    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2001, Book II)]
    [October 11, 2001]
    [Pages 1215-1217]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks at the Department of Defense Service of Remembrance in
    Arlington, Virginia
    October 11, 2001

        Please be seated. President and
    Senator Clinton, thank you all for
    being here. We have come here to pay our respects to 125 men and women
    who died in the service of America. We also remember 64 passengers on a
    hijacked plane, those men and women, boys and girls who fell into the
    hands of evildoers and also died here exactly one month ago.
        On September 11th, great sorrow came to our country. And from that
    sorrow has come great resolve. Today, we are a nation awakened to the
    evil of terrorism and determined to destroy it. That work began the
    moment we were attacked, and it will continue until justice is
    delivered.
        Americans are returning, as we must, to the normal pursuits of life.
    But we know

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    that if you lost a son or daughter here or a husband or wife or mom or
    dad, life will never again be as it was. The loss was sudden and hard
    and permanent, so difficult to explain, so difficult to accept: three
    schoolchildren traveling with their teacher; an Army general; a budget
    analyst who reported to work here for 30 years; a lieutenant commander
    in the Naval Reserve who left behind a wife, a 4-year-old son, and
    another child on the way.
        One life touches so many others. One death can leave sorrow that
    seems almost unbearable. But to all of you who lost someone here, I want
    to say: You are not alone. The American people will never forget the
    cruelty that was done here and in New York and in the sky over
    Pennsylvania. We will never forget all the innocent people killed by the
    hatred of a few. We know the loneliness you feel in your loss. The
    entire Nation--the entire Nation shares in your sadness. And we pray for
    you and your loved ones, and we will always honor their memory.
        The hijackers were instruments of evil who died in vain. Behind them
    is a cult of evil which seeks to harm the innocent and thrives on human
    suffering. Theirs is the worst kind of cruelty, the cruelty that is fed,
    not weakened, by tears. Theirs is the worst kind of violence, pure
    malice while daring to claim the authority of God. We cannot fully
    understand the designs and power of evil. It is enough to know that
    evil, like goodness, exists. And in the terrorists, evil has found a
    willing servant.
        In New York, the terrorists chose as their target a symbol of
    America's freedom and confidence. Here, they struck a symbol of our
    strength in the world. And the attack on the Pentagon, on that day, was
    more symbolic than they knew. It was on another September 11th--
    September 11th, 1941--that construction on this building first began.
    America was just then awakening to another menace, the Nazi terror in
    Europe. And on that very night, President Franklin Roosevelt spoke to
    the Nation. The danger, he warned, ``has long ceased to be a mere
    possibility. The danger is here now--not only from a military enemy but
    from an enemy of all law, all liberty, all morality, all religion.''
        For us too, in the year 2001, an enemy has emerged that rejects
    every limit of law, morality, and religion. The terrorists have no true
    home in any country or culture or faith. They dwell in dark corners of
    Earth. And there, we will find them.
        This week, I have called the Armed Forces into action. One by one,
    we are eliminating power centers of a regime that harbors Al Qaida
    terrorists. We gave that regime a choice: Turn over the terrorists, or
    face your ruin. They chose unwisely.
        The Taliban regime has brought nothing but fear and misery to the
    people of Afghanistan. These rulers call themselves holy men, even with
    their record of drawing money from heroin trafficking. They consider
    themselves pious and devout, while subjecting women to fierce brutality.
        The Taliban has allied itself with murderers and gave them shelter.
    But today, for Al Qaida and the Taliban, there is no shelter.
        As Americans did 60 years ago, we have entered a struggle of
    uncertain duration. But now, as then, we can be certain of the outcome
    because we have a number of decisive assets. We have a unified country.
    We have the patience to fight and win on many fronts, blocking terrorist
    plans, seizing their funds, arresting their networks, disrupting their
    communications, opposing their sponsors. And we have one more great
    asset in this cause, the brave men and women of the United States
    military.
        From my first days in this office, I have felt and seen the strong
    spirit of the Armed Forces. I saw it at Fort Stewart, Georgia, when I
    first reviewed our troops as Commander in Chief and looked into the
    faces of proud and determined soldiers. I saw it in Annapolis on a
    graduation day, at Camp Pendleton in California, Camp Bondsteel in
    Kosovo. And I have seen this

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    spirit at the Pentagon, before and after the attack on this building.
        You've responded to a great emergency with calm and courage. And for
    that, your country honors you. A Commander in Chief must know--must
    know--that he can count on the skill and readiness of service men and
    women at every point in the chain of command. You have given me that
    confidence.
        And I give you these commitments: The wound to this building will
    not be forgotten, but it will be repaired. Brick by brick, we will
    quickly rebuild the Pentagon. In the missions ahead for the military,
    you will have everything you need, every resource, every weapon, every
    means to assure full victory for the United States and the cause of
    freedom.
        And I pledge to you that America will never relent on this war
    against terror. There will be times of swift, dramatic action. There
    will be times of steady, quiet progress. Over time, with patience and
    precision, the terrorists will be pursued. They will be isolated,
    surrounded, cornered, until there is no place to run or hide or rest.
        As military and civilian personnel in the Pentagon, you are an
    important part of the struggle we have entered. You know the risks of
    your calling, and you have willingly accepted them. You believe in our
    country, and our country believes in you.
        Within sight of this building is Arlington Cemetery, the final
    resting place of many thousands who died for our country over the
    generations. Enemies of America have now added to these graves, and they
    wish to add more. Unlike our enemies, we value every life, and we mourn
    every loss.
        Yet we're not afraid. Our cause is just and worthy of sacrifice. Our
    Nation is strong of heart, firm of purpose. Inspired by all the courage
    that has come before, we will meet our moment, and we will prevail.
        May God bless you all, and may God bless America.

    Note: The President spoke at 11:55 a.m. outside the Pentagon. The Office
    of the Press Secretary also released a Spanish language transcript of
    these remarks.