[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1997, Book I)]
[May 26, 1997]
[Pages 655-657]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



Remarks at a Memorial Day Ceremony in Arlington, Virginia
May 26, 1997

    Thank you very much. General Foley, Chaplain Schwartzman, Mr. 
Metzler, to the members of the Cabinet, General Shalikashvili and the 
leaders of our Armed Forces, to Members of Congress, and especially to 
the members of the Armed Forces who are here, the leaders of our 
veterans organizations, all of you who are veterans and your families, 
and all of you who are family members of those who have given their 
lives in the service of our country.
    My fellow Americans, we gather here today, as we do faithfully every 
year, to pay tribute to our country men and women who fell in the line 
of duty, who gave their lives to preserve the liberties upon which our 
Nation was founded and which we have managed to carry forward for more 
than 200 years now. All across America, our grateful Nation comes 
together today to honor these men and women, some celebrated, others 
quite unknown, each a patriot and a hero.
    For many of our schoolchildren who have known no war, today may seem 
to be little more than a day off from school or a welcome start to the 
summer. But on this day, and all that we pause to remember, there are 
essential lessons for the young and, indeed, for all the rest of us as 
well: Appreciate the blessings of freedom; recognize the power and 
virtue of sacrifice; respect those who gave everything on behalf of our 
common good.
    This day reminds us of what we can achieve when we pull together as 
one nation, respecting each other with all of our myriad differences, 
but coming together, we can fight any battle and face any challenge.
    It reminds us of our duty to honor not only those we have lost in 
freedom's cause but also, through attention and care, the service men 
and women who came back home and are now our veterans, as well as the 
families of those for whom there tragically has never been a final 
accounting.
    It reminds us of our obligation to take care of those who have taken 
care of us and those who take care of us today. That means ensuring that 
our men and women in uniform have the best training and equipment and 
preparation possible to do their jobs for freedom, because even in times 
of peace, we must remain vigilant in a very new and still uncertain 
world.
    And above all, it reminds us of America's responsibility to remain 
the world's leading force for peace and prosperity and freedom as we

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enter the 21st century, so that future generations of young Americans 
who wear our uniform will never have to endure the losses in battles 
that our predecessors did in the 20th century.
    Behind me, just a few yards from where we gather today, lies the 
grave of General George Marshall, an heroic soldier in war and a 
visionary statesman for peace after the Second World War. He built the 
armies that enabled freedom to triumph over tyranny in World War II. And 
after the war, along with President Truman, Senator Arthur Vandenberg, 
and others, he inspired America to make the investments and forge the 
institutions that built the peace, reached out to former adversaries, 
spread democracy and prosperity, and ultimately won the cold war. 
General George Marshall was the very first full-time soldier ever to win 
the Nobel Prize for Peace. A half-century ago, he knew that in order to 
be strong at home and safe at home, we had to lead the world to a more 
secure and better place.
    Now, at the end of the cold war, when there appears to be no looming 
threat on the horizon, we must rise to Marshall's challenge in our day. 
We must remember the lessons of those who gave their lives in World War 
II and those who worked so hard to make sure that we would prevail in 
the cold war and not have to go back to war again. We must create the 
institutions and the understandings that will advance the security and 
prosperity of the American people for the next 50 years.
    This great endeavor must begin in Europe. Twice in this century--
indeed, twice within a period of a few decades--Americans went over 
there and gave their lives in defense of liberty. Many more stood sentry 
with our European allies through the long night of the cold war. Today, 
our generation has been given a precious chance to redeem that sacrifice 
and service, to build an undivided, democratic European Continent at 
peace for the very first time in history.
    Over the course of this week, beginning this evening, I will travel 
to Europe to advance this goal. Tomorrow in Paris, President Yeltsin of 
Russia, my fellow NATO leaders, and I will join an historic signing of 
the Founding Act of the NATO-Russia partnership, opening a new era of 
cooperation in Europe to bridge the historic divisions there. Then I 
will have the great honor to represent you in The Netherlands, joining 
with leaders from all over Europe to celebrate the 50th anniversary of 
the Marshall plan, the plan that helped Europe to recover its prosperity 
and secure its liberty. I will challenge Europe's people to work 
together with America to complete the work that General Marshall's 
generation began, extending the reach of security and prosperity to the 
new democracies in Europe that once were on the other side in the cold 
war. Finally, I will have a chance to meet with the new Prime Minister 
of Great Britain to celebrate our unique partnership with our old and 
close ally.
    My fellow Americans, if you look at all the gravestones here today, 
you will see that they have not died in vain, when you see what we enjoy 
today and that we stand at the pinnacle of our power, our success, and 
our influence as a nation. But that means we stand at the pinnacle of 
our responsibility.
    At the end of World War II, General Marshall could make that case to 
America. We fought a bloody war because we did not assume that 
responsibility at the end of World War I. Today it is perhaps more 
difficult because we feel no impending threat as we did from the 
Communist forces in the cold war.
    But I ask you when you leave this place today to ask yourself, as an 
American, what can I do to honor the sacrifices of those we honor here 
today? For what did George Marshall dedicate his life? For what did 
these people fight and die? And how can we make sure that we have a new 
century in which we do not repeat the mistakes of the last one?
    I will say, the only way that can happen is if America refuses to 
walk away from the world and its present challenges. We must learn the 
lessons General Marshall and his generation left us. Their sacrifice and 
their spirit call upon us to seize this moment, to shape the peace of 
the present for future generations, to turn the hope we share into a 
history we can all be proud of.
    And so on this day when we remember those who gave everything for 
our Nation and its freedom, let us resolve to honor them by renewing our 
commitment, on the edge of a new century and a new era, to lead the 
world toward greater peace and security, freedom and prosperity. In 
doing that, we will make Americans safer. We will allow our men and 
women in uniform to stand sentinel for our freedom with less risk to 
their lives.
    May God always bless the American heroes we honor today. May He 
bless those fallen and

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those who still stand at the ready. May He always bless the United 
States, and may He always give us the wisdom to do what is right for 
tomorrow.
    Thank you, and God bless you all.

Note: The President spoke at 11:30 a.m. in the Amphitheater at Arlington 
National Cemetery. In his remarks, he referred to Col. Joel R. 
Schwartzman, USAF, Chief of Chaplains, Bolling Air Force Base; John 
Metzler, Superintendent, Arlington National Cemetery; President Boris 
Yeltsin of Russia; and Prime Minister Tony Blair of the United Kingdom.