[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: GEORGE W. BUSH (2001, Book I)]
[March 4, 2001]
[Pages 189-191]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



Remarks at the Christening Ceremony for the U.S.S. Ronald Reagan in 
Newport News, Virginia
March 4, 2001

    Thank you very much, Mr. Secretary. 
Mr. Secretary, thank you for those kind words. I picked the right man to 
be the Secretary of Defense at this time in history.
    Mrs. Reagan, it is an honor to be with you. 
Reagan family members, friends of the great President, Laura and I are 
honored to be here.
    We join with the Governor and 
Senator of this State in asking for God's blessings on those who lost 
their lives yesterday and for their families.
    Bill, thank you very much for your 
hospitality. Secretary Powell and Secretary 
Abraham, Leader Lott, 
Chairman Warner--I can't tell if you're 
trying to retire me early--[laughter]--or influence my behavior.
    Senator Allen, Governor Gilmore, Representative Scott, and Members of Congress, Justice Kennedy, Admiral Clark, welcome. But 
most of all, I want to welcome the men and women of the United States 
Navy, including the officers and crew who will soon be on the Ronald 
Reagan.
    Looking at the bow of this great ship, we think of those who will 
sail it and of those who built it. Into this ship, 6 years in the 
making, we have put the finest of American workmanship. On board this 
ship, we'll put the finest sailors in the world. And upon this ship, we 
have put the finest of American names.
    Forty-nine years ago, another outstanding American took that name 
herself. Mrs. Reagan, I know today is your 49th 
anniversary, wedding anniversary. Since your wedding day, you've seen 
the name ``Reagan'' written large in many places, from theater marquees 
to the archways of great buildings. But there is something especially 
fitting in the place it holds today, on the newest ship in the greatest 
navy in the world. When we send her off to sea, it is certain that the 
Ronald Reagan will meet with rough waters as well as smooth, and 
headwinds as well as fair. But she will sail tall and strong, like the 
man we have known.
    A man cannot be strong forever, but if he is very fortunate, life 
will send him a

[[Page 190]]

partner to be strong when he is not. In a life of honors, Ronald 
Reagan has always valued one honor above all, 
the love of Nancy. It is a love that believes 
all, hopes all, and endures all. Mrs. Reagan, anyone who has seen you 
together knows how much you mean to him. I want you to know how much 
your care and love for him means to America.
    It was said of a great architect centuries ago, ``If you want to 
seek his monument, look around you.'' That is true of Ronald 
Reagan. We live in a world shaped in so many 
ways by his will and heart. As President, Ronald Reagan believed without 
question that tyranny is temporary and the hope of freedom is universal 
and permanent; that our Nation has a unique goodness and must remain 
uniquely strong; that God takes the side of justice, because all our 
rights are His own gifts. The strength of these beliefs gave strength to 
our allies and hope to political prisoners and courage to average 
citizens in oppressed nations and leadership to our military and to our 
country.
    Some achievements fade with the years. Ronald Reagan's achievements grow larger with the passing of time. He 
had a profound vision of America's role in the world as one of peace 
through strength. And because of Ronald Reagan, the world saw America as 
a strong and peaceful nation.
    Today's world is different from the one he 
faced and changed. We are no longer divided into armed camps, locked in 
a careful balance of terror. Yet, freedom still has enemies. Our present 
dangers are less concentrated and more varied. They come from rogue 
nations, from terrorism, from missiles that threaten our forces, our 
friends, our allies, and our homeland. Our times call for new thinking. 
But the values Ronald Reagan brought to America's conduct in the world 
will not change.
    So as we dedicate this ship, I want to rededicate American policy to 
Ronald Reagan's vision of optimism, modesty, 
and resolve. Ronald Reagan's optimism defined his character, and it 
defined his Presidency. More than a habit of mind, this optimism sprang 
from deep confidence in the power and future of American ideals. Great 
democracies, he believed, are built on the strong foundation of consent 
and human dignity; any government built on oppression is built on sand. 
The future, he proclaimed, belongs to the free.
    That belief has lost none of its power to inspire hope and change. 
Around the world today, the expectation of freedom is fed by free 
markets and expanded by free trade and carried across borders by the 
Internet. And nations that try to restrict these freedoms are in a 
losing battle with liberty.
    America, by nature, stands for freedom. And we must always remember, 
we benefit when it expands. So we will stand by those nations moving 
towards freedom. We'll stand up to those nations who deny freedom and 
threaten our neighbors or our vital interests, and we will assert 
emphatically that the future will belong to the free.
    At the same time, President Reagan 
understood that this confidence should never be arrogance. No one was 
better at using the bully pulpit of the Presidency, but under his 
leadership America was never a bully.
    One of the ways we show the world we take our values seriously is to 
live by them ourselves. Our Nation cherishes freedom, but we do not own 
it. While it is the birthright of every American, it is also the equal 
promise of the religious believer in southern Sudan or an Iraqi farmer 
in the Tigress Valley or of a child born in China today. We help fulfill 
that promise not by lecturing the world but by leading it.
    Precisely because America is powerful, we must be sensitive about 
expressing our power and influence. Our goal is to patiently build the 
momentum of freedom, not create resentment for America itself. We pursue 
our goals; we will listen to others. We want strong friends to join us, 
not weak neighbors to dominate. In all our

[[Page 191]]

dealings with other nations, we will display the modesty of true 
confidence and strength.
    Finally, Ronald Reagan understood that the 
advance of freedom depends on American strength. We must have a military 
that is second to none and that includes a Navy that is second to none.
    As has been mentioned, for the last 60 years, every President has 
had to ask, ``Where are the carriers?'' None has ever been disappointed 
by the Navy's response. Just a few weeks ago, I asked the same question 
and called upon the Harry S. Truman in the Persian Gulf. Ronald 
Reagan built the military of today, the 
military that keeps our peace, but we cannot live forever on that 
legacy. Our challenge is to build a military that will deter and win the 
wars of the future.
    Almost 20 years ago, President Reagan made 
his first visit to an aircraft carrier, the U.S.S. Constellation. He 
told the sailors how grateful America was that they were there as a 
powerful force in an uncertain world. One hundred thousand tons of 
American power, you see over here, will carry forward this proud 
tradition. In fact, in 2 years, the Reagan will actually replace U.S.S. 
Constellation.
    What you don't see is what's different between those two magnificent 
vessels. The island on the Reagan's main deck is almost the same height 
as that of its predecessors, but it has one less level. The empty space 
will be filled with cables that will tie the ship into a vast network 
that connects information and weapons in new ways. This will 
revolutionize the Navy's ability to project American power over land and 
sea, assuring access for all our forces wherever our vital interests are 
threatened.
    These new capabilities are the future of our military, not just the 
Navy but of all our services. It is a future where a revolution in 
technology will change the face of war itself. We'll keep the peace by 
redefining the terms of war. We'll change our military, yet we will 
never forget that America's strength ultimately depends on the courage 
and spirit of the men and women who wear the uniform.
    Nearly half our ships are at sea right now. One-third are forward-
deployed overseas, taking their crew away from family and the comforts 
of home. In our sleep, we don't think about the enemies that the men and 
women who wear the uniform deter, the friends they reassure, the freedom 
in trade they guarantee. Yet, we rest at night protected by the security 
they provide.
    As President, Ronald Reagan understood our 
duty to these brave Americans, and so do I. Our men and women in uniform 
give America their best, and we owe them our support in return. These 
are the defining qualities of Ronald Reagan: optimism, modesty, and 
strength. They're also the qualities that will guide America in a new 
century.
    So, today the Ronald Reagan begins its journey into the bright and 
peaceful dawn that President Reagan helped to bring. All of us here wish 
the ship Ronald Reagan Godspeed, and we wish Ronald Reagan God's blessings.
    God bless America.

Note: The President spoke at 2:52 p.m. at Newport News Shipbuilding. In 
his remarks, he referred to Gov. James S. Gilmore III of Virginia; 
William P. Fricks, chairman and chief executive officer, Newport News 
Shipbuilding; and Admiral Vernon E. Clark, USN, Chief of Naval 
Operations.