they gave their lives.
        The men we mourn today made the most of their lives. And they made
    all the rest of our lives richer and safer. We are the poorer for their
    passing. But the bright light of their devotion still shines. May their
    names live on forever. May we never forget Captain Christopher Adams,
    Captain Leland Haun, Master Sergeant Michael Heiser, Staff Sergeant
    Kevin Johnson, Airman First Class Justin Wood, Staff Sergeant Ronald
    King, and Airman Christopher Lester.
        They gave their lives for our freedom. May they now rest in the warm
    embrace of God. May God bring peace to their families and their loved
    ones. And may God bless the country for which they gave the last full
    measure of their devotion. Amen.

    Note: The President spoke at 3 p.m. in the theater. In his remarks, he
    referred to Brig. Gen. Robert C. Hinson, USAF, Commander, Col. Patrick
    Carr, USAF, Vice Commander, and Chief Master Sgt. David Graves, USAF,
    Senior Enlisted Adviser, 45th Space Wing; Lt. Col. Tom Friers, USAF,
    Commander, and Lt. Col. Robert Holliway, USAF, Deputy Commander, 1st
    Rescue Group; Lt. Col. Donald R. Jozayt, USAF, Commander, 71st Rescue
    Squadron; and Capt. Philip Nguyen, USAF, base chaplain.