[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: WILLIAM J. CLINTON (1999, Book II)]
[November 23, 1999]
[Pages 2147-2148]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



Remarks to American Troops Following Thanksgiving Dinner at Camp 
Bondsteel
November 23, 1999

    Thank you. Well, the people at my table said that the speech I gave 
to the other troops was piped in here, which means it either was or it 
wasn't. And if it was, you heard it, and if it wasn't, you get relieved 
of hearing it. [Laughter]
    Let me say to all of you how very grateful I am for your service 
here and for the power of your example here. As I said to the other 
troops, NATO won the military victory, but now the people of Kosovo have 
to win the peace, and you have to help them win it, not only by doing 
your jobs but by setting a good example.
    This was a war caused by a man's 
determination to drive a whole people out of a country

[[Page 2148]]

because of their ethnic and religious background. It's the opposite of 
everything we believe in, everything we live by, and everything the 
United States military stands for.
    And you just look around this room today. We just celebrated 
Thanksgiving with, I bet you, conservatively, 25 different ethnic groups 
represented among the American military forces here in this room--maybe 
50, maybe it's more. We are interested and proud in and proud of our 
background, and we should be, but we know that our common humanity and 
our shared values are more important. That's the message that the 
children need to get here in Kosovo. And the more you work with people 
and the more you let children see you working together, having a good 
time, being proud of what you're doing, doing your job, living the 
American creed, you will also be fulfilling your mission by doing that.
    Kids are not brought up hating each other because they're different; 
they have to be taught to do that. They've taught generations of people 
on this land, good people in both communities, to do that. And now 
they've got to stop, and you've got to help them. And I can't think of a 
better Thanksgiving present that you could give to them.
    Let me also say that I was very honored--I've got four Members of the Congress here who voted for 
this, but I was very honored to sign the legislation which raised the 
pay and improved the retirement of members of the military. But let me 
also say that we are well aware that in this good economy, with the 
training you've gotten in the military, that you're not serving for the 
money, but we think you ought to be properly compensated and have a good 
retirement, and it ought to be an incentive for you to stay if you're so 
inclined.
    But we honor your service; we need you. And on Thanksgiving, those 
of us who came here will be home, and you will be a long way from home. 
But you will be in our hearts, and I hope you know that what you're 
doing is a great, great gift to your country.
    Thank you very much.

Note: The President spoke at 3:30 p.m. in a dining tent. In his remarks, 
he referred to President Slobodan Milosevic of the Federal Republic of 
Yugoslavia (Serbia and Montenegro); and the National Defense 
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2000, Public Law 106-65, approved 
October 5.